Tuesday morning things

by Adam J. Morris on Jun 5, 2007 9:39 AM CDT in News

Yay, no loss yesterday!

And no Vicente Padilla today, as T.R. Sullivan says John Rheinecker is being called up to start for Padilla, who is being scratched do to forearm problems.

Padilla isn't going on the d.l., so presumably Wes Littleton or Willie Eyre will get sent down to make room for Rheinecker. The Rangers also need to make room for Rheinecker on the 40 man roster, since he's currently on the 60 day d.l., so you may see Fab 5 Freddy Guzman DFA'd today...

Evan Grant breaks down the bad decisions that have brought the Rangers to this point, and includes this little nugget, which I wasn't aware of:

Hart did not want to deal with agent Scott Boras after several bad experiences with free-agent signings. So the Rangers selected signable Thomas Diamond with the 12th pick. The Los Angeles Angels, two picks later, took Boras' Weaver.

Jim Reeves calls on Tom Hicks to sell, saying that almost a decade of mismanagement and penny-pinching (such as having, right now, the lowest paid g.m. and manager in the game) has alienated the fans to the point that they have no hope.

Jan Hubbard says the Rangers should follow the Tigers' model for rebuilding.

Ken Rosenthal has an item on the strain between Ron Washington and the players, as Washington tries to change what Rosenthal calls "their "swing-swing-swing" mentality." He focuses in particular on issues with Mark Teixeira, over Washington's desire to alter the lineup's approach at the plate, and with Gerald Laird, with Washington wanting Laird to be more "take charge" with the pitching staff.

And the Detroit Free Press discusses the Tigers' relief woes, and suggests that Akinori Otsuka and Eric Gagne could be trade targets of Detroit's.

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John Hart strikes again.

He set us back something bad

by OKC Ranger Fan on Jun 5, 2007 9:40 AM CDT reply actions

We are perfect trading partners

with the Tigers. I know Detroit isn't going to trade there top 2 prospects for Teix.

Would they at least consider it if it's Teixeira and two relievers? Teixeira, Otsuka, and Gagne for there top two prospects and Casey.

I would really like to get Del la Cruz too if it was possible. I think he's going to be good too.

I know I'm trade happy but if we do this trade. I really want to get Milledge too. I think the Mets would trade him quickly for ML help. They have Martinez and Gomez in the OF too.

We go from being very weak in the OF position to strong with Maybin and Milledge along with our OF prospects.

by Coolbean04 on Jun 5, 2007 9:55 AM CDT reply actions

No interest in Casey......

by tklawless on Jun 5, 2007 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Casey

We'd have to take Casey back from Detroit for them to agree to it.

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Jun 5, 2007 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions

exactly

by Coolbean04 on Jun 5, 2007 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Why?

Because they both play 1B?

We've got alot of 1B options (Botts, Wilk, etc.)

Let them figure out what to do with Casey. We need to be getting rid of stiffs, not collecting them.

by tklawless on Jun 5, 2007 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Because

Detroit will likely make it a condition of the deal.

Mitt Romney should "get out his small-varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn" -- Sen John McCain

by DJCahill on Jun 5, 2007 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, hello Dodgers then......

or Yankees....or Baltimore.

by tklawless on Jun 5, 2007 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Are you kidding me?

So you would rather potentially take worse prospects (when the whole point we want the best we can get) just so you don't take Casey's 4M contract.

I'm sure WHATEVER team we trade Teixeira to (or otheres included too), we'll have to take some dead weight salary. I would also WANT that to happen because the more dead weight we can take back, the better the prospects.

by Coolbean04 on Jun 5, 2007 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Dead Weight

Casey's deal isn't that bad and ends after this year. It's not like we're being stuck with an albatross contract for years to come. Putting Casey at first for the rest of the year wouldn't be that bad. It's not like he's blocking someone like AGon or Botts (who will be our DH once Sosa is traded).

Derek

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Jun 5, 2007 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions

So, you think they'll give us

Miller & Maybin, if we take Casey?

I'm in, then!

by tklawless on Jun 5, 2007 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions

maybe not

but a one year contract should never be a deal breaker.

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on Jun 5, 2007 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions

No

and stop being a smartass. It doesn't make the trade but it HELPS you turd.

And no Teixeira by himself will get the top two prospects with Casey. They MIGHT do it if we include two other players that will help the team (perferably the pen since that's what I'm reading that they need). I also think we might have to throw some cash back there way too. They're taking on a lot of salary with Teixeira, Otsuka, Gagne. They might not even want Gagne and want another reliever instead.

by Coolbean04 on Jun 5, 2007 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Reduce Payroll

The Tigers will want to keep payroll down, so they would ask that we take Casey off their hands. The more money the Rangers absorb, the better prospects they can expect back.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Jun 5, 2007 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions

that's not how it works

Best case scenario is we take Casey and we try to flip him for anything as long as we don't have to keep him on our team.

by Coolbean04 on Jun 5, 2007 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Worst case is you take casey

bury him on your bench, or release him, and keep the prospects.

Taking back Casey just has to be factored into the deal, I don't see how its a big dealbreaker.

Mitt Romney should "get out his small-varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn" -- Sen John McCain

by DJCahill on Jun 5, 2007 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Detroit

I also like the idea of trading with Detroit, though it's feasible only if we trade relievers too. I put the Dodgers and Tigers as the best fit trading partners right now.

Both are in divisional races and Teix would be an upgrade over both their first basemen. Both also have excellent prospects to trade. Neither one is perfect though. The Dodgers would have to move Nomar to third while the Tigers don't need offense as much as pitching at this point, hence why we'd have to include relief pitchers in the deal. We'd also have to take Casey back as part of any deal with the Tigers.

Derek

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Jun 5, 2007 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions

Cyclical sucking

Defense seems to suck, so the pitchers are nibbling (see Grant's article). Nibbling pitchers leads to early deficits. Early deficit causes the hitters to press and not take pitches. At the end of the day, it's another L.

Honestly, Wash's gameplan could have solved this. He was going to stress defense, but his new defensive teachings haven't seemed to take hold yet. He told pitchers to pound the strike zone in ST, but it seems like they have no confidence to do so. He's trying to get hitters to take more pitches (i.e. Teix), but they don't like that idea.

I suppose it all starts with the defense, but perhaps it takes a little while to learn new mechanics.

Point is, I think Wash should get the benefit of the doubt. His strategy should work. Now, his in-game decisions, that's another story.

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Jun 5, 2007 10:18 AM CDT reply actions

Defense and Pitching

I was thinking the same thing, that the ERA may be inflated because the pitchers are afraid to pitch to contact. Our defense was so awful for the first month, and might still not even be mediocre, that it has to have affected the mindset of the pitchers. I have got to think that is in there minds somewhere.

Fire Michael Young and Ron Washington and Vicente Padilla

by pblack on Jun 5, 2007 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

Reeves article

The Reeves' article is getting a little bit of discussion over at BTF. My favorite comment is the following:

As of this morning, the Rangers -- not the Royals -- are the worst team in baseball.

Hicks has stolen something precious indeed. My heart!

by Excel Hearts Choi on Jun 5, 2007 10:25 AM CDT reply actions

Botts

Seeing Botts as the Star of the Day every damn day in Lucas's minor league wrapup is becoming depressing. Whose dog did he run over?

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Jun 5, 2007 11:06 AM CDT reply actions

He's probably

as hot right now as he's ever been in his career. I think we're basically at the point where they're just being stubborn. They decided earlier that he was too limited defensively (in other words, just a DH) to be a fit with Sosa and Catalanotto on the team, and by golly if Sosa is here Botts just won't be.

by Brett Perryman on Jun 5, 2007 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Wash's Changes

It seems like the changes he wants to make are great things: plate patience, Laird being aggressive with the staff. The only knocks I've had so far with Wash is the Kata love fest and some other lineup decisions. So it really sounds like the Rangers are a bunch of Spurs-types who whine about everything, with Teix as the ring-leader. Junior Miller pondered whether or not Teix is a cancer this morning. Definitely a strong accusation, but maybe there is a truth. Of course, it's probably much more than just Teix. I wonder what side Art Howe's on?

by isaacbrock on Jun 5, 2007 12:01 PM CDT reply actions

That's my reaction

at least to the recent rumors. I'm kind of rooting him on with the plate approach thing. He's still made some dumb decisions in-game though, and his affinity for crappy utility players, while we're used to it from Buck, is pretty darn annoying.

by Brett Perryman on Jun 5, 2007 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Wasington is Inept

A good manager adapts the way he manages to the players he has rather then making them adapt to his ways. He has failed, he is failing, and he won't last. We see stuff every game we don't like that he does. Pitcher management. line-ups, pitch hitters., etc.

by SanDiegoKev on Jun 5, 2007 1:53 PM CDT reply actions

I don't think you can say that he

is inept. We just don't have enough information on the guy at this juncture. However, any new manager needs to be a transformational leader and he seems to fit that pretty well. This means that he has to understand the organization structure including the formal and informal leadership and get those people to buy into his changes. Unfortunately, the entire coaching staff rolled over from the previous management team and this is a major taboo. It makes the job much, much more difficult and draws the process out. In almost every leadership setting it is preferable to bring in your own people who understand your vision and believe in that vision. Maybe the fault lies with Washington in that he hasn't gotten the coaches and the "main" players like Teixeira to buy into his vision. Then again, maybe these people are just resistent to change because change is new and makes them uncomfortable.

by gp on Jun 5, 2007 6:16 PM CDT up reply actions