Keith Law's Top 100
#7!!!! Martin Perez
#9 Justin Smoak
#13 Neftali Feliz
#78 Tanner Scheppers
#110 Danny Gutierrez as a just missed the top 100 guy
over 2 years ago
Kinslerhomer
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MAH-Tin!!!
MAH-Tin!!!
MAH-Tin!!!
You so crazy!
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 10:59 AM CST reply actions
Man
I love love love love love Martin, but maybe we want to see how he does above the low-A? Either way, go Rangers!
Via Jamey
The Johan comparison works on a more important level — Perez projects to be one of the best left-handed starters in the majors when he arrives, perhaps as soon as this September."
Ho. Ly. Crap.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
I don't think he'll be here in Sept.
We’ll be too busy winning the pennant and bringing in that veteran arm or bat to make a deep run for the playoffs. : )
No more “calling guys up to get some PT in the bigs because we’re so far out of it”. I’m ready for some baseball.
"grilled cheese punches like a bitch" -Gdawg
"i feel like k-rod after a save." -by reagan on Jan 23, 2010, that glorious day Hicks was out of our lives.
If perez can show that he can provide a shut down inning when he's called upon
he’s welcome into our bullpen this September for our pennant race
Yup
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
No chance
You might see Scheppers, but there’s no way they start the clock on Perez this season.
I 99% agree with you.
But I’d have said no chance he sees AA as an 18 year last year, but obviously they see some seriously greatness in this kid without much concerns of pushing him. I’d say there’s a very remote possibility that he sees Arlington, but only if something goes seriously wrong here and/or Perez does the opposite of “shitting the bed fantastic”.
hahahahaha
C’mon.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Louisville Slugger levels.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
Oy Vey!
My Trademark is killing me…
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Perez this September?
Martin Perez, LHP (“Perez is already the best left-handed prospect in baseball even though he probably would still be finishing high school if he had been born in the United States. . . . The Johan comparison works on a more important level — Perez projects to be one of the best left-handed starters in the majors when he arrives, perhaps as soon as this September.”)
Holy shit.
Damn.
Get your Frisco tickets ASAP.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
WTF Boscan????
Law’s Rangers top 10:
1. Perez
2. Smoak
3. Feliz
4. Scheppers
5. Gutierrez
6. Jurickson Profar, SS
7. Wilmer Font, RHP
8. Mitch Moreland, 3B/1B (obviously he meant OF/1B)
9. Michael Main, RHP
10. Wilfredo Boscan, RHP
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
oops
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 11:08 AM CST up reply actions
Does he give any comments
on Boscan for that ranking?
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
That's from Jamey
I don’t know where he got that
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 11:10 AM CST up reply actions
Here it is and nope nothing about Boscan
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 11:12 AM CST up reply actions
Sweet
Love KeithChats.
Much more entertaining than JoeChats.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
huh..
Adam (Texas)
Wilfredo Boscan #10 on the Rangers list above pitchers like Kiker, Ross, Wieland, and Kirkman?
Klaw (1:08 PM)
Yes. Kiker’s definitely a reliever and maybe not even a great one (love the competitiveness but you have to throw strikes).
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 12:08 PM CST up reply actions
me
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
I don't see why anyone would take Boscan over Ross
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 12:12 PM CST up reply actions
Think about it
The both have similar ceilings, although Ross has a slightly better fastball and a more developed breaking ball at this point. Boscan is actually younger than Ross and showed plus command in a full season league as a 19 year-old. Don’t forget that Boscan was equally as impressive as Ross in short-season ball last season at a younger age. He struggled some in ‘09, but his command is ridiculously good and his change-up has the potential to be a plus pitch. I don’t think Boscan over Ross is as crazy as people think.
I don't know, this gave me a really meh feeling about him
Ryan (Tulsa): Did Boscan’s inability to miss bats cause him to drop out of the top ten? Does he still have middle of the rotation potential? Thanks for the chat Aaron!
Aaron Fitt: He doesn’t miss bats, and his velocity did not jump at all, and the Rangers are starting to sound less confident that he’s going to throw much harder. He’s a younger, less physical version of Omar Poveda — a command-and-control, three-pitch guy at the back of a big league rotation.
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 12:29 PM CST up reply actions
Poveda comp
I actually think this comp makes some sense. I think Boscan has a good feel for pitching and could be more effective than people think as he climbs. His average velo doesn’t allow him to get away with many mistakes, so his command will have to remain plus to find success.
I also like Ross. I just don’t think he is that far ahead of Boscan.
I like Wieland more them Boscan too, what about you?
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 12:33 PM CST up reply actions
I like Wieland more than Ross and Boscan, actually
Wieland is more physical than Boscan with a more balanced arsenal. I think he could end up with three mlb average pitches that will play-up because of his mound IQ/pitchability. Wieland is an investment that is going to pay-off at the major league level. I think he has a middle of the rotation ceiling with a good chance to turn into an innings eater type that keeps you in games and takes the ball every 5th. His raw stuff isn’t as good as Ross’, but his overall package is better suited for success.
A lot of guys
were saying that sort of thing (how can you have x above him?) about Boscan last year. I remember getting into multiple arguments over that.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 12:49 PM CST up reply actions
and the injury
is one thing that keeps me from poo-pooing his 2009 stats.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
I think that people have been fickle on him
What did people think was there in 2008 that they don’t now? He wasn’t showing signs of being a budding power pitcher or anything. His stats were largely because he was advanced for his level, and like you said, he was doing very well statistically until he got hurt.
I think this is more a matter of Adam’s theory about lower level players at play than anything else. He’s as good of a prospect in my opinion now as he was last winter.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 1:38 PM CST up reply actions
I think anyone watching the Rangers system gets desensitized, too
When you have at least one guy like Holland, Feliz, Perez put up incredible numbers every single year, it’s difficult to not be disappointed when your high-talent guys like Font and Boscan don’t get better statistically
I think it's more a function
of people putting too much emphasis on performance when the stats can be very misleading, or at least present a very incomplete pitcher, in the minors. Especially the lower levels.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
defense, field conditions
pitchers working on stuff or under a mandate to throw more changeups, decent secondary offerings bamboozling less talented hitters at lower levels but not wowing better talent farther up the chaing, wierd park effects in some cities… there’s a pretty long laundry list.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
I think, to go along with what you said
there is also the tendency that was mentioned a couple of weeks ago to expect each next guy tobe another Perez or Feliz, when you’re obviously almost never going to get that. A guy like Boscan was never even in the same zip code talent-wise, but since he was young and successful, it seemed like the line between him and a Perez was blurred for some folks.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions
I was thinkin the same thing.
Kiker, Wieland, Kirman, fine. But Ross?
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 12:53 PM CST up reply actions
This list makes me feel better about starting to vote for DGut at #5
in the LSB community rankings.
Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 18.
WTF Boscan????
Law’s Rangers top 10:
1. Perez
2. Smoak
3. Feliz
4. Scheppers
5. Gutierrez
6. Jurickson Profar, SS
7. Wilmer Font, RHP
8. Mitch Moreland, 3B/1B (obviously he meant OF/1B)
9. Michael Main, RHP
10. Wilfredo Boscan, RHP
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
kind of bullshit that Feliz
fell from 4 to 13 this year despite having one of the most memorable MLB debuts ever.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
yeah
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 11:09 AM CST up reply actions
if he buys the reliever possibility, it doesn't surprise me
even if you say Feliz is 20% likely to end up a reliever, his value diminishes considerably.
I think that is dumb, since the Rangers aren’t stupid enough to keep Feliz in Joba like purgatory; but that precedent has been set for how you ruin high ceiling potential.
Go Rice Owls!
value dimishes
only in that Perez and Smoak — graded as a potential All-Star starting pitcher and 1B — are ahead of him. If KLaw really thinks Feliz is “only” a reliever and still grades him #3 for the Rangers and #13 overall… it speaks to how good of a reliever (ie closer) he believes Feliz will be. Without even looking at his list, I bet there isn’t very many (if any) prospects that aren’t considered a starting pitcher or every day player ahead of Feliz
by elvis1isking on Jan 28, 2010 11:27 AM CST up reply actions
I have a feeling its
more like a 60-65% chance that he ends up in the pen.
by ncrangerfan on Jan 28, 2010 11:34 AM CST up reply actions
He really kind of is....
Doesn’t like the Lewis signing…doesn’t think Davis will rebound….didn’t think Sheets would be productive if he came here…..doesn’t like Vlad to rebound….I may be wrong on one of those but I’m pretty sure 3 of those 4 have come from him. Too much negativity.
Not entirely true.
More like prolonged negativity sprinkled with bursts of extreme happiness.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
I have never mentioned anything
about Davis or Vlad not rebounding. I sincerely hope you go waste 30 minutes looking because you won’t find anything.
If I needed an outlet to shout “Go Rangers!” once a day, I would work my way over to the DMN site. For the most part I am a passive observer and only speak up when I A) disagree with something or B) am really bored. It just so happens that within the last couple days a few of my hot button topics came up (Sheets, Bmac, and overating prospects-even the ones I really like).
I may have been on a negative streak lately, but at least I don’t go around nitpicking people’s posts. Usually when I stumble across a post I don’t care for, like most of yours, I keep on reading without skipping a beat.
Just to make you happy Drew…..GO RANGERS. Now go get your shinebox and leave me alone.
by ncrangerfan on Jan 28, 2010 12:54 PM CST up reply actions
AND
how is it negative to say that Feliz probably ends up being one of the best back of the bullpen pitchers in the league? I would love to project his stuff over 200 innings a year, but there’s a lot of signs that indicate that won’t happen (a lot of those whispers are coming from the Rangers). Yes they are going to give Feliz a chance to show whether or not he can be a SP, which I think you have to do, but a lot of folks have hinted that the bullpen is probably where his future lies.
I love Feliz, and that comment was anything but pessimistic….may realistic…
by ncrangerfan on Jan 28, 2010 12:59 PM CST up reply actions
Bc when you have a talent like Feliz
it is pessimistic to say that his ceiling is 2-3 WAR every year
I love Feliz
but he’s never pitched more than 127 innings in a season (“but he’s so young” yes, I know). He didn’t look very dominant nor did he go deep into games a starter in AAA in 2009 (before being called up). The guy was an absolute WEAPON out of the pen last year. So taking those things into account, I actually think giving Feliz a 40% chance to be a top tier SP is pretty bullish. 10% would have been negative—40%, I don’t think so.
I would think the organization's desire to make him a starter. . .
. . . gives him at least a 51% chance of being a starter.
"but there’s a lot of signs that indicate that won’t happen"
Let’s hear em.
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 6:01 PM CST up reply actions
Here's a list
1. He pitched in relief in 2009
2. irrational fear that causes us to ignore everything the organization says about him.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
That's all I can come up with
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 6:08 PM CST up reply actions
get your shinebox
i think i hate that movie now because of people on message boards who feel like it is witty.
in case it wasn’t obvious, you come off like a retarded jackass when you use it in any context other than wanting your shoes shined by the person. and in that case, you should probably tell them where to meet you…and be a little nicer about it.
it’s totally just a message board thing, nobody ever says it in real life
What the hell movie is that from?
I too, think that it has become something only an ass uses online.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
oh, that makes it even more annoying
That movie was ok, I guess, but I’m damn tired of a couple of scenes in it.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
It was a lot better than "ok"
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 6:02 PM CST up reply actions
It was good
but didn’t click with me as much as for other folks. I respect it, didn’t necessarily like it, if that makes any sense.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Do you like mob/crime films as a genre?
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 6:14 PM CST up reply actions
Not really
Godfather doesn’t really fit into that genre, I suppose, or maybe it’s just an outlier, but that would be the exception for me. I loved the book about Donnie Brasco, didn’t like the movie as much. I love reading or listening to Tarantino talk about movies, but I don’t really enjoy his films much.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
No, Frank Vincent says it
Pesci is on the receiving end.
He no likey.
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 6:00 PM CST up reply actions
I have never claimed to be witty
so I’m not offended. And you know, I’m usually a pretty polite debater, but I have no problem being an ass (or a jackass as you put it) to someone that decides to be an ass toward me. So, mission accomplished.
But now I’m in a good mood. I’m getting ready to brew some beer tomorrow. So, cheers! and Go Rangers!
Eh
I’m pretty negative myself. I was ‘meh’ on the Lewis signing. I am well known to be pessimistic on Davis. I thought Sheets was overpriced. I’m not as big a fan of Smoak as most (though he’s obviously good). I’m generally negative on Adam’s “lets go get this guy” posts, such as Ryan Garko and Juan Cruz. While I like Holland, I’m not convinced about him. I thought our pitching staff would give up 1000 runs last year (obviously I’m not always right in my negativity)
Nevertheless, unbridled optimism may be a positive quality in a person, but it isn’t necessarily an indicator of rationality or intelligence.
Go Rice Owls!
I agree and I have my own questions about a lot of players that I try to be optimistic about.
I just don’t think that I sit around and wait until I have something negative to say then jump all over it.
On game day
I will have my pennant out and my jersey on. I’ll be cheering as fervently as anyone. The offseason is when I set aside my rabid fandom in favor of being a realist.
I’ve done the whole “blind faith” thing in offseasons past where I thought “What if Mench & Nix take a step? What if Brad Fulmer can recapture the magic of that one season? What if Ryan Drese can be this team’s horse? We might just win this division!” These days I try to be a bit more realistic and keep the pom poms in the closet until gameday.
For the sake of some positive vibes though…
Since last year, I have been saying to myself that 2010 is going to be Salty’s breakout year. His late season injury has me cautious, but I’m still hopefull. Salty is probably my favorite player (probably because I played catcher so many years as a kid).
I love, love, love the Vlad signing. Even if he regresses a bit, he’s still a feared hitter that opposing pitchers have to respect.
I love having Harden here.
I am not willing to bet money on Crush becoming a .280 40HR guy, but I am not willing to bet against him either. I’m really rooting for this guy.
and the list goes on. But, I’m guessing no one cares about my “picks to click” and that’s why I don’t go out of my way to post about it.
Fair enough....
I pray that you’re right about Salty b/c if I offered my opinion of him I’d sound like Josey talking about CD….wait I’m being hypocritical. Nvm…Salty is greatness!!
Only 70% notices
The other 30% only pays attention 45% of the time
Why would that be?
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 12:38 PM CST up reply actions
I think the value of the prospect should not be affected by the decision of the club
If Feliz is capable of starting, but the club decides to put him in the pen for whatever reason – one should not penalize Feliz’s ranking because of that. For example, if Texas trades him to another club (ducks) that is 100% committed to have him start, would his ranking jump all the sudden because of this? It doesn’t make any sense.
Of course, if he ends up in the pen because of his natural inability to handle starting, then the ranking would be justified.
And yes, Feliz is also a great hockey prospect.
I disagree
I think if you can estimate that a player will go to the bullpen, or that there is a decent chance he moves off a premium position (catcher, SS, CF) to a less valuable one (DH, LF, 1b) you have to take that into account. Even if the move is due to roster situations as opposed to an intrinsic ability.
Go Rice Owls!
Heh
Or, Raul Sardinas as I saw him referred to yesterday somewhere.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Let one of them play second then. Shit.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
I'm still in wait and see mode
I just have a hard time seeing a guy who most teams felt wasn’t a top notch shortstop prospect suddenly rocketing this high this quickly, without having played in the States.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
I think expectations should be tempered
although it’s hard not to get excited about this kind of hype coming from everybody
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
I still want to see him hit a little too
All of those other things may be superb, but he won’t be a major league player if he isn’t a world class hitter, and though the Rangers appear completely convinced about that, their track record for signing hitters so far isn’t wonderful (Yan, Solis, Santana, Abreu, and you could argue that their scouting of Beltre and Paisano overestimated their hitting ability as well).
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:40 AM CST up reply actions
He was sort of like Carlos Melo
Young, toolsy player that they felt had some upside…not a “prospect,” necessarily but someone they liked who could turn into a prospect.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 1:52 PM CST up reply actions
But like with Melo
that made hims a legitimate part of the deal, not a throwaway name. They touted him after that deal. He was less of a factor than Masset for sure, but I think he held more weight in the deal than Rasner, for example.
At any rate, my point was that I think that they thought they were getting a better hitter than they wound up with.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 2:51 PM CST up reply actions
JD and Thad
should research and identify the top 3 hit tool evaluators in the world and pursue one of them until he’s in our org.
Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 18.
how 'bout
src=“http://hirshfields.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tim-toolman-taylor.jpg”/>
Who gives a shit what Josey says.............................
by Lil' Jonny Donuts on Jan 28, 2010 3:16 PM CST up reply actions
Velazquez
He’s from Puerto Rico but was not drafted correct?
If he was signed by our LA scouts, that’s one in their ledger
He was drafted.
19th round pick
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." -- Vince Lombardi
Hmmm ... his baseball cube page says he was not drafted
but wouldn’t it be the same LA scouting operation that gave the nod on him that evaluated the other hitters?
Profar's ex-girlfriend?
"To have the judgment and wisdom and personal touch of Nolan Ryan, and the tremendous group that JD has assembled, I think the Rangers on the baseball side are the envy of every franchise in baseball in terms of talent."
-- Chuck Greenberg
He dumped her when she gave him cooties.
Or malaria, one of the two.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
She was a mosquito?
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 4:41 PM CST up reply actions
What's your take on Scheppers?
I’m starting to tap the brakes on his effectiveness ETA. Stuff is great, but it’s never really earned him great numbers anywhere. Dude might need some time to learn how to pitch. Although he could probably be good enough to pitch an inning or two every 3rd day in the bigs by mid-summer.
Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 18.
Agree
Was saying this the other day too, may have to take a little time to translate stuff into performance at the highest levels.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:42 AM CST up reply actions
Up here in St. Paul
His control was way off. He was surely adjusting to the professional setting but was having throwing strikes against clearly overmatched hitters. He left a lot of pitches up in the zone, some way up and out of the strike zone. The pure gas got him by at this level.
I’m still waiting to see if he can start controlling his stuff. Thats the big if for me.
Summer
I think whenever Scheppers proves to be healthy, flashes two major league quality out-pitches that are missing bats at the minor league level, and the Rangers’ position in the West indicates the likelihood of a pennant chase, you bring him up to either pitch out of the pen or the rotation, depending on his level of dominance in the minors and the effectiveness of his change-up.
Anyone worried with the comps to philly and the angels
plus the “pressure/pride” of winning this year
that Perez and/or Smoak are going to be traded for a big add midseason? I’d hate this
Since last deadline
I have not stopped worrying. I think most folks could get over dealing Smoak, but Smoak and one of these pitchers together in a deal makes me sick to my stomach.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
yeah
The Halladay discussions really bothered me. It’d be one thing for the team to make a deal for a huge middle of the order bat or a Joe Mauer type solution at one of their flawed positions.
But the thought that they may relinquish Feliz or Perez + Smoak for a pitcher horrifies me. The marginal gain from any pitcher, true ace or not, is just not enough to give up on this dudes.
Go Rice Owls!
steel yourself
over the next coupla years you’re gonna see some farm favs traded
just the nature of the beasticon
Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 18.
I don't know that the nature of the beast
is to trade top ten prospects when they’re still at that level.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
gotcha
I was mainly thinkin’ of names like Main or Font rather than doorstep contributors.
Rangers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 18.
Yeah
but he specifically mentioned Perez and Smoak.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:46 AM CST up reply actions
teams don't make a habit
of trading top 10 prospect talents. Example: BOS has held onto Buchholz even though they shoot for the WS every year. I don’t think JD will trade Perez or Smoak, much less Perez AND Smoak.
There will be talent traded, and some of that talent will go on to be successful in the Majors for other teams, but I doubt Perez and Smoak get traded.
by elvis1isking on Jan 28, 2010 12:07 PM CST up reply actions
You wouldn't think so
but I heard from pretty reliable sources that JD was prepared to give up Smoak and either Feliz or Holland for Halladay last summer if the other aspects had fallen into place.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 12:51 PM CST up reply actions
I understand that
just not perez or smoak, please
send all the beavans/kikers/fonts/profars you want if it gets us a torp
leave me the players that are going to start contributing next year, though. Give me some legit home-grown talent FOR ONCE! I think Perez would be our first legit home-grown TORP in quite some time (hopefully Holland can beat him to it)
I took that to be more of a comp in long-term planning than a suggestion as to how we'll operate this year
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Well, every other organization seems to be able to make impact trades while naming a couple untouchable
I dont see why we cant
Yup
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
This is my only hope for optimism
If Moreland can turn into a Kotchman-type piece and we can throw in someone like Main/Ross for, say, Adrian Gonzalez, I’d be all for that
Moreland + Main/Ross for Adrian Gonzalez
No. That’s not happening. Unless Gonzalez gets lupus.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 11:56 AM CST up reply actions
Say that deal was offered, how quickly would JD say yes? .00001 second?
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Even with the lupus.
"grilled cheese punches like a bitch" -Gdawg
"i feel like k-rod after a save." -by reagan on Jan 23, 2010, that glorious day Hicks was out of our lives.
How different is that from Kotchman + Marek?
And Adrian << Teixeira (and, I am speaking about the trading deadline)
I’m assuming Moreland makes some strides and Ross/Main start to flash their upside this year (which I expect in both cases, anyway)
Well
Gonzalez has 2 years to go before free agency, while Teixeira was a free agent at season’s end.
Also, Kotchman looked, at the time, like he would be decent — he was coming off an 840 OPS as a 24 year old — but tailspun in Atlanta.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 12:07 PM CST up reply actions
Marek, too
K/9 dropped from 11 to 7
BB/9 rose from 4 to 6 or 7
What an awful idea Teixeira turned out to be for the Braves organization
I don't think they are all that different
AGon’s numbers are very, very depressed by Petco. He’d be a beast in RBiA
Go Rice Owls!
I'd agree that Tex>AGon
but it isn’t by nearly as much as people tend to think.
Teixeira’s defense is very good/exceptional, but AGon is excellent as well.
Offensively they are hard to compare, since AGon plays in a lesser league but is in a ballpark that is devastating to offensive stats. Obviously, Teixeira has put up the exceptional MVP-level numbers we can only hypothesize for AGon in a hitter friendly setting, so he gets the edge.
So since the argument is that AGon “might” be as good as Teixeira, you have to give Teixeira the edge. But when you factor in cost and douchiness, I think AGon is the clear winner.
Go Rice Owls!
basically just perception and watching him
I don’t think either Teixeira or AGon tear up any of the defensive metrics year in/year out, but I could be wrong.
Go Rice Owls!
You know how you treat lupus?
Steroids.
Ergo, AG+Lupus would require more than it would take now.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I don't see them trading either of those guys.
They have lots of other trade candidates.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
I'm ok with trading anybody outside of
Perez, Feliz, Smoak and Holland
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
This is about where I am with it.
Anything less than Lincecum, Greinke, Pujols, or Mauer and teams better not even ask about those guys. I hope the FO feels the same, but the Halladay situation at the deadline last year doesn’t make me very optimistic.
Jimmy Johnson for GM.
Shut up, you.
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Jan 28, 2010 12:28 PM CST up reply actions
I love where we are at today
but man sometimes it is frustrating to remember they were both ours. Agon to SD has to be JDs biggest regret. I’m a JD fan and think that he has done wonders for our organization but that trade will forever haunt the back of my mind……..
by Warren P Funk on Jan 28, 2010 3:52 PM CST up reply actions
Agreed
But every GM (or at least most) has one fairly similar to that. I just start thinking about that golf chick stretching on the other thread and I forget all about AG.
I think Smoak is a more likely bet to be traded, but I think both are beneath 5% likelihood.
One of those two going away would have to be for Greinke or something similar.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Well that's a whole nother story if the Greinkes of the world are involved
greinke, haren, etc would make me reconsider
Would a TORP really be our likely midseason acquisition?
It would not be unreasonable to think that the pitching staff could be in good shape come July: Harden is performing up to expectations, Feldman repeats last year, Lewis eats innings, and some combo of Hunter-Holland-Feliz-McCarthy is solid and maturing in the 4-5 slot.
If we need the proverbial “final piece of the puzzle,” I’d say a middle-of-the-order masher, a truly elite slugger, would be the more likely final piece than a TORP.
Maybe I’m all wet. If so, please tell me.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
But the Rangers always have hitters. Why would they need a bat?
The Rangers always need pitching. Duh.
"grilled cheese punches like a bitch" -Gdawg
"i feel like k-rod after a save." -by reagan on Jan 23, 2010, that glorious day Hicks was out of our lives.
When we gooona get sum pitchin' up in here?
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Hopefully I'm wrong
but, I still see our staff filled with a bunch of 3’s right now, other than Harden. Hopefully, it should get us to the playoffs, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to carry us through the playoffs
I would agree with that.
But there’s upside in Holland/Feliz. They could be legit No.2’s this year.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 12:07 PM CST up reply actions
That's why the assessment is so difficult
Harden can easily be a #1 or an injury-bust
Feldman, Colby, Holland, Feliz could all be as high as #2 in quality or as low as #5/bullpen duties
They might legit 1's or 2's at some point
but they’ve got to get a lot more seasoning before they’re a TORP.
On Crack
Are you.
Imagine a rotation with Harden, Holland, Feliz, and Perez could eventually rival the 1993 Braves 4 aces rotation of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, and Avery. with Harden as Steve Avery. ok… that’s a bit of wishcasting…..
Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?
-Wash
If you have an opportunity to get a frontline starter
that would strongly strengthen your rotation for the playoff run, but also give you a much better chance of winning playoff series, then you take it.
Heyward over Strasburg = ballsy
though I don’t think anyone ever accused Law of not being ballsy.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 11:46 AM CST reply actions
That's the truth
I don’t necessarily disagree with Law on that, I would be tempted to rank Heyward higher if I was doing prospect rankings myself. But it’s certainly not the safe play.
When you shy away from the safe play and take the more controversial position, you had better be able to defend it. And Law LOVES defending his positions which are deemed controversial by some.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
no he didn't
He had Strasburg #1.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Yeah
his controversial move was Stanton over Heyward
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 12:10 PM CST up reply actions
He's not the only one
I’ve seen others put him there, including Mayo yesterday.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
I like Heyward over Strasburg
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 28, 2010 11:51 AM CST up reply actions
Hitters are a less risky bet.
Both have All-Star upside, so go with the less risky bet?
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Heyward
He’s someone I think about vis-a-vis Profar.
I remember him getting similar love as Profar, about this time his first winter after signing, and not understanding it…after all, if he was all that, why would he have slipped to #14? Wouldn’t someone else have grabbed him?
Turns out the hype was justified. Hopefully, it will be the same for Profar.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
The very idea that Profar could be a Heyward-esque uber prospect nearly caused me to faint
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Rush of blood to the baseball boner.
Gets ’em every time.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
The difference to me
was that so much of the love that Heyward received was for his pure hitting ability and hyper-advanced approach. It was always easy for me to love Heyward because of that. Profar exhibited a strong hint at an advanced approach in that secondary league that KG mentioned, but the hitting ability, still gotta see that.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
They say that Heyward was patient to a fault in High School
Scouts couldn’t get a great feel for him with the bat because he didn’t swing it that often.
Goldstein was so good at identifying Feliz early, I'm hoping he's the same on Profar.
Though, the difference there was Goldstein was ahead of the pack. KLaw and BA are right there with him on Profar.
and Trip and Jamey
had them all beat.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Heh,
yeah, I’m talking about Profar. I think Trip had him at 10th and talked him up quite a bit when BBTiA released their top 25 a couple months ago, and Jamey ranked him even higher. Since both guys talk to people connected with the team to some extent, their rankings carry some weight — at least as far as the team sees Profar.
I’d guess that BA, BP and KLaw talk to at least some of the same people. Some folks in Arlington must be just raving about Profar for all of them to rank him that highly. And Piliere put him in his top 100, and he had been working for the Rangers last year, I think.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Maybe we should ask him about the ballsy soup receipe
Is tofu one of the ingredients?
I think it is
I don’t view many lists as highly respectable, and few to none of those have released their top 100 yet. And Strasburg is a great, great pitching prospect and a really high profile name.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 3:00 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah
I’ve found his list to be hard to take too seriously over the years.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 3:01 PM CST up reply actions
Another Rangers' prospect debate w/ Sickels
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/1/28/1273987/discussion-question-martin-perez#storyjump
'Waiting for a girl and she gets me into fights
Waiting for a girl we get drunk on Friday night'
Lol PECOTA sure does them it some Billy Beane
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
Boy
so close in that division. It should be a fascinating year. You almost know someone will jump out, but I have no idea who.
by Brett Perryman on Jan 28, 2010 12:53 PM CST up reply actions
So close in every division
I think they are far too close in almost every division. Of course, you’ll always have your cellar-dwellers like KC, but overall I think the spreads between top and bottom are too compressed.
I guess we’ll see eventually. Hurry up, ST!
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
I think projecting teams
is still more art than science. I think you can get a good idea of each player’s likely output, statistically, but the amount of guessing you have to do with regards to playing time and roles makes projecting the entire team very difficult just using algorithms. I think these projected standings are less useful than the player projections.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Yeah, they're quite obviously not any sort of certainty.
The only thing they are is more reliable than someone sitting around and guessing based on their feelings.
That is very true
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Or a ninth inning pop fly
being mishandled and falling over the fence. Yep, too many variables.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Haha yeah I remember that.
Early on in the year right? Day game? I recorded it and followed it online. Gamecast said fly out to center…figured it was an uneventful ending…then I went home and actually saw it and almost killed somebody.
YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT?
[Yelling was intentional, because it was such an awful episode.]
F—- Ryan Sweeney.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
That's wierd
to see all those teams with close to league average OBA’s. That projection is quite a bit more pessimistic on the Angels than I’ve seen anywhere else, wow.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
Jeez.
The AL East looks crazy. Boston and TB are basically the same. NYY score more, but allow more. Interesting…seems plausible I s’pose.
The thing I don’t see are their Rangers runs scored (883) and allowed (842). Last year, the Rangers scored 784 runs and allowed 740 runs, for 7th and 4th in the AL, respectively. If they had performed up/down to these projections last year, it would have been 2nd and 12th. So basically, they’re projecting a great hitting/poor pitching/defending team for the Rangers. Is there such a thing as historical bias? Because this isn’t regression…
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 1:09 PM CST up reply actions
I'd be willing to bet they see the Rangers' fielding and hitting as due for some regression.
That seems like more than I would guess, but I’m not surprised.
That's 'regressing' each over 100 runs.
And I think you can make the argument that the defense, specifically in the OF, was improved this offseason (Borbon taking Byrd’s CF role, Hamilton in LF). I could see regression, but over 100 runs? They must project Harden for less than 100 IP and Feldman to seriously regress.
I could see a large increase in projected runs because of the key guys who underperformed last year and the thought that Vlad could mash, but again, they’re talking about adding 100 runs here.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 1:20 PM CST up reply actions
Put me down as "very shocked" if the defense improves.
I’d be less shocked (but still schocked) if they allow 100 runs more.
Don't forget that Millwood was STELLAR the first half of the season
It’s optimistic to think that even Harden can match his pre-all star break numbers
His ERA was 2.64 through June
Well
Millwood was solid and lucky in the first half of the season.
His peripherals were just okay, but he had an unreal LOB% and his BABIP was exceptionally low, which drove the 2.64 ERA.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 5:25 PM CST up reply actions
Yes, but
Benson and Harrison both started multiple games early in the year. And sucked badly
Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?
-Wash
do
mrs benson suck goodly
Who gives a shit what Josey says.............................
by Lil' Jonny Donuts on Jan 28, 2010 6:27 PM CST up reply actions
Harden projects to 140 IP
though Feldman’s ERA jumps into the High 4’s…..
And they project Harden with an ERA of almost 4.
Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?
-Wash
BABIP
They have put a heavy smack-down on Rangers pitching because of batting average on balls in play. I think this may be park related. tBiA didn’t play as much of a hitters park as usual last year, but I think their fielding prediction is very suspect and probably not well formed. especially since the A’s pitchers BABIP are dramatically lower than the Rangers.
The Rangers hitting predictions look fairly solid, with maybe a bit too much of a bounceback by Vlad. but we’ll see.
Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?
-Wash
Yeah
I’d say the biggest problem with BP’s projections at this point is that their defensive metrics are way behind the curve.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 28, 2010 7:06 PM CST up reply actions
Yep
Last year PECOTA seemed very pessimistic to me, as if they believed that the Rangers would have every pitcher get injured and have a terrible defense besides. The pitching staff had nearly everything go wrong in 2008, lots of bad luck to go along with bad performance, but PECOTA seemed to factor all of it as bad performance by the staff itself.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
They let the grass grow
longer so ground balls take longer to get through the infield. Works for both teams, but if you have better defensive range and are faster than your opponent, it works better for the home team. Not a new trick, but I’m glad the Rangers thought of it.
In vino, veritas
Love this response from Klaws chat
In response as to why there was not more than one Phillie on the list.
Klaw (2:08 PM)
Sure. You’re the expert. Oh, no, wait. I’m the expert. So yes, I can justify having one Phillie on that list. Aumont has durability concerns and the secondary stuff isn’t advanced.
Same here
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
He's the House
of prospecting. He’s a character and we like watching. We’re much less enthused if he turns his bitter, supercilious gaze in our direction.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.
That's an outstanding analogy
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Agreed.
So who’s Wilson?
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 28, 2010 4:45 PM CST up reply actions
Buster.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
I keep reading things like this:
Smoak is somewhat blocked right now by Chris Davis, who recovered from a horrendous first half in 2009 to restore some of his value, but Smoak is the superior player and Davis shouldn’t be a long-term obstacle.
And then I think, “well, there’s always DH.”
Then I remember there’s not. And then I get really happy.
OT: Rays pitchers.
I think Hellickson sounds like a guy who would throw hard and Wade Davis sounds like someone who will finesse you. It annoys me they’re the other way around.
Ned Colletti is one of the best in the game! /Bill Plaschke
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
That's the kind of deal I was afraid we would make with Hicks at the trade deadline
Something like DeRosa for Perez
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