NEWSFLASH: Uniforms & Sheets
Joey Matschulat
The Texas Rangers' ceaseless pursuit of Ben Sheets (pictured) continues.The more pressing development first: Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has confirmed what ESPN.com's Peter Gammons alluded to in passing during his appearance on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on Thursday, that being that free-agent right-hander Ben Sheets and his agent, Casey Close, met with Daniels, owner Tom Hicks and his sons, Tom Jr. and Alex, team president Nolan Ryan, manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux over dinner in Arlington on Wednesday.
Daniels reportedly declined comment when queried whether the Rangers had yet tendered a formal offer to the 30-year-old Dallas native, flatly stating that the club's position with regard to Sheets has not changed, while Ryan submitted that "if everything [were to] come together, there'd be a possibility" of an offer. Considering the precise and calculated manner that this front office tends to conduct its business in, however, I sincerely doubt the organization would engage in a mad dash to inform the media even if an offer was indeed made.
One important consideration to keep in mind is that if the Rangers can somehow weather the short-term financial burden -- and the stretching of a presumably static 2009 payroll -- that the acquisition of Sheets would entail, the 2010 payroll situation looks to be considerably more favorable in terms of breathing room. Kevin Millwood ($12 million option for 2010 automatically vests if he pitches 180 innings in 2009; otherwise, the contract may be rendered voidable at the Rangers' discretion) and Vicente Padilla ($12 million option for 2010 with a $1.75 million buyout) may or may not be back, but the 2009 salaries of Hank Blalock ($6.2 million) and Joaquin Benoit ($3.5 million) will be cleared from the books, and Texas can circumvent the unpalatable possibility of paying Frank Catalanotto $5 million to keep the bench warm in 2010 by ponying up the cash necessary to invoke his $2 million buyout clause.
Additionally, the Rangers have unveiled their home, road and alternate uniform designs for the 2009 season (all available for viewing in .pdf format here), which notably include the return of red uniform tops:
Texas will don their new threads on Opening Day and on Saturday night home games during the 2009 season, as well as during a special "Red Out" weekend.
Reader Comments (17)
Out on the uniforms.
Sorry.
Wow. Red out? Seriously. They suck. /criticism
Pitchers on opening day?
Starting Rotation:
1)Sheets
2)Millwood
3)Padilla
4)McCarthy
5)Harrison
Closer:
Francisco
Left set up:
Wilson
Right set up:
Benoit
Left specialist:
Shouse or Guardado
Long relief:
Feldman
Nippert
Rupe
AAA
1)Diamond
2)Hunter
3)Feliz
4)Holland
5)Main
Closer:
Madrigal
Any thoughts?
My problem with the uni's is the new home whites... red piping in addition to the normal blue piping and pastel blue for the lettering? Blech.
And this batting helmet description from the Rangers site sounds ominously horrible:
As for Sheets though, color me plenty excited about that. Sounds like we may wind up with Sheets by default, but that's plenty fine with me.
Terry: Main will most likely be assigned to High A Bakersfield to start the '09 season. The Rangers aren't going to jump him to AAA after pitching only 45 Low A innings in '08.
Word today is that the Mets' interest in Sheets has perked up. I bet they'll steal him right out of our clutches in the next week.
Stupid Mets, get away from our boy. I doubt Hicks possible sale of the Liverpool club would have much to do with the payroll situation, but it can't hurt. I would have to think that with the 2010 payroll being more flexible, a contract with incentive based pay clauses and weighted towards the 2nd year would be attractive to both sides.
But we still should probably tender our excitement, at least as far as what it would mean for 2009. Sheets might add 3 or 4 wins to the team's total, but that would still project to about a .500 record. And they might be trading away Milly or Padilla if they sign Sheets, and that would affect the added wins a bit. What it does, though, is put an ace at the top while they bring along the young talent. I see Sheets as being an important bridge to the future even if the team doesn't contend this year. And he could be an important contributor in 2010 when they are closer.
Someone linked this on LSB, thought I'd post it here if anyone's interested... you can get a good look at the new batting helmets in this video.
One word: goofy.
Clothing quick hits:
1. Those helmets are wretched. They look like someone raided the duffel bag of a softball team.
B. Am I the only one who thought Josh Hamilton looked like a Cincinnati Red again wearing that uniform?
III. Is there anyone better at describing uniform designs and appearances than Eric Nadel? I live for those 20 seconds or so at the beginning of each broadcast. Sometimes, it even ventures far beyond the limits of clothing apparel. I once heard him describe the outline of a plane and the lights on each wing as it flew over the ballpark.
He's so great.
My first thought when I saw Josh in that red jersey was a far more scary one: it quite eerily looked like he was wearing an Angel uni at first glance. Brrrrrr.
John, agree on Nadel. His whole routine at the beginning of the game is good.
The helmets surely will not last... and they must not, they look comical!
Why is there no Rangers across the front of the uniform?
It looks like they tried something different that just doesn't seem to quite work.
I like seeing the red brought back, without getting rid of the blue. It only makes sense being that is the colors of the state flag.
The Rangers will sign Sheets..... the Mets are not targeting him now.....
I think I've progressed beyond the "tempered enthusiasm" stage, t ball. It's going to be either huge excitement or a massive disappointment for me.
Those helmets are atrocious. Thanks for the linkage, Jon.
The Kuwaitis are reportedly denying that they're in on the potential Liverpool sale, but where there's smoke, there's fire...
Where did you read that the Mets were out on Sheets, texaslifter?
If it wasn't reported directly, TX L might be putting together the report that the Mets, after signing Garcia, would still go after Perez, Sheets, or Wolf PLUS seeing today that the Mets have renewed (apparently upped) their 3/$30 offer to Perez.
I'd conclude that, since the Dodgers seem about to sign Wolf, the question of whether the Mets are suddenly out or suddenly very in on Sheets depends almost entirely on Oliver Perez.
I hope Big Ben really wants to play for us, because otherwise-- if it's just up to the best offer-- I am wary of the Yanks yanking him away, now that his price has fallen below what they originally offered
Pettitte...
p.s. Joey, now that the Ranger brass has displayed the new uniforms, let's hope they show us the new Sheets!
(Great title!) Cheers.
Joey, I have a friend who works in the Mets org.... we will see if his info is correct. I trust the source.