FanPost

Looney's End of Season Thinkin's, Part I: Offensive Power Shortage

Part of the failure of this team to be able to drive the ball may have already been touched upon: The environment in which they operated dictated that one or two runs was all that was being sought. The days of scoring 30 runs had, over time, been insidiously drained from the psyche of this team and replaced with a mindset that each run is crucial and each out should be cashed in as soon as possible to facilitate that one or two runs.

The fun of blasting one out of the park got replaced with the need to blast one out of the park - and, the pitchers were observant and pitched to that mentality effectively diffusing what potential for power we had left. Couple that with the loss of the "Jet Stream" to right centerfield and you combine the mental difficulty of hitting balls out with the added physical difficulty causing your offense melt down to mush.

Then, Rougned Odor showed up. He didn't listen to the whispers that said, "Gotta get one run!". He went up every at bat looking to put the ball in the seats and knew, in his heart, he could do just that. Bunting away outs was not in his repertoire. Tomas Telis joined later with that same attitude. Jim Adduci, Jake Smolinski and Ryan Rua had also come too late to be saddled with that indoctrination. It's exciting to think that all of these guys could be very successful as the years go on.

Future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Beltre will be back next year. He actually managed to stay on the field the entire season in 2014 - a first - but his power output was way down and his defensive prowess is starting to decline. He's still a premier player, though.

2014-15 Texas Rangers Winter Leaguers
. . . . Pos Player Team Finished 2014
Australia (2)
RHP Cody Buckel Melbourne AA Frisco
C Kellin Deglan Melbourne A+ Myrtle Beach
Arizona (7)
RHP Cody Kendall Surprise Saguaros A+ Myrtle Beach
RHP Josh McElwee Surprise Saguaros AA Frisco
RHP Lisalverto Bonilla Surprise Saguaros MLB Texas
RHP Sam Wolff Surprise Saguaros A+ Myrtle Beach
C Patrick Cantwell Surprise Saguaros AA Frisco
OF Nick Williams Surprise Saguaros AA Frisco
SS Michael De Leon Surprise Saguaros A+ Myrtle Beach
Dominican Republic (8)
RHP Anyelo LeClerc Escogido A- Hickory
LHP Edwar Cabrera La Romana AAA Round Rock
LHP Martire Garcia La Romana AAA Round Rock
LHP Roman Mendez La Romana MLB Texas
RHP Jose Valdespina Licey A- Hickory
OF Nomar Mazara Licey AA Frisco
RHP Jose LeClerc San Francisco de Macoris A+ Myrtle Beach
SS Hanser Alberto San Francisco de Macoris AA Frisco
Mexico (1)
OF Jake Smolinski Obregon MLB Texas
Puerto Rico (4)
1B Trever Adams Caguas AA Frisco
3B Janluis Castro Caguas A- Hickory
LHP Alexander Claudio Mayaguez MLB Texas
C Kevin Torres tbd A+ Myrtle Beach
Venezuela (13)
LHP Sergio Suarez Aguilas de Zulia DSL1
LHP Felix Carvallo Aragua A- Hickory
RHP Ricardo Rodriguez Caracas A- Hickory
RHP Emerson Martinez Caribes de Anzoatequi R Surprise
2B Odubel Herrera La Guaira AA Frisco
SS Luis Sardinas La Guaira MLB Texas
LHP Will Lamb Lara AA Frisco
UIF Guilder Rodriguez Lara MLB Texas
2B Rougned Odor Magallanes MLB Texas
C Tomas Telis Magallanes MLB Texas
OF Eduard Pinto Magallanes ½A Spokane
LHP Gianny Fracchiola Tigres de Aragua DSL2
OF Teodoro Martinez Tigres de Aragua AA Frisco
* The A+ affiliate formerly at Myrtle Beach will be in High Desert, CA, for 2015

Elvis Andrus, the poster boy for "power outage" and throttling an offense will also likely be back. His defense actually progressed after the All-Star Break and became more crisp and authoritative (if that's possible) once he regained focus after Wash left and Bogar became his manager. He is still an elite shortstop and, if he can restore his defense and improve on it, will be worth every penny of that new 8-year contract that starts next year. If he sheds some poundage and gets himself back into shape, he might even regain his elite base running status; however, noting the table above, I fail to see his name -- anywhere. Too bad.

Ranger Power

But, the Big Kahuna - the Power Bat - the Drawing Card that would put butts in seats was to have been Prince Fielder. If he can regain his form and hit the ball the way he did in Milwaukee, he will make a huge difference in the fortunes of this team. If he can regain his confidence (and, with a manager like Bogar, the possibility is very strong), he, coupled with Adrian Beltre and a cadre of young, aggressive hitters will cause nightmares for opposing pitching staffs.

Another who has to recover his form is Shin-Soo Choo. Once he hurt his ankle in late April, his ability to run the bases was compromised. And, for a player who is renowned for his ability to just get on base, the ability to make an impact there is very important. He also has the ability to touch one off and send it out of the park, but power is only a part of his overall game. He will likely move back to his more natural position of right field next year with the likely departure of Alex Rios.

Mitch Moreland has the ability to be a power source - if he can stay healthy. And, staying healthy has not been one of the traits we associate with the longest-tenured position player left on the team. Plus, his injuries always seemed to cripple his ability to hit (let alone hit for power) when he was able to return to action. He is a candidate for non-tender then bringing back on an invite to Spring Training -- his 40-Man spot can be reserved over the winter for restoring some of the 12 members of the 60-Day DL the team is carrying. That 40-Man spot will also be needed going into the December 7-11 Winter Meetings should the team want to make any selections in the Rule 5 (Pro) Draft they'll be holding there. Any potential Major League Free Agents will also need a 40-Man slot to settle into.

Mitch and Leonys

When they signed him, Leonys Martin was envisioned to be an outstanding outfielder and a speedster on the bases, a quality hitter and have a little pop in his bat. Under the, apparently, oppressive guidance of Ron Washington, those talents were never realized. Under Tim Bogar, Leonys appears to have begun to blossom into the player JD and crew had always envisioned he would be.

Robinson Chiriños has proven remarkably able as the Ranger's primary catcher while incumbent Geovanny Soto was out injured. Working his craft with mentors like Pudge Rodriguez, Jim Sundberg & Bengie Molina available, his rate (39.7%) of throwing out potential base stealers only trailed Baltimore's Caleb Joseph (40.4%) and the great Yadier Molina (47.7%) of the Cardinals among all qualifiers for 2014. He has become a very good defensive catcher and, with continued progress, could work himself into elite status. Offensively, he has progressed since coming to the Rangers; although, his ability to just put the bat on the ball still needs work - as does his ability to leave those pitches he can't reach for his counterpart to get behind the plate. But, overall, he has made himself into a quality, front-line Major League catcher.

The team may opt for a free agent to back up "Cheerios" at catcher or Tomas Telis may have impressed the team enough this fall to be given the chance to prove his worth in Spring Training. It wouldn't be too late then to go shopping for a more capable backstop should the young Venezuelan not be up to the task. That is, after all, when they picked up the current starter last year and when they picked up Misty May-Treanor's hubby, Matt (from Milwaukee a week before the season opener in 2009) and Bengie Molina (picked up from San Francisco at the end of June, 2010) the past few years. Wow, it sure doesn't seem like 9 years since Rod Barajas rumbled around the bases in Arlington... he was also a Spring Training invitee who was expected to never see the Majors - that worked out ok.

Most of the defensive positions (barring trades) will be filled in 2015 by incumbents but, who plays left field once Choo moves over to right to take the place of the likely non-tendered Alex Rios?

Michael Choice has the ability (and strength) to be a monster at the plate. His power, when it manifests, is on par with Jose Canseco. His trouble, at the Big League level, has been confidence, focus and finding the ball in the strike zone with that puny little stick they give him. If he ever lives to his potential, left field is his for years to come. If he doesn't, there always...

Ryan Rua has made a big splash on his rumble through the Rangers' Minor League system. It took him a while to get his first home run with the Big Club, though, but he consistently hit Major League pitching and has the ability to add some punch, speed, defense and arm to the lineup. He can also play both CIF positions as well as second base.

Jake Smolinski is similar to Rua in age and approach. He hit much better with the Rangers than he did in the Minors and has the arm to play right field. From watching on the Ranger broadcasts, he seems also to be perpetually happy and brings a great attitude to the club.

Lefty Jim Adduci is also a young, budding star. Had he not gotten hurt this year (joining 27,286 other Rangers on the DL), we might never have heard of Ryan Rua or Jake Smolinski. And, Michael Choice would have to settle for the occasional pinch hitting opportunity. He still has "seniority" over Rua and Smolinski and he adds the advantage of hitting left handed. He can also, fairly ably, fill in at first base, if needed.

Dan Robertson is an intriguing player. He's not good enough to be a full-time contributer on a Major League club, but he's not so bad that having him around creates a Michael Young-level hole on your bench. He's the guy you'd carry as a 4th or 5th outfielder just so the more talented young players can continue to play and get their legs down on the farm while the existing stars celebrate their careers as front-liners in Arlington.

Alex Rios, as mentioned, will likely be non-tendered and his option bought out by the team for $1MM. Unless none of the youngsters noted above can find the batter's box in Spring Training, his time in Texas is probably over. Injuries (what else) this year really played havoc with his game and limited one of his greater strengths: base running. Now, younger, cheaper talent has arrived and his contribution is no longer resident in the "necessary" column. Shinn-Soo Choo will probably slide from left over to Rios' old position in right field (where he is a more natural fit) and the need for Rios will be no more.

The tug-of-war between the Rangers and A's over Adam Rosales finally seems to have been won by the Arlingtonians and he proved to be one of the top 3 or 4 players on the team this year. And, he somehow managed to avoid injury while the Ranger bus was careening over the cliff taking so many of his teammates with it. Adam surprised a lot of people with his ability to put the bat on the ball effectively and even showed some pop banging a pair of seat-seakers off White Sox ace (and homer averse), Chris Sale. Nobody does that to Sale - but, Adam did. He also can play every position on the infield at a Big League level and would probably catch and sell hot dogs should the manager be so inclined to ask. He'll likely end up being the utility infielder for the team in 2015 sending Luis Sardinas back to AAA for more seasoning. If Adam's agent is too aggressive in negotiations for a new contract, the team just claimed Ed Lucas off waivers from Miami. Apparently, Mr. Ed can play all 4 infield positions plus ably back up the corners in the outfield.

Jurickson Profar has some pop - for a young splinter of a man. He isn't the fastest of middle infielders, but he is an intelligent player and a good base runner. He'll probably never steal 20 bases, but he can get from first to third on a base hit to the outfield. He also is rangy at both second and short and proved capable at third in 2013 occasionally filling in for Adrian Beltre. What he didn't have was luck. He rode that Ranger bus onto the DL and stayed there all season when his shoulder proved rickety and fell apart on him. Especially poor timing considering...

Roogie!The KingJurickson

Rougned Odor has put a massive choke hold on the second base job and refuses to let it go. His spunk, his determination, his outright audacity at the plate in the face of "superior" Major League pitching has made him a fan favorite in the vein of Houston's Jose Altuve and he looks to be able to man the position far off into the Championship Years to which the team is hoping to be pointed.

Profar could still find time in Arlington should Elvis be traded - Jurickson would be the de facto insert into the short stop position and would flash his leather - and his electric smile - over there for years to come. Provided his shoulder comes back and he doesn't get passed up by Sardinas before he can get fully recovered. Profar's offense is vastly superior right now to Luis', but Luis is the superior defensive player. Offense is what makes a Major Leaguer and, as long as Jurickson has the potential to be a star lumberjack, he will have the inside track on the, currently, defense-first Sardinas. Until it's all settled, though, Profar may find himself at AAA just so he can play daily instead of sitting on the bench or get tossed all over the field at The Globe the way he was in 2013.

Josh Wilson (2014 Opening Day Starter at second) and Mike Carp (an somewhat expensive flier the Rangers took scrambling for any ambulatory body who could stand at first base) have both been designated for assignment and both are expected to go into free agency rather than spend another year on the Rangers' well-stocked farm.

Offensively, this team is looking forward to 2015. The mindset of "get one run and hold on for dear life" left, hopefully, with Ron Washington. The talent this team possesses is immense and very, very young. If it can be nurtured, promoted and infused with confidence by the new manager, I don't believe we will find this to be one of the team's weaknesses in the coming years.