Tuesday Morning Rangers Notes: Calling Out A Weakness
Let the record show that on Monday, May 24th, 2010, former Mets general manager Steve Phillips declared on WFAN 660 AM that he would trade Stephen Strasburg straight up for Roy Oswalt. Yeah, just try and wrap your head around that one:
● Call it a subtle plea, an inquiry, whatever, but I feel obligated to put it out in the open: why is Texas effectively squandering a roster spot right now on Joaquin Arias? At present, the Rangers have something of a pressing need for an effective outfielder vs. left-handed pitchers (Brandon Boggs, anyone?) and would no doubt derive benefit from a viable right-handed-hitting first baseman who could alleviate some of the pressure building on Justin Smoak -- and yet, Texas is carrying both Arias (who has started one game since April 29th) and Andres Blanco (who has started two games since that same date) simultaneously. I'm not even going to pretend to understand the rationale behind this.
It occurs to me that if you're going to dump millions upon millions of dollars into your product with the intent of competing for a post-season spot, one of the key roster-constructing tenets you would want to follow would entail maximizing efficiency by means of putting together the most talented/synergistic cast possible and putting every roster spot to the most productive use; it seems pretty clear that this isn't happening right now, though, and it's exacerbated by Ron Washington's unwillingness to employ Max Ramirez at first base. The bottom line is that there's simply no justification for carrying two players with similarly mediocre skill sets when neither one is seeing the field more than five times per month and there are more helpful options within arm's length.
● With baseball's amateur draft situated just two weeks away on the calendar, and the assortment of Rangers-employed scouts soon to converge upon the Rangers' draft war room, it seems an appropriate time to direct some attention towards the first mock draft published by ESPN.com's Keith Law, in which he projects that the Rangers will select Texas right-hander Brandon Workman with pick No. 14(a) and Canadian prep catcher Kellin Deglan with pick No. 22 -- the latter being the country's top high school player and arguably the highest-upside prep catcher in the entire draft class.
Of Workman, Law writes: "Workman will sit at 92-94 [mph] and has excellent movement on the pitch, usually good tailing life but occasionally hard run to his glove side. He throws a spike curveball at 76-79 mph with sharp downward break and some two-plane action; spikes are very tough to command and Workman's, like most, is often out of the zone, so it's likely that at some point he'll have to switch to a traditional curve." The combination of signability, proximity and growing prominence -- Law identifies Workman as the draft's 18th-best prospect and fifth-best college pitcher -- would appear to render him as feasible a pick at No. 14(a) as any other mid-first-round talent in the draft.
● And speaking of signability, that attribute may have greater attractiveness to Texas in the draft than many of us would prefer, as Hicks Sports Group's livid creditors fired their retaliatory salvo in court at 1:30 p.m. CDT this afternoon; the belief on their side appears to be that yesterday's voluntary bankruptcy filing undid any and all progress that had been made in closing the gap between their demands ($300 million) and what Hicks Sports Group was offering ($280 million), with one source dramatically declaring, "This is now war."
30 Comments | in Analysis, MLB Draft, Prospects, The Season
Reader Comments (30)
Nolan Ryan on the Ticket this morning. He sounded pretty groggy and was difficult to understand (lots of short, simple sentences interrupted by frequent "uh"s combined with an admittedly limited understanding of bankruptcy finance and law), but the good news is that the ownership negotiations have not affected personnel decisions and Ryan does not believe MLB will keep the Rangers from signing any players it wishes to sign.
Play it safe with the 14A and Supplemental picks. However, with the 22nd go nuts and take the best talent available. Hopefully the sale gets completed quickly enough to sign the kid, but if not . . .
Who cares? The 2011 draft is supposed to be the deepest draft in years and the Rangers could get much better talent next year when the Financials are in order. Having two first round picks to go along with potential first round comps for Vlad and Fx2 (plus supplemental round picks) would give the Rangers 6 picks before the start of the second round. In the DEEPEST drafts in years!'
That would be a successful draft haul in those 2 slots.
Personally I like Matt Harvey and Cam Bedrosian better than Workman (I can't help but see a little McCarthy there), but I think they may be gone by then and truthfully Harvey may be a tougher sign.
Like Deglan a lot at 22, though if he's gone I really like Justin O'Conner, who if available at 3rd pick is a no brainer for me. Sleeper, Mike Foltynewicz.
Who's call is it to have both Blanco and Arias up right now? Is this Ron telling the FO that this is what he needs? Is it JD not wanting to expose Arias to waivers?
I'm guessing that they're hoping to make Arias part of a larger deal, which translates to receiving any value at all for him as opposed to losing him outright on waivers. While I personally don't think Daniels and his FO are driven by ego, the reality is that getting nothing at all for the key prospect in the A-Rod deal is a kick in the pants and not a favored outcome.
Arias is probably an attempt to keep him around and turn him into something, though I don't see the market for a light hitting 2b who really can't play anywhere else well enough to be a utility player.
It probably also is being driven by the disaster that was Garko's early season, though a version of Garko that is hitting is exactly what the team needs. We really need to get a RH 4c guy. That guy just isn't in our minors right now.
I'm also beginning to think that Smoak should probably go back down to AAA. His defense is marginal it seems and he really seems to be pushing at the plate. I don't really like Davis either, but at least he will probably be better with the glove and about even with the bat. Did hear something interesting on Norm's show yesterday, what about Salty at 1st. Might actually work, though I know we need him working on his throws to the pitcher but right now he could be the 1b we need also.
I hope they draft the workman kid I like him alot & he is from the same area I am from. Also I agree on the thought that Arias will be part of trade later that is why he is here IMO. As for Branbon Boggs I saw enough of him two years ago he is terrible!! Also his AAA may look ok I have not looked lately but I do know that he has not hit at all over the last month nethier had Chad Tracy so I don't really see any of those guys being any help anytime soon. As frustrating as it is I think the rangers need to roll with what they got until the ownership deal is done. I do agree with Joey I don't see what it would hurt to start Max a few games at first vz lefties since Smoak can't seem to hit them.
I like HS Prep 3B Nick Castellanos at pick #14.
I'm guessing that they're hoping to make Arias part of a larger deal, which translates to receiving any value at all for him as opposed to losing him outright on waivers. While I personally don't think Daniels and his FO are driven by ego, the reality is that getting nothing at all for the key prospect in the A-Rod deal is a kick in the pants and not a favored outcome.
I can see that, but I guess what I'm wondering is, if they're intending to make Arias part of a larger deal, and that larger deal probably isn't going to come until July, when most selling teams max out their trade leverage and deal parts, are we going to have to deal with Arias wasting a roster spot until July? Because that would drive me absolutely insane.
Hide the sharp objects and put the foam mats up on your wall cause i think that may be the case. Unless he absolutely craters on those sparse occasions that he might play, in which case there will be no other option but to run him through waivers and hope he's Nellie Cruz redoux.
1 - Steve Phillips is a complete idiot! Now we can see 1st hand why he's in the broadcast booth.
2 - Wash is a former infielder, right? And when he was hired his mantra was "defense and pitching win chapionships", correct? His "speciality" was/is defense and therefore he wants good defensive players on this roster, even at the expense of making sense. I didn't even realize Blanco was still here... I had forgotten about him.
You point is very clear and spot on... and while it does make SOME sense to keep Arias around (he can spell Andrus, Kins, and I suppose MY and/or Smoak), it makes absolutely NO sense to keep both of them.
I'm frankly a little frustrated that Boggs hasn't been given the opportunity to win a spot. Didn't he do pretty well when he was up 2 years ago? Why did they seemingly sour on him so quickly?
3 - At this point in time, I hope the Rangers draft players that can almost help immediately (within a year or 2) and help this team win...ala Sheppers.
It wasn't THAT long ago when Salty was the 2nd coming and TT was a hot commidity? Now the Rangers have to seriously consider taking a catcher somewhere in the 1st few rounds.
I definitely think (and mind you, I'm only pretending to know what I'm talking about here) the Rangers have to focus on infusing the farm with position players. That doesn't mean you neglect pitching... not at all... I'm just saying they should consider grabbing a bat or two with their early picks.
Is JD going to have any wiggle room when it comes to signing the 14th or 22nd pick? Or will he pretty much have to stay at slot?
The one thing Hicks did right during his tenure was willingly spend $$ to sign the best player available. I guess we can forget about that happening now, huh?
Stop being so darn pessimistic, Joey... your such a hater /sarcasm...
But great point about Arias and Blanco, and I agree, Boggs would seem like the alternative. Although, He isnt really hitting LHP all that great in AAA right now. But having to pinch hit Murphy the other night against a LHP showed this weakness... Calling up a guy like Boggs would give us alot more flexibility.
What about Esteban German? Last I checked, he was hitting pretty well. I know he is not great defensively at any position, but he seems serviceable at several, including OF.
Wash is a former infielder, right? And when he was hired his mantra was "defense and pitching win chapionships", correct? His "speciality" was/is defense and therefore he wants good defensive players on this roster
I'd say he's doing pretty well with that too.
Our UZR/150 is in the top half of the league while Nolan Ryan's "tougher" starters are 11th in the AL in FIP, fun and popular memes about local legends not withstanding.
Steve Phillips' judgment should never be trusted again after seeing the girl (I use that term loosely) he ruined his career at ESPN for. She looks like Meg from Family Guy.
3 - At this point in time, I hope the Rangers draft players that can almost help immediately (within a year or 2) and help this team win...ala Sheppers.
If said players are the best possible players that can be drafted within the team's budget-imposed constraints, sure. If you're saying that Texas should focus on drafting college players over high school players for the sole purpose of getting them to Arlington sooner, though, I disagree.
That strikes me as a really good way to end up looking back 4-5 years down the line and wishing that you hadn't picked the "polished," lower-upside college kid over the toolsier high school kid solely because you wanted to reinforce the big league club sooner.
But great point about Arias and Blanco, and I agree, Boggs would seem like the alternative. Although, He isnt really hitting LHP all that great in AAA right now. But having to pinch hit Murphy the other night against a LHP showed this weakness... Calling up a guy like Boggs would give us alot more flexibility.
Right, but I'm going to vest a lot more faith in Boggs' .304/.374/.452 in 115 AB vs. LHP last year in an injury-shortened season -- and, for that matter, his lifetime .289/.389/.555 in 418 career minor league AB vs. LHP -- than his poor performance in 27 AB vs. LHP this season. His true offensive talent level vs. LHP has not gone to hell over one season, unless his left shoulder (which would lead his swing vs. LHP) is still seriously bothering him, and I haven't heard anything to that effect. That would be the only justification for not having him up here right now.
Nolan Ryan on the Ticket this morning. He sounded pretty groggy and was difficult to understand (lots of short, simple sentences interrupted by frequent "uh"s combined with an admittedly limited understanding of bankruptcy finance and law), but the good news is that the ownership negotiations have not affected personnel decisions and Ryan does not believe MLB will keep the Rangers from signing any players it wishes to sign.
The thing about this is, "signing any players it wishes to sign" and "drafting the players it wishes to draft" are two separate and distinct things.
They're presumably already working with a limited budget, and Buster Olney wrote Tuesday morning that other team executives are very pissed about having to financially buttress Texas and don't believe they should be adding any sort of payroll while this ownership situation drags on ... the upshot of it may be that, yeah, MLB won't preclude a signing per se, but they'll make it very clear that drafting a player seeking above-slot money is a dangerous move, and the Rangers will respond accordingly.
Mets were the same organization that traded a young Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. In fairness Phillips was gone by then, as Duquette pulled the trigger on that one, but doesn't trading Strasburg ring of the same thing?
Steve Phillips would do better to lie low for awhile.
You're an idiot. If the Rangers believed there was a better option than Arias/Blanco than they would be on the roster. They had a right handed hitting first-baseman. How did that work out?? If Smoak was pulling his weight, as a switch hitter, there would be no reason for a "right-handed hitting first baseman". But he's not, so it might be time to bring Davis back to Arlington. He plays better defense. Arias is needed because there isn't that Right handed pinch hiiter available on the market to hit for Smoak or Borbon. Are you going to trade a prospect for a pinch hitter? Probably not. Is there someone in AAA worthy of a shot? Obviously not right now. Max can barely catch, much less play first base. Do us all a favor and let the baseball people worry about baseball decisions. You're still an idiot.
They had a right handed hitting first-baseman. How did that work out?? If Smoak was pulling his weight, as a switch hitter, there would be no reason for a "right-handed hitting first baseman". But he's not, so it might be time to bring Davis back to Arlington. He plays better defense. Arias is needed because there isn't that Right handed pinch hiiter available on the market to hit for Smoak or Borbon.
So, if I'm understanding your argument, (a) the failure of Ryan Garko experiment means that the Rangers shouldn't bother trying to carry another true backup first baseman, because all subsequent attempts are also doomed to fail, and (b) you need Arias as a right-handed pinch hitter for Smoak/Borbon, even though a better one is available at OKC (Boggs) who maximizes your outfield flexibility, and even though MaxRam is a perfectly viable pinch-hitter when he's not starting behind the plate.
I don't see what function Arias serves on this roster that can't be better served by better players. Unless Boggs is hampered by his shoulder to such an extent that he's not able to hit lefties (and if that's the case, he should probably be on the DL), you call him up, dismiss Arias and use MaxRam here and there -- albeit not in all such starts -- as a 1B against lefties, and use Boggs here and there as a CF against lefties, thereby killing two birds with one stone. Then, in games where a RHP starts but a LH specialist is summoned in the latter innings, you're virtually assured of having at least one good pinch-hitting option off the bench, instead of having to roll out David Murphy or whatever crap in a poor matchup.
Also, try conveying your thoughts without resorting to ad hominem attacks next time. You will get taken more seriously. Thanks.
Garko was the best option they had for a right-handed hitting corner infielder coming out of spring training. It didn't work, that's why they released him. There isn't another option for them at this time, without trading a bona fide prospect, to get the right handed hitting corner infielder they want. Obviously they don't feel comfortable with Max at first base, that's why Arias got the start the other night. Max obviously can't play major-league quality defense at first, which is more important than getting 4 AB's vs. a lefty from the 8 or 9 spot in the order. You also can't pinch-hit Max late in games for Borbon, because he is your back up catcher and you can't lose him to the pinch hitting role in case something bad happens. If Salty or Teagarden warrant being recalled, then I agree with you that Max should be the right-handed bat off the bench, but not until then. If that happens the guy that should go would be Blanco, not Arias.
Obviously they don't feel comfortable with Max at first base, that's why Arias got the start the other night. Max obviously can't play major-league quality defense at first, which is more important than getting 4 AB's vs. a lefty from the 8 or 9 spot in the order.
Which I don't really agree with, if true, because I don't know that you get more defensive utility out of Arias than offensive utility out of MaxRam, but okay.
You also can't pinch-hit Max late in games for Borbon, because he is your back up catcher and you can't lose him to the pinch hitting role in case something bad happens.
I realize that, which is why you want Boggs up and available as a pinch-hitter instead.
If Salty or Teagarden warrant being recalled, then I agree with you that Max should be the right-handed bat off the bench, but not until then. If that happens the guy that should go would be Blanco, not Arias.
Why Blanco and not Arias? Also, I took the liberty of removing your second pair of "You're an idiot" remarks; I could care less if you go after me, personally, so long as it doesn't violate the loose language rules of the site (and I do mean loose), but you made your point the first time. You seem rather tense about this whole thing. How about listening to Lonnie Liston-Smith's "A Garden of Peace?" The world is mine!
First of all I am not going after you personally. I'm going after you in your job as a blogger and its idiocy. For you to think that you know more than the Baseball Professionals, can do more than the Baseball Professionals, and overall have a better sense of what is best for the Texas Rangers, from a personnel standpoint, is by its definition idiotic.
I don't know if Arias or Blanco should have the roster spot we are discussing. The only thing I do know is that the people who manage a baseball team for a living, believe that their best team has both Blanco and Arias on the roster. The team we are discussing happens to be in first place and is playing very well.
I am suprised that you would take the time to censor someone's thoughts and opinions. Being that you are a serious journalist and all that that entails. You might leave journalism to the professionals as well.
I'd be interested to know at what point I ever said that I "overall have a better sense of what is best for the Texas Rangers" than the team, or, for that matter, that I am a "professional journalist." What this boils down to is me -- and others, apparently -- being mystified at Arias being on the team over Boggs, and me laying out why I think the team would be better positioned if the two were flip-flopped. That's it. No ulterior motives.
If wondering aloud about it means that I'm an idiot, that we shouldn't ask questions because teams never screw up, that I should instead implicitly trust every single move/decision the team makes, then that's how it goes, I guess.
You obviously struggle at reading comprehension. I didn't say you were a professional journalist. I said you were a "serious" journalist, in a very tounge-in-cheek manner.
You being mystified about personnel decisions is my point. There is nothing in your background that gives you a foundation to be "mystified" about Ranger personnel decisions. What makes you think that you know the Rangers personnel better than they do. If it was that obvious that Arias should be gone and Boggs should be up, it would have already been done. Every decision the front office makes and the on-field management makes is to put the ballclub in a postion to win. Nothing more, nothing less.
For arguement sake: Boggs is .260 hitter vs. lefties (against minor league pitching) in 27 AB's and Arias is a .357 hitter vs lefties (against Major League pitching in 14 AB's.) Both are very limited samples. So if we are making our judgments on numbers (which is what you bloggers like to do) than it is obvious that Arias is where he needs to be and so is Boggs.
But management has an unfair advantage -- they actually get to see with their own eyes what the players are capable of doing and don't just make their decisions based on the numbers you read on your computer. They also have years of baseball experience that you don't have. If you wanted to make baseball decisions that is where you should have directed your career path. No one is saying you couldn't have done the job, but you chose to do something else for a career. We all make choices in life. For goodness sake, let the baseball people make the baseball decisions and just watch the game.
So you (redblueranger) believe that management is doing it the right way? Have you ever thought that the Rangers should consider calling up someone to potentially improve upon a situation? Anyone who is a fan always looks for a way for the team to get better. No team is perfect. By your logic, you were 100% satisfied with Davis at the beginning of the year and did not want to try Smoak to see if he could provide a spark at that position. When Harrison went down with an injury, did you want Holland? or maybe Nippert to start a few games? If so, then you shouldn't have had an opinion, because only "Baseball Professionals" get to have opinions.
By your ideals, no sports fan is supposed to care about their team being any better than they currently are. You are supposed to be perfectly content with not being the best that they can be. You are asking people to not care about their team. What fun are sports if you have to be a cold, heartless fan that is not allowed (by your standards) to have opinions on what the team should do?
First of all, you didn't refute my argument regarding Arias vs. Boggs. I suppose the numbers speak for themselves, don't they, making this whole discussion moot. It's obvious that Arias is the best man for the job as the right-handed pinch hitter.
However, Washington is currently not doing the righty-lefty matchup thing and is instead choosing to pinch hit whom he believes is his best hitter off the bench (Murphy) regardless of which hand the pitcher uses.
I have opinions, everyone does, and I have no problem expressing them. But I also have the brainpower and the common sense to understand that Managment has access to information I don't have. I also understand that they have years of expertise handling these types of decisons that I don't have.
Earlier you stated:
I'd be interested to know at what point I ever said that I...am a "professional journalist."
Well you know what you don't have to state it. Your website and it's layout is expressing that you indeed are attempting to be a professional journalist. You have headlines, by-lines, and "articles" that can be printed and shared with others. Very much identical to how professional newspapers layout their website. Therefore making it appear as if you are attempting a shot at journalism.
If you are going to do things this way then you should be held to the same standards we hold professional journalists. But you are not a journalist, nor a baseball professional. You are just a fan. The type of fan who is only happy by being miserable and arguing whom should be the 25th man on a baseball roster. The type of fan who believes they know what is best for their team. You don't know what is best for your team. Sorry, but you don't.
What a real fan should observe is the effort at which the team plays and the coaches coach and the managers manage. If you are unhappy with effort; by all-means you have a reason to gripe as a fan. But if you are happy with the effort given, keep your mouth shut and just watch the game and cheer on your team as loudly as you can.
@RedBlueRanger
no u
I think we can all just read redblueranger's posts and laugh them off.
And i couldn't agree more @N. Durant
First of all, you didn't refute my argument regarding Arias vs. Boggs. I suppose the numbers speak for themselves, don't they, making this whole discussion moot. It's obvious that Arias is the best man for the job as the right-handed pinch hitter.
Which is because I didn't make that comment, philly did. A strange mistake for someone to make who is baselessly chastising others for "struggling at reading comprehension." Any modicum of credibility you -- or any of the points you raise -- might have is completely trashed by such silliness. But just to play along, which do you think is more indicative of true offensive talent vs. LHP (and thus projectable into the future): the samples you provided, or Arias's lifetime .290/.321/.390 vs. Boggs' lifetime .289/.389/.555 vs. LHP in the minors?
How you interpret this website is up to you. I have not now -- nor have I ever -- marketed it as something written by a "professional journalist." By your description of BBTiA, a place with "headlines, by-lines, and articles," it could be a WordPress-based blog with zero readership (which BBTiA was at one point). Your misinterpretation of what we do here is not my concern.
None of us -- a business student, a musician/artist/scout, a researcher, a post-doctorate -- are professional journalists. We're fans of the Rangers who derive enjoyment from taking penetrating looks at the organization, and baseball at large, from analytic points of view. I think you'll find that we're universally fans of the current management regime.
That we don't agree with every single transaction/signing/decision made by said management regime does not make us "miserable" fans, or whatever such rubbish you're peddling. That we're not "qualified" to pass along our opinions by virtue of not working in the baseball operations department is, frankly, one of the more incredible arguments I've ever seen presented here.
That teams operate with greater information at their disposal -- and I will in no way disagree with you that they do have greater information -- does not make them infallible. If they never screwed up, I'd be right there with you, but teams do screw up all the time, even with information and experience working in their favor. Teams react slower than they should all the time. And quite often, there are perceptive fans/bloggers/analysts calling attention to it well before any corrective action manifests. Sometimes, the teams even act on the information presented by such parties (e.g. U.S.S. Mariner's letter to Felix Hernandez). A "lack of qualification" in no way precludes the dissemination of informed opinions contrary to the team's viewpoint. Try selling this to the Mariners writers who were screaming the minute the Carlos Silva signing was made and see how far you get.
My aim -- or "job," as you erroneously refer to it -- is to offer up viewpoints, and then hopefully people agree or disagree with them one way or the other. I intend to continue pursuing that aim regardless of whatever further ad hominem attacks you feel like dispensing. I can also assure you that if you attempt it against somebody else here besides myself, it will be your last comment here. And if you try derailing another thread with this stuff again, it will be deleted. You've said your peace, I've listened, and I've arrived at the Craig Rosengarden-esque conclusion that "I think you're wrong." So, have fun with all of that.
I do wish you weren't so stressed over this. I suggest working Soulive and St. Germain into your playlist. Very soothing. Check out "Sure Thing." It's a great track. The world is still mine! POW POW.