Rangers make roster moves for World Series
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 19, 2011 11:41 AM CDT
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PrintThe Rangers have made a couple of roster moves in advance of the World Series, adding Matt Treanor and Mark Lowe to the 25 man roster, and de-activating Yoshinori Tateyama and Koji Uehara.
These moves aren't unanticipated, and in last night's podcast recording, I predicted these were the two roster shuffles we would see. Mark Lowe, when healthy, has been one of the team's best relievers, and thus it isn't surprising that since he's now healthy, he's replacing Tateyama, who was the last man added to the bullpen for the ALCS.
The addition of Treanor is, I think, driven in no small part by the fact that the Rangers are potentially playing four games under N.L. rules, and thus will need more pinch hitting options for their pitchers. The best righthanded bench bat available would probably be Torrealba, but there's going to be a reluctance on the part of Ron Washington to use Torrealba as a pinch hitter without a third catcher available on the bench. Treanor gives Wash a little more bench depth and a better comfort level using Torrealba to hit for a pitcher in the N.L. parks, if need be.
Finally, to make room for Treanor, the Rangers are dropping Uehara. Uehara was a trade deadline acquisition from the Orioles, a guy who Texas gave up Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter to land, but he's struggled with the long ball since arriving in Texas, has spoken about his lack of comfort in a new environment, and after his most recent playoff meltdown, acknowledged that it wouldn't be surprising if the coaching staff didn't trust him at this point.
Uehara was expected to be a key part of the team's playoff bullpen, but his performance has been such that I don't think anyone is comfortable with him pitching in a big situation against the Cards.
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It's a shame about Uehara.
I like him, I really do. I loved seeing his spirit when he first joined. He seems more beat down now and I really think he’s going to retire at the end of the season, regardless of the outcome of the Series.
Of all the moves this season, that’s the one I’m most surprised didn’t seem to work out. It’s like the opposite of the Napoli pickup.
Go Rangers!
I was really excited to get Uehara and Adams
I may have been a little more excited about Uehara as he was an AL guy and cost less imo, but man, he has been disappointing. We’ll see about him retiring. I’d like see him get right and come back strong next year.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
It is a shame with Uehara
Although, I don’t think he is just going to give up and retire. He needs to get his confidence back and unfortunately, there are no situations to recover your confidence in the heat of a playoff run.
However, he is under contract for another year and we can only hope he will return to spring training and be allowed to regain his old form. A year under his belt and the marathon and timely situations of a season will hopefully get him feeling good again.
by mattfiji2000 on Oct 19, 2011 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah no way he retires
"Look if you want a journalist hire a UT grad. If you want a doctor you pick a Baylor grad. If you need a vet you see an Aggie grad. And if you need a pizza you call a Tech grad." -BUBacker
Is there a legitimate reason to think he will retire?
I have not heard him give any indication of retirement. It sounds like poor speculation to think he’ll retire.
He is only 36 and seems ultra-competitive. I am certain he is back in ST.
I can't stand people who are intolerant of other people's taste in music or people who like Nickelback.
by jonas m. on Oct 19, 2011 12:44 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
He posted on his blog a month ago he was thinking about it.
This was when he was sucking in August.
I don’t think he’ll retire… but it’s not impossible.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." by Earl Weaver
Ah I missed that.
I still hope he feels inclined to finish off his contract
I can't stand people who are intolerant of other people's taste in music or people who like Nickelback.
by jonas m. on Oct 19, 2011 12:51 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I feel bad for Uehara =/
"Look if you want a journalist hire a UT grad. If you want a doctor you pick a Baylor grad. If you need a vet you see an Aggie grad. And if you need a pizza you call a Tech grad." -BUBacker
I'm also sad about Uehara..
..but in a short series, where each roster spot counts, you can’t justify keeping him when Uehara himself does not have confidence in himself to do the job. I really hope that after the season is over he has time to work out his issues and next year he will be a key piece for the Rangers bullpen, one of the keys of the trade was that he would be under control during 2012.
That said, I wasn’t really comfortable with the trade. Not that I didn’t trust Uehara’s stuff (he looked magnificent with the Orioles) but because he’s 35 so it appeared that the Rangers were giving up a lot of your talent for a player that might give the Rangers only a year of two of quality work. Sure, the Rangers had pretty much given up on Davis and Hunter looked like the 7th best starter in the Rangers system (at best), but I’m sure that in the offseason they could’ve gotten a much better player for Hunter and Davis.
so our bullpen
is now Feldman, Oliver, Gonzalez, Ogando, Adams, Feliz, …and Lowe. I can live with that. I just hope we get a couple dominating performances from our starters starting with CJ tonight
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Lot of power arms in there
Would’ve liked to see Yoshi in the ’pen as a changeup option, but the moves make sense.
Hoping Uehara gets it together during the offseason and comes back strong.
Any children caught doing the Wave will be sold to the circus.- Chuck Morgan
Rule 1 of Metroplex sports: Never root for Philadelphia. -Steve Estep
by WildcatPhoenix on Oct 19, 2011 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
"toljaso"
"...out of the shadows of unprecedented success, the sun shines down upon this team waiting to thrill anew." - ghostofErikThompson
/steel home
NO This is why i dont come here so much anymore. it has become a destination for certain types which i am not. Love the rangers, not this -- Mark from OC on Arrested Development
Justin Verlander? I piss on Justin Verlander --AJM
I wouldn't mind having Hunter back
but CD needed to go. Besides, we have 3 guys on the WS roster capable of playing 1st at a much higher offensive level than CD had been.
"The Rangers system just happens to be stupid with depth." - JParks
"It’s unusual that Sickels is higher on a low-A prospect than those of us who follow the Rangers’ system closely." -rooster on Jan 1, 2011 12:10 PM PST talking about the son of Judeska and Chesmond
by Eric Prince on Oct 19, 2011 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
The way Moreland has been playing lately it has been a wash
I’d rather have Davis than Moreland on the roster right now for corner infield backup and late inning defensive replacement.
by dumdum000333 on Oct 19, 2011 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hindsight makes being a GM the easiest job on Earth.
Koji was one of the top relievers in baseball for nearly two years. It was the right trade.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." by Earl Weaver
It was the right trade at the time.
There’s no second guessing this one. No one could have predicted what happened. His first few Rangers outings looked like classic awesome Koji, too.
Go Rangers!
Yeah, I have no problem with the move despite Koji's struggles.
But that is the problem with making trades for bullpen arms, way too much potential variance in performance. Ranger’s have enough pitching depth and relatively close high upside arms that it was time for Hunter to go. Rangers have surpassed the point of being able to have confidence in Davis developing into a full-time 1st basemen. He needed a change of scenery.
I just think with the way Cruz eventually flourished it was tempting to keep Davis around
He was out of options though and likely wouldn’t have cleared waivers or accepted an outright assignment to triple A.
by dumdum000333 on Oct 19, 2011 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions
He couldn't have refused an assignment to AAA
And its debatable whether he would have cleared waivers or not
True. Koji was a big time strike out pitcher
No one knew just how much his style of pitching would lead to home runs in RBPiA
by dumdum000333 on Oct 19, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions
if Uehara comes back next year
and performs well, the trade is still a success. Even with how the trade has turned out so far this year, it was still a good trade for us. We got rid of two expendable pieces, which gave those players an opportunity to play more often, and we got a reliever for 1.5 years. There is still more time for Uehara to more than prove his worth.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Hunter and Davis also directly contributed to the Red Sox collapse
I am happy for that.
by dumdum000333 on Oct 19, 2011 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
So, mid-season acquisitions that haven't worked so hot for JD
Uehara, Cantu, Lee… ?
"...out of the shadows of unprecedented success, the sun shines down upon this team waiting to thrill anew." - ghostofErikThompson
(comma carlos)
"...out of the shadows of unprecedented success, the sun shines down upon this team waiting to thrill anew." - ghostofErikThompson
Lee? Both Carlos and Cliff worked out pretty well
What did we give up for Guzman?
by dumdum000333 on Oct 19, 2011 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
...and we got the 2011 ALCS MVP
I hate The Angels so much, it's actually cramping my style. (See RevHaloFans SBN profile page)
by Gay For Feliz on Oct 19, 2011 12:24 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Cantu sucked before they dealt for him, and cost nothing to get
Defending Big D Check it out
Twitter
"You guys are talking about living forever like it’s a real thing, but I bust out a man shoving his head into a vagina, and it’s srs time?"
--iorange555 8/23/2011
What?
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.
"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.
Uehara really doesn't belong in with those same players
as he is not a rental. It hasn’t worked out this year, but the trade could still work out for next season.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
lee
Also landed Cruz(as mentioned), and got two high picks, yes? For Coco, Give it to me Laynce and Shrek?
I’d say that’s one of the best trades in franchise history
by Alan Smithee on Oct 19, 2011 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Y'all some JD lovin sonsuh...
"...out of the shadows of unprecedented success, the sun shines down upon this team waiting to thrill anew." - ghostofErikThompson
Nice!
He can bring it like ogando and feliz in the high 90s. I think uehara will be fine next season, hes just in a little funk right now.
by Steve B on Oct 19, 2011 11:54 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Should Torrealba start at catcher more this series since he has a ton of experience
in the NL? Maybe he knows the hitters?
No bc that means you lose either
FACE or Napoli. And no way i trade Torrealba for either one of those two.
Elvis has "shook up" Arlington!!
He could catch at home
With Naps at first and Face at DH.
by Pocket Ninja on Oct 19, 2011 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm thinking I prefer the way Napoli handles the pitchers
and calls a game at this point
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Same here
just wondering if there is any advantage there. I know some people said that the reason Napoli seems to call a better game than Torrealba this season is because Napoli knows the AL opponents better.
by Pocket Ninja on Oct 19, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I think it has more to do with
FastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastballFastball.
Fastball
I think if every game was played with NL rules, the Rangers would be better off than if the oppositre were true.
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
No he has nowhere to play until they come here, although who knows with La Russa
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Eh.
Not a ton of PAs. Mitch Moreland wasn’t that far off in his first two hundred PAs this year.
Isn’t necessarily his true talent.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." by Earl Weaver
Gentry's speed and defense is valuable.
Our 1-8 is better than theirs.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." by Earl Weaver
LOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEee
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
freakin Uehara
I’m more disappointed b/c i had high hopes too, since he was an AL guy. what the hell happened?
i know we toss around the “hot” and “in a new home” thing around quite a bit. but come on…that’s got to dissolve after like a month. 18 year old spoiled girl going to college stuff there.
i hope he gets his stuff together for next season b/c we’ll need arms.
He makes me sad
I hate The Angels so much, it's actually cramping my style. (See RevHaloFans SBN profile page)
by Gay For Feliz on Oct 19, 2011 12:26 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Ahem...
I predicted these were the two roster shuffles we would see while doing my 3 S’s about 7:30a.m.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Hell to the fucking no. -Wash, 10/07/11
Too bad for Koji.
Hope he bounces back next season. It would be nice to get Lowe some work in a game that is one-sided in the Ranger’s favor tonight.
Angels are inerested in Thad Levine.
Damn
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
Jon Daniels on relationship with #Rangers Young: "I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." 2/19/11
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NO This is why i dont come here so much anymore. it has become a destination for certain types which i am not. Love the rangers, not this -- Mark from OC on Arrested Development
Justin Verlander? I piss on Justin Verlander --AJM
Busch Stadium faces the East, correct ?
Will a Northwest wind mean wind will be blowing out ?
by ruben_sierra#21 on Oct 19, 2011 1:35 PM CDT reply actions
does that make cj
A northpaw?
Go Rice Owls!
Would be a Matt Harrison fan, but I only like superstars
by JBImaknee on Oct 19, 2011 2:00 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
KOJI.... WHY!?!?! Why did you have to suck!
If knowledge is power, why does Stephen Hawking need batteries?
Poor Koji
I’ve been disappointed in his attitude so far, almost more than his pitching.
I'm just goofin' new boot goofin'
Game 1 Lineup
RangerBlake John Blake
Rangers Game 1 Lineup: Kinsler, 2b; Andrus, ss; Hamilton, cf; Young, 1b; Beltre, 3b; Cruz, rf; Napoli, c; Murphy. lf; Wilson, p.
1 minute ago
Go Rangers
thats what we expected
NO This is why i dont come here so much anymore. it has become a destination for certain types which i am not. Love the rangers, not this -- Mark from OC on Arrested Development
Justin Verlander? I piss on Justin Verlander --AJM
Raining in St. Louis
Hope this series doesnt turn into the ALCS. Except for the outcome.
What are we at the park for except to win? I'd trip my mother. I'd help her up, brush her off, tell her I'm sorry. But mother don't make it to third. ~Leo Durocher
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