Jim Thome to the Minnesota Twins
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 11:24 AM CST
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PrintAccording to a variety of folks on Twitter, Jim Thome has re-upped with the Minnesota Twins, supposedly for 1 year at $3 million.
The Rangers, of course, supposedly had been playing footsie with Thome, and I suspect were offering him something similar to what he signed with Minnesota for.
This will be perceived as a blow to Texas, since supposedly, Texas needed to sign Thome to be the team's DH because the team is too "righthanded" and this would make the team more lefthanded.
However, most of Thome's ABs would have come at the expense of the lefthanded hitting Mitch Moreland, the lefthanded hitting David Murphy, or the lefthanded hitting Julio Borbon, so I'm not sure how adding Thome would have made the team more lefthanded.
And as I've mentioned before, given that all three of the above-named players are guys who you probably want to sit as much as possible against lefties, adding yet another part-time player to the mix who you'd sit against lefties -- and a part-time player who won't own a glove, to boot -- didn't make a lot of sense, to me.
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Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jan 14, 2011 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
PAGING MR HERMAN, MR P.W. HERMAN YOU HAVE A TELEPHONE CALL AT THE FRONT DESK.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
by Ryin A on Jan 14, 2011 12:44 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Good
I was not on board with Thome.
Please check out the charity that I run, Fort Worth Music Outreach@ www.fortworthmusicoutreach.org
$ 3 million plus incentives.
Wow.
Go get Manny.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
agreed
"Whenever I'm about to do something, I think 'Would an idiot do that?' And if they would, I do not do that thing."
by Hard8 on Jan 14, 2011 11:35 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Thats what they said about Thome, Morris.
by FormerLSBUser on Jan 14, 2011 11:39 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Really? Didn't Thome say repeatedly that he wanted to....
…get paid for his level of production (between $6-8) and wanted at least two years?
by FormerLSBUser on Jan 14, 2011 11:40 AM CST up reply actions
He can say whatever he wants
I don’t think anyone was saying, though, that he’d get $6-8 million per year for two years.
And I don’t think anyone suggested that Thome would retire rather than sign for $3 million.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
Hmm....
IDK, I can’t see Manny getting more than $5 mill guaranteed… Maybe build in a lot of incentives to build the salary up based on performance, but it seems really risky.
by FormerLSBUser on Jan 14, 2011 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
The music is about to be turned off and Manny has nowhere to sit.
I’m guessing $ 3-4 million with some incentives will get it done.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
by Josey Wales on Jan 14, 2011 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
Jermaine Dye decided he'd rather sit at home than play for $3 million
I wouldn’t be surprised if Manny made the same decision.
If you sign him for that amount, I think that’s fine…as with Thome, it means dumping the MY-as-super-UIF-guy notion and not using the DH spot to get regulars rest, but you could make MY the first baseman and send Moreland down to AAA as insurance, which makes sense.
I just don’t see him agreeing to play for less than $8 million.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
ego's a bitch
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
And if the Rangers don't get Manny, any gains they've made in run reduction
with the addition of Beltre (still dubious considering we lost Post Season Koufax) will be lost because our runs scored is coming down as well.
Yeah, maybe we keep the .338 OBP we had last year but where’s the slug% going to come from that was lost when Vlad left?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
by Josey Wales on Jan 14, 2011 11:52 AM CST up reply actions
Our DH slug% the last two years was at .490
and Beltre’s career slug% is .462.
Per offense, spin it anyway you want but Beltre is the slight offensive upgrade at 3B but Young’s career slug% (.448) is significantly lower than the .490 slug% we had the last two years.
The key to any upgrades is having a major league 1B who is at least average offensively but that’s not a given.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
by Josey Wales on Jan 14, 2011 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
If you are trying to improve the number of runs scored from one year to the next,
you should always be very conscious of your team-wide OBP or Slug%.
The Rangers made a nice jump in OBP last year from 2009 but their Slug% came down.
That’s why they scored essentially the same number of runs they scored in 2009.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
Spin it anyway you want
But I expect Beltre to perform at least as well as Vlad did last year.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 12:15 PM CST up reply actions
Beltre will be more consistent than Vlad
thats what we really need….just some damn consistency.
"Thumbs/Asses Needing to be Dazzled/The Plan/Ferns " - JW
Beltre's career Slug% (.462) is below the Ranger DH Slug% (.491) of last year.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
Lot of that compiled in pitchers' parks
Beltre’s career SLG in Rangers’ Ballpark: .521
"Scared? We're not scared...We do this every day. Scared is being in a prison yard."- Michael Young
Lot of it was also compiled in contract years
and when he was younger.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
I think Manny (and more importantly Boras) knows
if he wants to get the big cheddar he’s gonna have to play a one year contract and put up numbers. I suspect they also know that they are better off in a team with a reputation for a hitters park.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
That would make a lot of sense
Perhaps get the ole’ slug back over .500.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
He turns 40 early in the 2012 season
I think regardless of what he does in 2011, he’s not going to get big cheddar, at least on a multi-year deal, from here on out.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
*"cheddah" or "ched" is better than "cheddar"
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
Shut your mouth, fool.
Adam is very “street.”
"Blalock in the cleanup spot makes gives me agita." - Dustin
recognize yo
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
Well...
My preference? Bring in Vlad if he approves a limited role. If he costs too much, wants 2 years, or refuses a limited role, I wanted to bring in Thome, but obviously that is off the table so maybe Manny is the only other choice now.
How does this work? Well, first note that Young will play some games at 2B, 3B, and, yes, in all likelihood, SS (as much as his defense there hurts the head to imagine, he likely will do just that).
If you expect he will play a nice round figure of 20 games between the 3 positions (someone is sure to get hurt to make that a realistic total, even if all games are at 1 position) you are talking about 20 games (or roughly 80 ABs) where Vlad/Manny can be the DH without pushing Moreland out of the game (assuming pitching matchups work out).
If the plan is to only push for 300 or so ABs from this year’s platoon partner with Young at DH, that means that Moreland could reaslistically still get another 60 or so games in for right at 80 total. Those might not be starter numbers, but when combined with last year it should tell us if we have something there for the future or not (something like 300 ABs, or more than twice what he had last year).
So, how does this all work out? See below for my recommendation (obviously this is all best case scenario regarding health and some likely won’t play 152 games):
Main Group (200 ABs or more):
Andrus: 152 games, all at SS (roughly 600 ABs)
Kinsler: 152 games, all at 2B (roughly 600 ABs)
Hamilton: 152 games, 110 at LF/27 at CF/15 at DH (roughly 600 ABs)
Beltre: 152 games, all at 3B (roughly 600 ABs)
Cruz: 152 games, 137 at RF/15 at DH (roughly 600 ABs)
Vlad/Manny: 75 games, all at DH (roughly 300 ABs)
Young: 152 games, 82 games at 1B/50 games at DH/20 games between SS/3B/2B (roughly 600 ABs)
Moreland: 80 games, all at 1B (roughly 280 ABs)
Torrealba: 120 games, all at C (roughly 420 ABs)
Borbon: 125 games, all at CF (roughly 430 ABs)
Murphy: 84 games, 52 at LF/25 at RF/7 at DH (roughly 300 ABs)
Limited Group (199 or less ABs):
Treanor: 42 games, all at C (roughly 150 ABs)
Blanco: 10 games, 5 at 2B/5 at SS (roughly 35 ABs)
Gentry: 10 games, all at CF (roughly 35 ABs)
Breakdown:
C: Torrealba (120), Treanor (42) = 162
1B: Young (82), Moreland (80) = 162
2B: Kinsler (152), Blanco (5), Young (5) = 162
3B: Beltre (152), Young (10) = 162
SS: Andrus (152), Blanco (5), Young (5) = 162
LF: Hamilton (110), Murphy (52) = 162
CF: Borbon (125), Hamilton (27), Gentry (10) = 162
RF: Cruz (137), Murphy (25) = 162
DH: Vlad/Manny (75), Young (50), Hamilton (15), Cruz (15), Murphy (7) = 162
Sure, I would love to get more CF time out of Hamilton, give more LF time to Murphy, and have more of a backup role for Borbon, but that is likely not to happen. Anyway, this is how I could see all of this working out if everyone stays healthy (very, very unlikely with this group). If Hamilton/Cruz get injured you could ramp up Murphy’s game total to get closer to his average of 400+ at bats per year (at least over the past 3 years). Assuming injuries take up more than 20 games for the trio of Beltre/Andrus/Kinsler, you could ramp up Blanco’s game total (or play more games with Young at those positions and less games with him at 1B, meaning more Moreland and, ultimately, more Vlad/Manny). Assuming an injury to Borbon that doesn’t force more CF time to Josh, you could ramp up Gentry’s game total. Etc…
I just don’t think you have to move Morleand to AAA if you bring in another bat like Vlad/Manny (or Thome when he was available). Injuries and a role for Vlad/Manny of part time player will help make everyone get adequate time.
TL;DR
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
by Aqua on Jan 14, 2011 1:16 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Now that I've finished reading this post...
You list 14 players on offense (starting 9 plus a bench of Moreland, Murphy, Blanco, Treanor, and Gentry).
That’s one too many players on offense. We’re not going to use a six man bullpen next year.
(See how succinct yet substantive my response is?)
OK...
Considering a couple of guys have very limited playing time you could always remove one of Blanco/Gentry (likely Blanco since Young provides those spot starts) and that wouldn’t require much touch up at all since Blanco is only getting 35 at bats in my suggestion above.
/Poster.
No
The Rangers aren’t going to go into the season with Young as their only UIF.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
Then Gentry...
Either way, you are talking about a guy getting 35 at bats and little playing time.
That's the same reason I'm a stay at home dad.
That and a distinct lack of athletic talent.
Long-term Lurker
by Wemedge on Jan 14, 2011 1:55 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Manny could get more because Thome is viewed as only a part-time DH
Manny isn’t a platoon player.*
*Thome really isn’t a platoon player either, but that’s the perception. Still, Manny has reverse platoon splits and is more likely to play everyday than Thome.
I could have sworn
I was hearing 9 million and multiyear deals for Thome.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Well all that what-ifing over the roster construction seems awful pointless now.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.
I hope that Lance Berkman is furiously scribbling a thank you note to his agent.
while Vlad is left out in the could with a dwindling market for his services and that diminished market now has a recent $3M precedent for a comparable, arguably better, DH type. Sucks to be the Impaler.
I think the ability to actually play defense has value
especially since it means you can negotiate with 30 teams instead of the 4 or 5 AL teams who need a DH.
Berkman and Thome aren’t comparable other htan in their potential utility to Texas.
Go Rice Owls!
The ability of who to play defense?
Not many of the options discussed play much defense at this stage of their careers.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
You think Berkman is going to be average in the OF?
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 14, 2011 11:56 AM CST up reply actions
average? No.
But passable? Yeah. Otherwise StL wouldn’t have signed him. And he can play first passably as well. He does offer some flexibility.
No one – and I mean no one – would put Thome anywhere but DH. Even if you assume is floor is Howard, per our conversation the other day. Not a good fielder and not able to field at all are two entirely different things.
Go Rice Owls!
!!!!
Lance Berkman has lost 20 pounds this offseason.
He also says he’s getting in the best shape of his life and has reduced his body fat from 19.5 percent to 12 percent.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Best shape of his life?!`
I bet he’s kick-boxing
by Jobu. on Jan 14, 2011 11:51 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
how much had Pablo Sandoval lost already this offseason?
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
Lol
Wasn’t it like 20-25 lbs?
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
haha.... looked it up
17lbs so far….. while training with Dan O’Brien
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
But wait, there's more!
Mychael Urban of CSN Bay Area heard Tuesday that Pablo Sandoval has already dropped 22 pounds this offseason.
That’s a little better than the 17 pounds that Rich Aurilia reported to the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
So instead of totally blocking out the sun
Panda will now only be a partial eclipse.
Is it safe to stare right at him, or will it still damage your eyes?
Some year
I’m going to collect stories from everyone who loses 20 pounds and is in the best shape of their life. It’s got to be over 100 players every year.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
That's why it's so damned funny!
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
I like when Pudge said it
the year he went off Roids in Detroit, and promptly stopped hitting.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Kevin Millwood is in the best shape of his life, too.
Don't listen to me. I'm a fucking moron.
by hornedfrogs45 on Jan 14, 2011 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
Is round still a shape?
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
ellipsoidal is a shape i think
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
ellipsoidal?
Nice word!
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Sort of like your car choices?
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
True for you.
Maybe not for others,
So I go to back to back meetings this AM and come back and see over 1000 posts already. Should I even try to catch up or just wing it?
Oh hell catching up would require the effort of reading, I’ll just wing it!
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
$3 million is cheap enough that I wouldn't have worried about Moreland/Murphy
but regardless, you can’t disagree with the logic either.
Go Rice Owls!
x
Buster_ESPN Buster Olney
I’m sure the Rangers are disappointed with the Thome decision, because they viewed him as a perfect fit/depth/balance.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
by Aqua on Jan 14, 2011 11:34 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Disagree
"By MLB.TV, we can see J. Hamilton's homer, M. Young's clutch, and N. Feliz's explosive. All about Rangers things can be our interest"
--South Korean Rangers fan
"I don't have to watch awful movies to see hot women. " ---Robbie Griffin
by Conjunction on Jan 14, 2011 12:45 PM CST up reply actions
Ran out of characters
It goes deeper. People take out their frustrations with Josey on their real-life acquaintances, which propagates forward, and before you know it you’ve got more marriages in an easily-smashable state.
by Closure GT on Dec 14, 2010 9:48 AM CST
It's tough for me to understand
why we are too Right handed looking at our team. However, at that price, I wouldn’t have minded Thome.
Then again, I’m fine with, and even prefer ManRam, and wouldn’t be too upset if Vlad comes back.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
The only thing that bugs me on vlad
Is how horrible he was for most of the back half of last year.
Manny is a bit more interesting then vlad but I’d bet more expensive also
What do voluntary mean?
The dude abides.....
Manny decliend somewhat throughout the year as well.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 14, 2011 12:00 PM CST up reply actions
He was pretty bad in Chicago
but not bad in LA.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
The only thing about Vlad
that really bugs me is Wash’s usage. If he would move him out of the cleanup spot, and give him more rest, I’d actually like him a lot more.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Anyone who was wondering if the Soriano deal was a panic move...
Buster_ESPN Buster Olney
Confirmed: There was a split of opinion in NYY front office on signing of Soriano. More ownership-driven deal than from baseball operations.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
and this from olney.
Cashman’s autonomy in matters of baseball operations may have eroded.
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
Fantastic!
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 14, 2011 12:00 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah
You think he’ll put up with too much of that?
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
The more turmoil at the top of their org,
the better.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 14, 2011 12:28 PM CST up reply actions
Relieved that Wash won't have to explain to Mikey Young why he'd get only 200 AB's this year...
Ephesians 3:20-21...and I can only imagine
My money is on Vlad coming back.
And Wash trying to play Young at 1B every day so Vlad can DH and hit cleanup.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
Probably
but they did have interest in Manny during waivers last year, ohhhh man I would love to have him.
That may be the understanding.
But I don’t think it’s what would actually happen.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
Pretty sure
Ron Washington wouldn’t allow this to happen.
by behindthebag on Jan 14, 2011 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
I'm betting Marcus Thames, myself.
Would fit with what JD’s said in the past about wanting to keep the DH spot flexible.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.
Vomit
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
is Manny the best option out there for a RH bench bat?
Is his defense that much better than Vlad’s or is the point to not put whomever out in the field at all?
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
How would you like to have Manny to use as a ph
when teams rolled out a lefty to face Judy?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
by Josey Wales on Jan 14, 2011 11:42 AM CST up reply actions
You wouldn't sign him as a bench bat
You’d sign him to be your everyday DH.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
would Wash feel like he needed to put Manuel in the OF?
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
I guarantee you he'd rather hit both Young and Manny than not.
He’d do what it took to get them both in the lineup.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
And play Young at 1B instead of Moreland?
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
Considering Young has never played the position before, I think you have to assume Moreland will be that much better defensively.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
I don't believe Moreland has played the position much either
IIRC he was predominantly an OF in the low minors and only started playing 1b in the last season or two. And I don’t think he’s so good at it that it would a significant difference, especially at the position that is lowest on the spectrum of importance.
You are correct Toddler
143 at 1st, 181 in RF.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
You've got it reversed
and he was a college 1b and that is his natural spot. They moved him to RF due to his arm and because he was blocked by Davis and Smoak. He only played FT in RF starting last year. As he was knocking a little rust off at 1b, I thought he looked pretty good and would expect him to be better next year- he smoked Smoak at the position to be sure.
Only once in the last five years has Young had a wRC+ significantly above average against righties.
For his career, it’s 106.
I’m betting Moreland could do better, but I’m sure you can’t platoon Dear Leader. I also think there’s a good chance he’d be better against righties than Manny, but I’m not sure Wash would be willing to do that, either.
in the second half?
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
Wrong.
You use him like the Twins used Thome last year.
Thome started 79 games but appeared in 108 games.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
by Josey Wales on Jan 14, 2011 11:53 AM CST up reply actions
AJM wasn't talking about batting gloves.
/Mike E
by Closure GT on Jan 14, 2011 11:45 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Murphy is my guess
If Young gets injured during a game Murphys in the field you move Manny into the field, murphy to 1B and sub in someone at DH. Then you probably make temporary room for Moreland on the 25 since he’ll be in AAA.
Hobson, did you see that?
Yes.
She stole that tie! It's the perfect crime. Girls don't wear ties; although some do. It's not a perfect crime, but it's a good crime.
Yes. If she murdered the tie it would be the perfect crime.
Don't you lose the DH in that situation?
I remember a lot of talking about that when Mauer was DHing….
Moreland...
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
Hail nah
It goes deeper. People take out their frustrations with Josey on their real-life acquaintances, which propagates forward, and before you know it you’ve got more marriages in an easily-smashable state.
by Closure GT on Dec 14, 2010 9:48 AM CST
this whole situation
has a square-peg-round-hole aspect to it. i just haven’t gotten my head around MY being a full time first baseman at all.
I can't be the only person that reads this guy's name and thinks "Dick Knobbler."
DKnobler DKnobler
by NewbergReport
It’ll be interesting now to see what Rangers do. They really wanted Thome, and weren’t sure they would pursue other DH types if Thome sd no.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
I think all this talk undersells Mitch Moreland...
I thought his defense was borderline spectacular last year…and by the end of the post-season, he was raking against righties AND lefties…
Ephesians 3:20-21...and I can only imagine
Sez DFWAgKnobbler
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Makes me think they had a trade in place for Murphy or Bunk.
(If we are looking for LHB who can DH, why not Branyan? He can even play 1B.)
branyan = garko
not really but i dont want branyan
by I am Neftali Feliz on Jan 14, 2011 12:10 PM CST up reply actions
I wonder if Branyan has a bad rep
He always seems to be a late sign. and he’s pretty productive if you look past the K’s.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
His OBPs
are usually pretty meh, mostly due to having a crap average. GMs aren’t particularly fond of guys with .234 averages as offensive fixes.
He’s another Rob Deer type, and they are just tough to love.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
True, but he still has
A higher career wOBA & wRC+ than MY, right?
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
I also read that he's not a great clubhouse guy either
The media like him because he’s accessible to them, but apparently his teammates aren’t over-fond of him. (Going by memory and what some people had to say after he was traded to the Mariners last year.)
I found out the Braves have a pitcher named "Brett Butts" in their system today.
I have no idea how you can play professional sports with a name like Brett Butts. He must catch absolute hell in the clubhouse.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.
I like Brett Butts
and I can not lie
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
by Texas Jihad on Jan 14, 2011 4:03 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Have the Rangers made it clear that they're not trading MY?
Because I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t sign ManRam to be the everyday DH, deal MY, and find scrubby mcscrubberston to back up Moreland at 1B.
To deal MY
the problem is you have to find someone who will take MYs contract
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Oh there's a lot of team that would love MY
On a $5-7mil per year contract. Do you see the Rangers eating the rest of the $16 that is owed per year?
Just out of curiosity
Would anyone be interested in trading for Carlos Lee, if the Astros were to take on at least half his salary? He’s a RH bat, and though he’s not much of an outfielder, he can play 1st and DH.
he can play first?
would he eat anyone that ran at him?
If you have a plan to construct somekind of a crude Twix vagaina, I’m all ears.
- Bob Loblaw
Zombie Hank Blalock!
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
The only way Houston would trade Lee
Is if someone else paid 3/4-all of the salary or gave up a really attractive prospect package.
Otherwise they’d be selling low on Lee, and where’s the sense in that.
(Then again, this is Ed Wade we’re talking about, so anything’s possible I guess.)
I think Lee is toast, look at his numbers from last year
He’s getting older and has always been in shitty shape.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
They're trying to cut payroll
Lindstrom was making just 2 million, but that was still too much for them so they traded him for marginal prospects.
Yeah, but I still think it would make more sense for them
To hang onto Carlos Lee until he regains at least some of his value, because right now nobody thinks too highly of him.
The only way it makes sense for the Astros to trade him for pennies on the dollar is if they are convinced he’ll never recover any of his value…and at that point, why would the Rangers want him?
Now it's time for AJM ro get on Manny Ramirez dick
Because, of course, a 38 year old no defense decliner who totally is what the team doesnt need RE righty-lefty, is obviously way better than Thome who is exactly what the team needs…just like Ron Washington is a good manager.
And I like how AJM said that lefty Thome taking away AB’s fron lefty Moreland is equivilant. Because those guys are equal hitter, obviously. I mean one isnt way better or anything.
I mean you really wouldnt want to take away AB's from Julio Borbon and David Murphy with a 1.000 OPS guy
I mean, obviously that wouldn’t help the Rangers at all. Obviously.
How old are you Sharky?
Don't listen to me. I'm a fucking moron.
by hornedfrogs45 on Jan 14, 2011 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
Why does everyone always dump on Murphy?
He was worth 2 WAR last year playing 138 games. He’d be a starting outfielder on a lot of teams.
If the Rangers wanted to trade Murphy right now, they could probably get a more than decent return. He has value. He’s not some marginal guy.
Heck, my NL team is the Phillies, and I would start Murphy in LF right now over who we have currently. Same thing with RF.
Lay off the Murph.
by hunterfan on Jan 14, 2011 12:33 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Remind who exactly is dogging on Murphy?
Me: But if we move to some state where our views are in the majority, I won't have anything to rant against all day long! What will fuel my rage??
Girlfriend: Well...you'll still have the Yankees.
by WildcatPhoenix on Jan 14, 2011 12:36 PM CST up reply actions
Sharky
Like 5-6 posts above. Have also heard it from others, but that’s my current example.
Sharky says lots of foolish things.
But Adam also hates Murphy. Also Rusty Greer.
"Blalock in the cleanup spot makes gives me agita." - Dustin
And we don't count Sharky
Only humans.
Murph is a solid outfielder. The only reason we don’t slobber all over him is the fact that he stands next to the AL MVP and Nelson Cruz.
Me: But if we move to some state where our views are in the majority, I won't have anything to rant against all day long! What will fuel my rage??
Girlfriend: Well...you'll still have the Yankees.
by WildcatPhoenix on Jan 14, 2011 12:40 PM CST up reply actions
Good point
I definitely feel that Borbon and either Thome or ManRam fill similar roles on a team.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Sharky
Dude, you should have had lunch with me today at the Deliman’s Grill. The entire Coppell girls’ cross-country team was there. That’s still in your age range, right?
"Scared? We're not scared...We do this every day. Scared is being in a prison yard."- Michael Young
Jerry Jones is on the radio.....
I’m not telling you where, though…..you will have to find him yourself….
/that should keep him busy for a while
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby
by GhostofSteveFoucault on Jan 14, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions
Why is it everyone is always concerned about a lefty
Facing a LHP, but rarely a righty against RHPs.
Moreland doesn’t need to sit against lefties. It would be stupid to assume he’s a platoon player already. Moreland is a professional hitter who makes great adjustments regardless of the pitcher. Also, he has a great southern drawl.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
by NothinG on Jan 14, 2011 12:38 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Because...
there are fewer lefties. Ideally, you’d want a roster of righties against left handed starters, and lefties against right handed starters. But 1) there aren’t enough lefties to do that, and 2) the roster is only 25 guys. You still see batters that are only suited to a platoon role (like Marcus Thames).
"Blalock in the cleanup spot makes gives me agita." - Dustin
conventional wisdom
says that RHB have less trouble hitting same side pitchers because any baseball player has experienced the vast majority of their ABs against right handed pitching, dating all the way back to Little League.
LHB, on the other hand, generally don’t have nearly the experience batting against same side pitchers b/c amatuer baseball just doesn’t have the same concentration of lefty pitchers.
And I think statistical evidence basically bears this out, as LHB usually have much larger platoon splits compared to RHB.
That is also part of why I think labeling a guy a platoon player
can be a self-fullfilling prophecy. If you never give a guy like Murphy consistent AB’s against LHP, they may never have an opportunity to get better at hitting against them.
Murphy gets opportunities against lefties.
"Blalock in the cleanup spot makes gives me agita." - Dustin
I think most guys
who platoon, still get a fair number of ABs against the other side of the platoon, and they show why they are platoon guys.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
Moreland doesn't NEED to sit against lefties
But if you can get a quality RH bat who can play against lefties so that he or Borbon can sit against the majority of lefties, that’s a good thing.
by Adam J. Morris on Jan 14, 2011 12:48 PM CST up reply actions
It wouldn't be stupid to bet he's going to be worse against lefties than a quality righty would be and trying to assemble a platoon.
But, as I said above, I doubt Wash would platoon legends like Manny Ramirez and Michael Young.
Chuck Morgan chimed in on the Scoreboard thread
When I have time I will give a wave as a salute to posters on Lone Star Ball.
There will big a piece of board coming down at 2pm today (Fri) for a media photo op.
It's baseball. You don't always get what you want, and you don't always want what you get. --Ed Coffin
by txranger7 on Jan 14, 2011 12:43 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
This actually does irk me quite a bit
Unless it comes out that either we offered more money and Thome just really liked it in Minnesota or if the contract is loaded with easily attainable incentives I am not happy we weren’t more aggressive with this.
I don’t agree with the notion that Murphy or Moreland need to sit against LHP. Borbon is the only lefty we have that truly needs to sit against LHP and his value isn’t tied to his offense. His value is tied to his defensive ability and the fact he keeps our MVP out of CF.
Murphy last year was better than league average for a LHB against LHP. He is a professional hitter and didn’t seem to give a lot of at bats away against LHP last year. Even if he doesn’t produce tremendously he will work the count and have a good at bat. Moreland is the same way. And with these guys hitting 7th and 8th in the lineup their lack of offensive production is minimalized.
And by adding Thome we would have added a true impact bat against RHP. Looking at the other options out there nobody else fits the way Thome would have. He is a impact bat who is content playing half the time. The other options available are either non-impact guys who would play sparingly or impact guys (Manny and Vlad) who would likely not be acceptable to a reduced role and would expect to play everyday.
As long as...
…their production is………minimalized…….. I am on board with your opinion.
;)
Sorry...
I will try to dumb down my posts for you in the future…
If you think so
Add something to the conversation. Or do you only play the role of one-liner/smart ass on this board?
You should take this as constructive criticism.
Your stream-of-consciousness writing style is not effective.
For people
with short attention spans, sure, I could see that. For people that have no problem reading, well, I disagree. Again, I will do my best to throw my thoughts in catchy one liners, or just go back to lurking.
I'm on a conference call but not participating, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to teach you about writing.
I’m going to edit your previos post for conciseness. Notice how you can express the same points with much fewer words (and no one-liners).
My preference? Bring in Vlad if he approves a limited role. If he costs too much, wants 2 years, or refuses a limited role, I wanted to bring in Thome, but obviously that is off the table so maybe Manny is the only other choice now.
How does this work? Well, first note that Young will play some games at 2B, 3B, and, yes, in all likelihood, SS (as much as his defense there hurts the head to imagine, he likely will do just that).
If you expect he will play a nice round figure of 20 games between the 3 positions (someone is sure to get hurt to make that a realistic total, even if all games are at 1 position) you are talking about 20 games (or roughly 80 ABs) where Vlad/Manny can be the DH without pushing Moreland out of the game (assuming pitching matchups work out).
If the plan is to only push for 300 or so ABs from this year’s platoon partner with Young at DH, that means that Moreland could reaslistically still get another 60 or so games in for right at 80 total. Those might not be starter numbers, but when combined with last year it should tell us if we have something there for the future or not (something like 300 ABs, or more than twice what he had last year).
So, how does this all work out? See below for my recommendation (obviously this is all best case scenario regarding health and some likely won’t play 152 games):
Main Group (200 ABs or more):
Andrus: 152 games, all at SS (roughly 600 ABs)
Kinsler: 152 games, all at 2B (roughly 600 ABs)
Hamilton: 152 games, 110 at LF/27 at CF/15 at DH (roughly 600 ABs)
Beltre: 152 games, all at 3B (roughly 600 ABs)
Cruz: 152 games, 137 at RF/15 at DH (roughly 600 ABs)
Vlad/Manny: 75 games, all at DH (roughly 300 ABs)
Young: 152 games, 82 games at 1B/50 games at DH/20 games between SS/3B/2B (roughly 600 ABs)
Moreland: 80 games, all at 1B (roughly 280 ABs)
Torrealba: 120 games, all at C (roughly 420 ABs)
Borbon: 125 games, all at CF (roughly 430 ABs)
Murphy: 84 games, 52 at LF/25 at RF/7 at DH (roughly 300 ABs)
Limited Group (199 or less ABs):
Treanor: 42 games, all at C (roughly 150 ABs)
Blanco: 10 games, 5 at 2B/5 at SS (roughly 35 ABs)
Gentry: 10 games, all at CF (roughly 35 ABs)
Breakdown:
C: Torrealba (120), Treanor (42) = 162
1B: Young (82), Moreland (80) = 162
2B: Kinsler (152), Blanco (5), Young (5) = 162
3B: Beltre (152), Young (10) = 162
SS: Andrus (152), Blanco (5), Young (5) = 162
LF: Hamilton (110), Murphy (52) = 162
CF: Borbon (125), Hamilton (27), Gentry (10) = 162
RF: Cruz (137), Murphy (25) = 162
DH: Vlad/Manny (75), Young (50), Hamilton (15), Cruz (15), Murphy (7) = 162
Sure, I would love to get more CF time out of Hamilton, give more LF time to Murphy, and have more of a backup role for Borbon, but that is likely not to happen.Anyway, this is how I could see all of this working out if everyone stays healthy (very, very unlikely with this group). If Hamilton/Cruz get injured you could ramp up Murphy’s game total to get closer to his average of 400+ at bats per year (at least over the past 3 years). Assuming injuries take up more than 20 games for the trio of Beltre/Andrus/Kinsler, you could ramp up Blanco’s game total (or play more games with Young at those positions and less games with him at 1B, meaning more Moreland and, ultimately, more Vlad/Manny). Assuming an injury to Borbon that doesn’t force more CF time to Josh, you could ramp up Gentry’s game total. Etc…I would also expect to see players like Murphy, Blanco, Moreland, and Gentry get more playing time in the event of injuries.
Ijustalso don’t think you have to move Morleand to AAA if you bring in another bat like Vlad/Manny (or Thome when he was available). Injuries and a role for Vlad/Manny of part time player will help make everyone get adequate time.
Like I said...
No worries – I will just lurk! I don’t have time to regularly question a post to determine if it’s too long to offend a few on here. I was just looking for feedback and instead of getting an actual conversation about the Rangers I get an English lesson and backhanded comments. Whatever.
Regularly question a post?
You’re not offending anybody but most likely, nobody read your post because it was too long. If they did, someone else would have realized you had a bench of 5 position players (with no real candidates to leave in AAA)
See above...
Not hard to fix that (-Blanco).
Don't leave
Just make shorter/more pointed posts :)
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
And get a thicker skin.
Don’t let the Usual Dickheads in here win.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"If the Cliff Lee Contract was really keeping me from doing other things, I had no fucking business whatsoever trying to sign him in the first place."
"usual dickheads"
you referring to yourself in 3rd person again?
"Thumbs/Asses Needing to be Dazzled/The Plan/Ferns " - JW
by shock00 on Jan 14, 2011 3:34 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
There should be a movie called
“Usual Dickheads” I would watch
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Don't limit yourself
There a bunch of posters who would benefit from dumbed down posts.
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Don't worry...Be happy!
Thome would have been an interesting sign but considering age, role and roster space he by no means was a must have player.
The Rangers are starting to look like my daughter at a mall. She falls into the “I have to buy something because I still have money to spend” syndrome. Not signing Thome, or for that matter Vlad/Manny/etc is not going to be the end of the world. There is the possibility that not signing one of these guys may be a better option if we can keep the cash until a better option becomes available.
Just a thought but did not want you to be all “irked” and all because it is FRIDAY!
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Well like I said Thome is the only guy out there who really fits the mold of a impact bat who is fine with a reduced playing time
Sure we could go get Vlad or Manny or stick with Gentry as the 25th man. Maybe trade for a Ryan Spillboroughs.
But none of those guys fit the mold that I believe is ideal for the Rangers team.
If we sign Vlad or Manny both those guys will only sign if they are expected to play everyday, or thereabouts. Signing them pushes Young to 1B everyday and then you are presented with another potential dilemma. What happens if Young gets slightly injured? who backs up 1B? Moreland would presumably be in AAA so you are left with someone who has zero 1B experience playing that position.
And if you stick with Gentry or go get a Spillboroughs type player that isn’t any kind of impact bat. They would play sparingly to begin with and their improvement over whats currently here would be minimal. It would then be even more minimalized by the fact they would be stuck down in the 9 hole of the order.
Thome was a guy who would have come in here and played roughly 80 games and been happy with it. When he played he would slot in the middle of the order and presumably mash the hell out of the ball. If that meant dealing with Murphy or Moreland against LHP I could live with that.
I posted a quick games played hypothetical in one of the massive threads earlier this week that got bogged down and in it Moreland still would have gotten 100 starts so playing time wouldn’t have been an issue IMO.
Solid points
Just no need to get irked, It’s Friday afternoon. We got the NFL playoffs this weekend. And there is still plenty of time to modify the roster before opening day. Heck it is een going to start to warm up a bit so all is good even without Thome as a Ranger.
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
From what cars they want/drive
I think your daughter is the Yankees.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Jan 14, 2011 3:01 PM CST up reply actions
You are probably correct.
I feel sorry for anyone who dates/marries these women. Definately high maintenence in the making.
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
I thought it made sense because Thome is good.
And at that kind of price, definitely worth it.
But, for all the reasons mentioned, I think it’s also not a big blow.
Is Grandpa Urine still drunk from last night?
Cam could be the man for the Cowboys
Keep an open mind: The Cowboys should draft Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
And no, I did not read it.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Rarely sobers up so chances are good that he is still drunk.
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Why, so we can have the next Reggie Bush?
"Scared? We're not scared...We do this every day. Scared is being in a prison yard."- Michael Young
Who won the Ranger ML awards?
Linky?
If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.
Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde
by matthewbschultz83 on Jan 14, 2011 1:19 PM CST reply actions
Minor League Awards
If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.
Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde
by matthewbschultz83 on Jan 14, 2011 1:19 PM CST up reply actions
Found it
If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.
Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde
by matthewbschultz83 on Jan 14, 2011 1:21 PM CST up reply actions
.
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Brewers are one of three teams interested in free agent LHP Jarrod Washburn.
It was reported earlier this month by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that the Brewers would take a look at Washburn, so the news here is that two other teams are interested. Don’t expect a bidding war to erupt, as Washburn hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2009.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
LMAO, Wes Welker
Niiiiice.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
For those not listening to the Ticket:
Wes Welker Makes 11 References To Feet In One Press Conference
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"I can take it, I'm not going to comment on it," Ryan said, "but I can take it."
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Ha, didn't see that until now.
Nice.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Reggie Jackson telling people to shut up?
“Hi pot, your black.”
Sincerely,
The Kettle
If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.
Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde
by matthewbschultz83 on Jan 14, 2011 2:55 PM CST up reply actions
Can we drop Josey?
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Rapada put on release waivers
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Why?
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Clearing roster space
for Rhodes and Webb.
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
Yeah. They DFA'ed him the other week.
I guess they decided to just flat-out release him at this point.
Superman wears Josh Hamilton pajamas.
that's weird
why’d they just release him? Seems like a good guy to have in AAA should one of our ancient lefties snap a hip in 2.
HIP JOKES, FTW!!!
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
He probably refused his minor league assignment
I believe hed been DFAd before so he chose FA over AAA
makes sense....he might be able to catch on as a loogy with a lower tiered team I spose.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
I forgot that Rapada went the way of MaxRam for those spots.
As for your comment yesterday. Yes I am an ass at times. Just don’t take it too seriously,
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
And I hope he does
Jim Thome is hoping to play at least two more years.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
You know that might mean as much as 350 more AB's
You can only be young once but can be immature forever!
Interesting, since we have a few teachers/scholars here
Princeton Study: Comic Sans Makes Learning Easier
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
That Dan Gilbert
was obviously a genius. Trying to make it easier for Cav fans to learn LeBron was a douchebag.
"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington
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