Monday a.m. stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 9, 2009 9:55 AM CDT
78 comments
After throwing 50 pitches yesterday in 3 innings, Matt Harrison went out to the bullpen and threw about 20 more. Harrison is experimenting with a cut fastball, which may replace the slider in his arsenal, along with working on the back-door curve that it seems most lefties of his type utilize.
Derek Holland pitched yesterday, and over at the Inside Corner, there's double-barrelled Holland action, with Evan Grant having an article up on Holland's impressive spring, and Mike Hindman writing about Holland's ascension to top prospectdom.
Thomas Diamond, Doug Mathis, and Willie Eyre all got work in during an intrasquad game, with all three pitchers apparently acquitting themselves well.
Evan Grant says the Rangers aren't likely to stick Elvis Andrus down in AAA for a few weeks just to save on service time, for a variety of reasons, not least because they are dealing with a 20 year old who they feel is going to be a leader on the team going forward, and they don't want to alienate him over an issue like that out of the box.
Josh Hamilton is re-working his swing this spring. That's...a bit...I don't know. Worrisome, I guess? My first reaction is the whole "if it ain't broke" thing, but the goal is apparently to smooth out his swing to make him less prone to slumps.
Gil LeBreton writes about Milton Bradley, who seems to be a bit put out that the Rangers weren't willing to go three years on a deal for him. LeBreton suggests that Bradley's absences from the lineup, at the same time Michael Young was playing with broken fingers, didn't go over well with his teammates, and provides this explanation from Bradley about the games he missed last year:
"If I’m being paid, and I’ve got the commitment to me that I give to them, you make more of an effort to be out there every day," he said.
"When you’re on one-year deals constantly, you’ve got to put up as good numbers as you can. When you have days where you’re not feeling like you can contribute, you’re not going to go out there, because you’re not going to want your numbers to suck.
"So, if you’re in a situation like I am now, if they want me to go out there when I’m feeling a little banged up, I’ve got no problem doing that because they’ve made the commitment to me."
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Andrus
Why would it alienate the player to send him to OKC a couple weeks?
Would he even need the service time explanation? Is that beyond him, considering it’s reaching common knowledge for blog readerships?
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Mar 9, 2009 9:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Because a move like that helps the team and not the player.
It delays Andrus being eligible for arbitration and delays when he’s up for free agency. It affects when he would get a big paycheck, or at least one significantly higher than it is now. Grant says that the Rangers wouldn’t want to cause any rifts or confusion with Andrus with a move that solely benefits the Rangers.
Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.
by Brandon Worley on Mar 9, 2009 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It wouldn't delay arbitration
Keeping him down in AAA for 3-4 weeks would not delay his arbitration. He would become a Super 2 and have 4 arbitration years instead of 3.
All it would do is keep him from being a FA until hes 27 instead of 26. Not that big a difference IMO
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok yeah thats true.
I think the main point of Grant’s post was the Rangers don’t want to risk affecting Andrus’ confidence and that he might not understand the business side of a move to AAA for a few weeks.
I don’t necessarily agree with that however. Andrus is a smart guy and I believe he speaks English, it shouldn’t be that tough to explain the move to him.
Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.
by Brandon Worley on Mar 9, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
Like I said below I highly doubt an extra month as a 20 year old in AAA is going to come into play in 6 years. If he doesn’t understand the business side of things by now he will surely by then and as long as you treat them right in between it shouldn’t affect things enough to lose the guy because of it.
Now if Andrus was some cocky hot shot kid who had the attitude Blake Beavan had when he first got drafted or someone who is only concerned about the money then it may affect them more. But Elvis seems like a down to earth kid who just wants to play baseball and be a big leaguer.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can't tell him he's going down for service time purposes.
You’d be in violation of MLB policy.
I don’t get why we’re not doing this. Tampa’s doing it with Price, Baltimore’s doing it with Weiters, Atlanta’s doing it with Hanson…Perhaps this is the result of the club backing themselves into a corner by moving FOTF and annointing Elvis as the replacement as early as they did.
by LiamP on Mar 9, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
your last sentence
That’s really the only plausible explanation.
Doctor please. Some more of these.
by tricer on Mar 9, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nope
I don’t believe that’s the only plausible explanation.
I believe that the risk of “irking” Elvis to save a buck would actually remain in his head years down the road, thus potentially making him want to get a little payback years down the road. The payback could be in just flat out leaving the team, or jacking up the price a bit more than he might accept because they dealt with him in good faith.
The funny thing about business, is when it is only business and no personal connection, then loyalty goes flying out the window and/or straight down the commode. Some folks do operate and feel a sense of loyalty…..even if some feel they are stupid to view things in that manner.
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
by Chaim Witz on Mar 9, 2009 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the guy is going to hold a grudge for 7 years then let him leave then
I think its much worse if you were to leave him in the minors to avoid a Super 2 status and get another pre arbitration year out of someone.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
the downside of him being pissed off and holding a grudge 7 years later is much smaller than the upside of holding him for another year guaranteed.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 9, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Could not put it better.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Mar 9, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ummmm...
Isn’t that what I said, or am I misunderstanding something?
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
by Chaim Witz on Mar 9, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well
I believe that the risk of "irking" Elvis to save a buck would actually remain in his head years down the road, thus potentially making him want to get a little payback years down the road
I took that as meaning he would stay pissed for 7 years if we held him back for a month or so. Is that not what you meant?
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll clarify
I was focusing on the “I think its much worse if you were to leave him in the minors to avoid a Super 2 status and get another pre arbitration year out of someone.” part of your comment.
As far as the 7 year issue, I do believe we disagree, based on just my perspective. Without debating interpersonal relationships as relating to business dealings, I do believe that if the Rangers hold him back just to get an extra year out of him, it will be in his head from day 1.
It may never affect his attitude or ability on the field, but it will be his first experience with the “business side of baseball”, and that will make an impression on him. I don’t think they need the extra year to evaluate if this is a guy they want to keep around and sign to a longer contract down the road. As far as his personal feeling about the franchise, a move like that would never increase the probability of him wanting to stay in Texas. It will either have not affect whatsoever (as some obviously believe) or it will have a negeative impact. In no scenario that I can come up with, will it have a positive impact when that time comes.
I hope that makes it clearer, and thanks for your clarification.
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
by Chaim Witz on Mar 9, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you think that always affects players negatively when it's done?
Because I’ve certainly never seen it.
by philkid3 on Mar 9, 2009 4:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Concur...
if he’s going to be the type of guy that 7 years down the road when he’s a FA is thinking that the team screwed him out of 1 year of FA rather than seeing it as the team was willing to move the “face of the franchise” to make way for him to play everyday at the ML level as a 20 or 21 year old kid then do you really want him on the team when that time comes? I seriously doubt he would feel that way though.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 9, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Every situation is different.
I think Grant’s point about the team not planning a long term contract any time soon is salient here. Plus, I think the team will really just make the decision based on whether or not they think he’s ready. They will not hesitate to send him down if they think he’s not ready, but they apparently won’t keep him down solely for the purpose of saving service time.
The one thing I am 100% sure of is they are not going to keep him up just to please Young or any fans pissed off about Young moving to 3B. That’s ludicrous. That press cycle is long gone and there is zero incentive to placating Young or the fans in such a stupid way. Young is already signed for eternity. And how many fans are going to make ticket buying decisions on whether or not the club keeps Andrus up right away? Stop reading conspiracy theories.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
tampa also did it with longoria last year fwiw
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Mar 9, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Most teams do it
it’s fairly standard practice, because its a good idea.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 9, 2009 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Another option
You don’t send him down, and then use the fact that they didn’t send him down as leverage later on when they are trying to sign him long term. If he does well, you can use the fact that they didn’t send him down to get him to lock up a year of FA into his contract. If he doesn’t do well, then you are rid of him sooner to someone else willing to overpay him.
by iblum on Mar 9, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
How would that be leverage?
Hes the one who gets to leave in FA. If you don’t send him down he can leave sooner. The fact he would be arbitration eligible still is the leverage you have. The Rays saved at least 5 million dollars by keeping Longoria down for a couple weeks. In this economy that is a good chunk of change.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
how does this help the team at all
if he goes out and hits .220?
he will look back and say “you brought me up too early”
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Mar 9, 2009 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Except you don't get any leverage.
because you’ve already played your card. The agent will say “that’s nice, but that was then, and this is now”.
I don’t see any merit in your suggestion.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 9, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I sure as hell don't want my team opperating on terms of good will and I.O.U.s.
Instead of smart business.
by philkid3 on Mar 9, 2009 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah i don't get that point of it
I highly highly doubt a month in AAA as a 20 year old is going to come into play 6 years down the road when he could possibly be a FA.
All these players either do or will learn about the business side of things in short order.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
All these players either do or will learn about the business side of things in short order.
Totally agree. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t grasp this already.
Starting him with the ML club would be a bad decision, unless the club already anticipates buying out some arb years with a long-term contract.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Mar 9, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
x
All these players either do or will learn about the business side of things in short order.
Apparently, Varitek was unaware that a team that signed him would have to give up their 1st round pick – thus lowering his market value.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Mar 9, 2009 9:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hamilton
Im with you on the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” theory but apparently he started the switch last September and it was a pretty good month for him.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 9:59 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah
I have been looking for the article where I read that too but can’t seem to find it…
by Goyogringo on Mar 9, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
today’s article mentions that Hambone and Rudy started reworking things last September.
Doctor please. Some more of these.
by tricer on Mar 9, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
right but there was an article around the reporting date
that mentioned it as well…
by Goyogringo on Mar 9, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
MB:
His quotes are understandable and disturbing at the same time. It’s also perfectly indicative of professional sports.
Basically he was saying that he had to look out for himself to ensure he got a big payday at the end of the year, and didn’t want to try and play if it might affect his numbers. Good move for himself, horrible move for the team.
Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.
by Brandon Worley on Mar 9, 2009 10:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I disagree
It doesn’t matter if you are on a one year deal or a multi-year deal. If you agree with his reasoning, then it will also be acceptable for him to behave the same way in the final year of any contract, whether it is one year or multi-year. If I was Chicago, I’d be troubled by his statements.
by NorCalRangersFan on Mar 9, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hamilton; Bradley
It doesn’t sound like a complete reworking of Hamilton’s swing, just a tweak the way I read it.
Bradley. Wow. Way to be a team player and leave it all on the field. He expects the team to throw years and money at him before he shows he’s willing to take one for the team? Methinks you have it backwards, Board Game.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Hamilton
If you saw the game this weekend it looked like a completely different stance. He may have been working on the hands thing at the end of last year and then switched to the open stance this winter but it is definitely a bit more than a tweak
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Mar 9, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Didn't see it
I’m still not too worried, he seems very confident in it, and it certainly hasn’t hurt his production. It certainly bears watching, though. I’m always much more worried about this sort of thing for pitchers than for hitters.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Board Game...
yeah that last sentence upset me. So he wasn’t willing to go and play a little banged up for the Rangers because he felt like they didn’t commit to him? Given the guys injury history how did he expect any team to sign him to any other type of deal than the Rangers did last year?
As you say, he has it back-asswards. He needs to show a team he can stay healthy and produce for a team to commit to him. He had a gret year last year, but imo he still didn’t show he can stay healthy. Thus the Rangers not willing to offer him what the Cubs did. Really not hard to understand.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 9, 2009 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"He needs to show a team he can stay healthy and produce for a team to commit to him"
He has 3 years and $30 million that would disagree with that statement.
I’m with jcAustin here, Bradley played his hand well. His honesty is rare, because you know that kind of thing happens more than most people will admit, but now he’s taken care of for the rest of his life. I don’t think he faulted the Rangers for not having “committed” to him during the season last year, he just wasn’t being a team player by looking out for number 1.
"Holland didn’t make that kid question his swing, he made him question his career path"
by trident on Mar 9, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I still think Bradley
is like Terrell Owens. Pick them up for a short time, and you will do well, lock them down longterm, and you will be sorry.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 9, 2009 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
It is not wise to sit on top of an active volcano for too long.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You may be right
I don’t think Bradley is as ego maniacal as TO, but I’m very glad we didn’t give him a contract like that
"Holland didn’t make that kid question his swing, he made him question his career path"
by trident on Mar 9, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bradley is very interesting.
He’s a classic chip on the shoulder guy, but he’s smarter than most. He’s burning a bridge here, but it’s probably not one he will ever need to use. In a way i appreciate the honesty of his comments, but it does piss me off a little. Last year could have been different if he was there in August.
by jcAustin on Mar 9, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Never need to use
that bridge, or any other. Good luck getting another multi-year contract when the current one runs out. He should be thanking the Rangers for taking a chance on him when few other teams were interested last year, not saying they didn’t step up. He was in a great situation last year that allowed him to flourish, and the only reason people aren’t piling on him for his attitude like they do Young is because his bat was so awesome.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting notes today
I like the idea of Harrison working on a cutter. That seems to be a very effective pitch for guys that know how to use it, and I don’t think we have anybody throwing a cutter.
I approve of the handling of Andrus. The service time issue certainly creates a risk of alienating him, and though the extra year would be helpful, I don’t know that a future leader and franchise cornerstone is the guy you want to try that on. If you tell him that service time is the reason behind sending him down, you might piss him off (unless you do like the Rays did with Longoria and immediately lock him up with a bid payday). If you give another excuse, you’re really going to piss him off, because everyone and their dog knows about the service time issue at this point.
I like that Hamilton is tweaking his swing. He’s a guy that always wants to get better, always wants to be a step ahead of the pitchers, and he can do that by eliminating even the minor flaws.
Keith Law: (1:45 PM ET ) I think Michael Young should shut his mouth and move to third base.
by WestTxAg06 on Mar 9, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I think Ballard does
but I’m not sure if anyone else in the system does; surely there are a few more
by Goyogringo on Mar 9, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think..
..people are making incorrect assumptions when they think that because Andrus is intelligent he will be aware of the service time rules. And even if he is aware, the club is basically working the system to rob him of negotiating leverage.
When you step back and take a look at the bigger picture I have zero issue with Andrus starting the year with the big club and staying or going back down based solely on his performance.
by jthig32 on Mar 9, 2009 10:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
See...
I don’t understand this. How are they robbing him of anything? The kid is 20 years old and has never played in AAA. He should be there to start the year and stay there if he struggles. If he does well then bring him up. Yes it benefits the team that they will get an extra year of arb if they do so, but it’s not like he’s a provem MLer who has to be on the opening day roster or it’s a sign of disrespect. I don’t think it has anything to do with his intelligence.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 9, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The kid is 20 years old and has never played in AAA. He should be there to start the year and stay there if he struggles.
The team should have thought of this before annoiting him the starting SS in January. JD backed himself into a corner with the whole “putting all of our championship players on the field comment”.
Doctor please. Some more of these.
by tricer on Mar 9, 2009 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree...
that JD did back himself into a corner by saying that.
However he needed a reason to get MY’s ass off SS and that is the most important thing here imo. He knew he couldn’t justify moving MY to 3rd by signing a veteran SS to a minor league deal and knew that Andrus would probably be ready sometime during the ‘09 season. He wants Andrus to play everyday when ready and didn’t want to have to move MY in the middle of the season. I’m still ok with the decision and don’t think it should be a big issue if Andrus starts the year in OKC.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 9, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Backed himself into a corner..
This is true, however, if they wanted to move MY this offseason then they had to say that. I don’t fault the Rangers and JD for making those comments. It had to be done, imo.
by jthig32 on Mar 9, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, it's not true, and they didn't have to say that.
If Andrus moves to Arlington anytime before late summer it was smart to move Young now so he has spring training to learn 3B.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep. I think the signing of Omar Vizquel alleviates in any corner painting issues
It’s not like Mike is gonna complain, “I only agreed to move for a championship quality player in Andrus. I ain’t moving for this Vizquel scrub.”
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
...at the time, I wasn’t being truthful with myself. How could I be truthful with Katie Couric or CBS?
by Brian Thomas on Mar 9, 2009 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not a normal case
In most cases I would agree. But JD told Andrus this offseason that the spot was his to lose. If he doesn’t actually do anything to lose it (and so far he hasn’t), how disingenuous do you look if you leave him down to start the season?
by jthig32 on Mar 9, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Andrus shows enough this spring to be on the big club,
then I totally agree with starting him there. JD told him he was being given a chance to earn the starting job, and if he earns it, it should be given to him. It would send a bad message to ship him to the minors for a month. I don’t think it would fracture the relationship or anything, but it seems like the FO is trying to be straight forward with him, which any player should appreciate.
Besides, I believe that the FO believes that if Andrus performs the way they expect him to, then the extra year of arb won’t matter. They would sign him to a longer term deal (like Kinsler) before it became an issue. I don’t think they want to play games with Andrus right off the start when they truly believe he will be around for a while.
by racecarr on Mar 9, 2009 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have no problem
With andrus starting in the majors this year
I think people are just overthinking this and worrying about what will happen in 6 years. Who knows what happens. Maybe we lock him up with a contract.
If andrus is ready he should just start the season in the majors.
by Horns130 on Mar 9, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
“overthinking” = properly running a baseball franchise
by Brett Perryman on Mar 9, 2009 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Again, the important distinction here
is that we’re not talking about someone who is really ready for the majors. When Daniels says that they think he’s ready, he’s saying that they think he can not get destroyed, not that they think he will have a good amount of success this year. Andrus will be one of the worst offensive shortstops in the majors and will probably make among the most errors.
So to just say “if he’s ready” doesn’t really address the situation. He’s not really ready. He’s being rushed.
by Brett Perryman on Mar 9, 2009 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think you
are underthinking it.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 9, 2009 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seriously??
Fuck you, Bradley!!
Adam J. Morris - "Murphy isn't that good. He is overrated by Rangers fans."
....How dare you, sir!! Take it back!!
by bspate on Mar 9, 2009 10:29 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Harrison
I hate myself for allowing this to happen, but I am starting to get pretty excited about him. Even if Holland and Feliz continue to develop and arrive in Arlington some time later this year, the Rangers desperately need one or two of our other young pitchers to legitimitely “click” as well if they hope to contend in 2010, and Harrison is probably the best bet to assume a mid-rotation role by the end of ’09.
also, it’s still early, but it may be time to start looking at teams with intriguing players who are out of options. MLBTR has a nice list going and one name that jumps out is Angel Guzman.
by clark on Mar 9, 2009 10:44 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Just looked at fangraphs' page
for Guzman. His projections vary widely.
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by t ball on Mar 9, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh yeah
he is pretty much your typical boom/bust player. He has a great arm and has had minor league success, but injuries and walks have hurt him upon reaching the majors. Still, if he can be had for organizational fodder and a roster spot, I prefer his upside to a couple of the guys currently on our 40.
If we are to keep drawing parallels between the ’08 Rays and the ’09 Rangers, we sure could use a Grant Balfour.
by clark on Mar 9, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
id rather have guzman than donnelly
or a loe-type pitcher
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Mar 9, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hamilton
if tiger can rework his swing…
"To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant."
by ab03 on Mar 9, 2009 11:15 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
err...dangit
sorry, didn’t read up first…
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
"AMMIITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABHH!!!"
by Longhorn on Mar 9, 2009 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
MJH's double transition
I was about to complain about MJH’s recycling of his prospect material but then I thought better of it after thinking how awkward his shifts to/from different readerships must be. Moving from a rather knowledgeable but specialized audience, to one with broad but not necessarily deep sports interests(DMN), to one in which the readership is a bit of an unknown (Dmag) has got to be a bit of a challenge (and shot in the dark I guess for the latter).
I’m sure we’ll start seeing some new stuff when the Minors gets started…
by Goyogringo on Mar 9, 2009 11:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
you got me
I’m strugggggellling a bit with the audience issue. I’ll get my sea legs soon enough and get back to basics. Hang with me for awhile……..
by mjh on Mar 10, 2009 7:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Josh Hamilton is re-working his swing this spring. That’s…a bit…I don’t know. Worrisome, I guess? My first reaction is the whole “if it ain’t broke” thing, but the goal is apparently to smooth out his swing to make him less prone to slumps.
2 words…
Tiger Woods.
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
"AMMIITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABHH!!!"
by Longhorn on Mar 9, 2009 2:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Evan? Cleveland is the soft part of the schedule?
Come on, dude.
I don’t think Detroit and Baltimore are going to be among the softest teams we play, either, but that’s not ridiculous.
by philkid3 on Mar 9, 2009 5:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Bradley
I’m surprised he would say that out loud. With reporters around.
By the end of last season his act had worn thin with me. The bat throwing, outbursts, and sitting out were just too much. His stint with the Cubs will either be very successful or disastrous.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Mar 9, 2009 9:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I really liked the Bradley we saw thru July 1.
One of the best combinations of intelligence and physical ability I’ve seen.
Wash holding him out during that series in July v. the Angels but assuring everybody that he’d be good to go in the AS Game the following week left a bad taste.
From a far it seemed as though Wash bent over backwards and let Bradley do as he pleased. This could not have played well in a room where MYoung was playing SS with broken fingers on each hand.
There are probably a wide myriad of reasons this thing crashed into the wall in their last 48 games (don’t play the David Murphy injury card) but I wouldn’t discount that the rest of the team lost whatever respect they had left for Washington based on his treatment of Bradley.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 9, 2009 11:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't see MB and Sweet Lou
getting along for any length of time. And when those 2 go at it, it will be combustible.
Doctor please. Some more of these.
by tricer on Mar 10, 2009 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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