Jim Thome-To-Texas Redux
It's not too terribly often that we end up looking prophetic, or at the very least end up looking like we're ahead of the curve, but it's now happened twice in the last 30-35 days or so -- first, there was Pras writing about the Adrian Beltre-to-Texas notion well before it picked up sufficient hot-stove steam (and in spite of the fact that it was difficult to fathom the Rangers doling out $80 million guaranteed to a third baseman as little as a month ago), and then there was my argument in favor of Texas signing Jim Thome a couple weeks back despite minimal mainstream attention being directed towards the idea, followed by ESPN.com's Buster Olney stating yesterday that the Rangers were "actively trying to lure" Thome to Texas. It's nice to hit the nail on the head every once in a while.
Most of what I wrote about Thome two weeks ago remain applicable in the present, but a couple of things have happened in that two-week window which complicate the picture somewhat: (a) the signing of Beltre, which chews up a large quantity of the available plate appearances at first base/designated hitter due to Michael Young actually needing a place to play, and (b) the revelation that Thome could be seeking as much as $8 million over one year, which -- without having all of the specific numbers readily available -- would easily vault the Rangers' payroll above and beyond the $90 million mark. The first is important because it impairs the likelihood of being able to use the DH spot as protection for the ballclub's highest-value assets, whereas the second is importantif signing Thome impairs the Rangers' financial maneuverability.
Just to be clear about this, I didn't think spending $8 million on Vladimir Guerrero would have been a good idea, and it's really not a good idea with Thome either, although I'm inclined to think that a properly deployed Thome -- which is to say not overexposed to left-handers -- inflicts more damage upon opposing pitchers than Guerrero would given similarly optimal usage. What prevents me from speaking in absolutes is the realization that we simply do not know the extent to which payroll can be expanded; if, for example, a quality, albeit well-paid pitcher were to hit the trade market in July, and signing Thome to a healthy sum had no impact on the Rangers' ability to add the entire remaining 2010 balance of that pitcher's salary, then paying Thome (or Guerrero, for that matter) becomes less important. You don't want to get ripped off, obviously, and what Thome is paid is still important in the grand scheme of the franchise, but the real key here is the preservation of those dreaded buzz words "financial flexibility." If you can't guarantee that with Thome on the payroll, then that's a significant obstacle.
Amazingly, the stickier issue here might be finding enough playing time to keep everyone happy. There are roughly 1,400 plate appearances to be allocated between first base and designated hitter, and giving 400 of those to Thome, and another 600-620 to Young (assuming he logs 20 or so games between second base, third base, and shortstop), leaves fewer than 400 plate appearances to go around between Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Mitch Moreland, and whoever else, with that figure correspondingly shrinking if management unwisely decides to push Thome too much harder than that. If you prioritize rest for Cruz and Hamilton above everything else, and give them 120-130 plate appearances at DH collectively, Moreland effectively becomes a part-time/bench player... and maybe, just maybe, you can live with any related slowdown in his development given the high stakes in this win-now scenario.
The starting rotation may not be where any of us would really like to see it be three months from now, but I can't imagine a lineup comprising Kinsler-Young-Hamilton-Beltre-Thome-Cruz in the top six spots being anything less than a dream scenario come to life. Good pitching and defense and run prevention might be the core competencies of a great number of successful teams, and are often at the forefront of sabermetric discussion in this day and age, but there's something enthralling about the idea of that much unrelenting offensive firepower giving opposing pitchers fits. It may not be enthralling to the tune of another $8 million commitment, but this could really be something special.
Analysis, Hot Stove Season, The Off-Season
Reader Comments (77)
I'll take a helping of that, please.
The combination of lineup and defense would be the bes in the Majors. That certainly helps compensate for iffy starting pitching.
My prediction is that if this happens, Thome logs about 350 PAs, Young 450 PAs, Moreland 400 PAs, with the remaining 200 or so spread to Hamilton/Cruz/Murphy.
I can't see it. It has all the marks of early season success but late season swoon. We saw what happens with these Wash side bets as with Vlade being told he would not have to take any time off. The image of him trying to play in Oct is burned in Ranger minds and, it seems, those of MLB team management. 250-300 ABs tops for Thome and he wilts in Texas Sunshine. You disliked MY Ks just get used to more w/Thome.
Not sure who to believe as far as free agency sources. When Beltre was ready to sign, the story was broken by a Dominican news source and his Facebook page...Rangers quickly refuted those stories, but it seems like the leak was certainly accurate in the end...even the $ figures were right on, other than the 6th yr having a vesting requirement that wasn't in the original story. Wake me up when Facebook has the story, and the Rangers are saying it isn't true, please.
Thome would really make the team stronger, but I don't see how it makes sense unless MY is being traded. If you thought Young raised a stink when they told him Elvis was moving him off SS, just wait until you tell him he's platooning against southpaws. He won't believe anyone in the front office telling him he'll get more than 300-350 PAs on a roster that includes Beltre and Thome. The LHBs get a lot more ABs in platoon situations, which means MY would probably be left to pinch-hitting and subbing for tired players to get a good portion of his playing time.
This potential signing doesn't seem like it will generate a lot of good vibes among current roster members. Those loyal to Young might question how the organization will treat them as they begin to lose steps in the field. Not saying the team shouldn't try to improve, but they better sell any MY-trade-scenarios as being what was best for Mike. Trade him to the Dodgers and say it will result in MY getting to play everyday and be back in his hometown. That's the only way I see Thome signing here working out 100% positively.
I like your idea about the offense in the last paragraph. With the emphasis in recent years on and the resulting development of better pitching in the majors, coupled with a drastic reduction in steroid use; offense has become more precious. Thome could be the way to go.
Two points against Thome
MY is a good hitter. He hits to all fields and is particularly adept at hitting behind the runner. His avg was down some last year but he may very well hit 300 this year. Why would we want to limit his AB,s
Moreland is one of the few diciplined hitters on the Rangers. One of my pet peeves is watching a hitter take a pitch down the middle and then swing at one in the dirt (Andrus). Why would we want to slow Morelands developemet?
Thome would provide some depth in case someone is in a slump and if that is worth 8 mil? Not if it limits the Rangers with other trades.
Of course, all these projections assume everyone stays healthy. I think starting the season with the anticipation that you'll need offensive depth is wise, particularly given the injury history of Kinsler, Hamilton, and Cruz.
Thome is a way better hitter than Young and Moreland (OPS north of 900). This would be a great addition. Moreland would become depth in case of injury in OF, 1B or DH. This is what winning teams do. They add talent and than let the players figure out who should get the playing time with the losers becoming depth. Don't worry about Young and Moreland.
The old adage "The More the Merrier" might not hold true in this scenario. I'm all for the Rangers have a surplus of offense at the plate and on the bench. But, at what point does the surplus create animosity on the field and in the clubhouse? What took this team from good to great last year was their chemistry. There is no doubt in my mind that if Thome is signed, there will be a casualty, whether it's Moreland headed to AAA, MY being stripped of AB's, team chemistry hitting rock bottom, etc.
Do you think the Rangers are shopping Kinsler in order to create more AB's for MY in a platoon scenario? Kinsler is the guy no one is talking about, which fits right into JD's hand. I thought Kinsler would be traded to Milwaukee last year at the break for Fielder.
2 things to remember: 1) the $8 million projection that Thome wants may not be available from anybody. The actual amount may be a lot less. 2) I look at this as adding depth to the ML ball team. There are a lot of projected AB's being assumed, but this gives the team depth in case the following happens:
a) Cruz, Hamilton gets hurt. They can move Moreland/Murphy tandem to the OF and create AB's for Thome.
b) Major regression of Moreland. We don't want that & everyone thinks it will not happen. However, 1B was a weak spot last year and this gives them another PROVEN player who can play the position.
c) If Kinsler, Beltre or Andrus gets hurt, you move MY to that position and Thome settles in @ DH/1B.
d) If MY gets hurt like 2 years ago down the stretch. Again DEPTH.
As we talk having pitching depth in case of injury or lack of production, this signing if it happens does the same for the offensive side of the team. A bench that most days consist of Thome, Murphy, Treanor and Blanco (& MY as DH) gives this team depth and versatility that last year's team lack. Finally, Thome is a lot better sub 1B then Joaquin Arias. Does anyone want that again?
Fred,
Good points, but Thome can't play first any more. I believe it is his back, but he is limited to DH at this point in his career.
First, let's clear up a few things about Thome. His slash last year was .283/.412/.627/1.039. He hit posted 25 HRs, 16 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 59 RBI, 60 BBs, and 82 Ks in 336 PAs playing his home games in a pitcher's park. Against RHP last seadon he hit .302 and had an OPS of (not a typo) 1.154 making him one of the most dangerous hitters in the league vs RHP. His career slash is .278/.404/.559/.963 with 589 HRs (meanin we'll get to watch him club #600 in Ranger Red or Blue) over 19 seasons and he is an almost sure-thing Hall of Famer.
By contrast, Michael Youn in 2010 hit .284/.330/.444/.774, hitting just .270 and OPSing just .739 against RHP, for a .415 difference in vsRHP OPS between Thome and Young. Young's career slash is .300/.347/.448/.795. His career best slash line from 2005 of .331/.385/.513/.898 is not as good in OBP, SLG, or OPS AS Thome's #s as a 40-year-old last season.
In 2010 Vlad's OPS was .841 and .810 against RHP.
So let's not pretend that this is anything other than a huge productivity upgrade at the plate. On top of that, 3 of the 4 best hitters on the current team are RH bats. This provides better ballance.
And Thome is a great clubhouse guy.
I think Young can play 1B. But if not, sorry Mike. This is too big an upgrade to pass on.
Also, I like the idea of maybe moving Kinsler for a pitcher at the deadline. This allows that.
It makes the Rangers, at full strength, a fantasy lineup. Coupled with the league's best D. And a great 'pen.
Make the move.
I am all for it. I understand that at various points in the season, the Rangers could have everyone healthy and then be pressed to try and find time for everyone. However, history gives us an indication that Hamilton, Cruz, and Kinsler all will miss time due to injury, and a guy like Thome will still provide power for your lineup. He would also be a strong person to have in your clubhouse, and would really help out, if you need to rest players in September.
I'm not sure how I feel about Thome. He's a great hitter and would add a lot to the lineup, but he would lessen the flexibility of that lineup. The Rangers were about league average against lefties last year, so the "urgent" need for a righty masher is often a tad overstated around here, but it would still be nice to improve that area.
Thome can still REALLY hit. You get him...maybe not at 8 mil...but you still try.
Like a few mentioned above, depth is good. There are no guarantees, but I think MY knows that he'll get his ABs one way or another.
With the falling market for Soriano, I'd dip into that as well given the same logic. More depth; more flexibility.
Somewhere, several weeks ago, I seem to recall indications from current ownership that a payroll in the $110 million area would not be impossible. In no way should we be concerned if signing Thome puts us at $90. That's nothing compared to this market, with a winning ballclub, with such huge financial backing, and with that new TV contract. The Rangers would be smart to spend wisely, but there is no reason why this team can't be a top 5 payroll market in the near future...and once they extend their arbitration guys, they will probably be exactly that.
Thus, the term "financial flexibility" means something completely different now...this is not the Hicks era.
I don't think that Thome is the "perfect" fit for Texas. This article list some of the potential reasons why.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/01/the-rangers-jim-thome.html
@Wood1378: No, what took this team from good to great last year was not great chemistry but an overwhelming talent advantage over its competitors. The Rangers had by far the best every day lineup in the American League last year, and once they added Lee, they had pitching that was at least equal to their competitors. They could lose by going cold at the wrong time, getting injured, or by getting out-managed, but they had the talent advantage at every step in the AL.
I, of course, think it would be great to add offense. I'm unclear about one thing.
Is the idea that Thome will play at 1B? Or, is the idea to ask MY to switch positions again and play 1B?
I'll take a helping of that. Yeah joey-you nailed it. It's like you're a baseball writer or something. Your thoughts on making thome a catcher?
That is not Scooby Dude, its jdb.
Thome is an emergency 1B only. He's a DH and Young is the vsLHP DH and part-time 1B/UT.
Joey, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Moreland being the everyday first baseman and MY being the everyday DH in no way hinders the "win-now" scenario you describe. I also can't stand when teams fall into the trap of the "window." You build your team to win every season. Not just for 2-3 year spots here and there. I think Moreland will make an excellent 1B and he proved he can hit under the brightest of lights. Why spoil that with a DH-type you aren't even comfortable having in the everyday lineup? JD is smart enough to know that Thome will be used on this team as a bench bat in late-inning situations. Right now, that should be worth no more than 3 or 4 million, especially when you just gave Murphy (a more valuable player at this stage) 2.4 million. I really don't see Thome taking away any time from Moreland, MY or anyone else on this team if they get him.
That's why Olney used the phrase "lure him to Texas" because they have already told Thome that he will not see significant playing time. Rather, they're trying to convince him it's his last chance to win a ring and that he should do that with this team.
Scooby: No. I am inclined to think JD is thinking out of the box on Thome. I would not be surprised to see Thome signed as the primary 1B, maybe even against LHP, and Moreland traded to the Padres (who are looking for a LH bat and need a long-term solution at 1B) for Heath Bell.
So, basically, I'm thinking the Rangers interest in Thome has more to do with the possibility of Moreland being traded than trying to shoe horn Thome into the DH.
If Moreland was traded Young would play 1B and Thome would still DH.
Don't trade Moreland. He had the best AB of any Ranger in the playoffs. The homerun he hit off Sanchez was epic: Up 2-0 in the count. Sanchez fights back to get even at 2-2. Mitch fouls off the next 5 pitches. Then swings at a ball that is barely knee-level and turns it into a line-drive rocket to right field. Ross took one step and stopped. Sanchez barely had time to turn around before it was gone. He is a major-league hitter who, despite complex sabermetrics, can play 1B and outperformed anyone's expectations. He is our 1B for the next 10 years if we wanted him to be. Don't trade that away for a 1 year shot at Thome, Heath Bell or whatever ridiculous fantasy you have.
Scooby-1st of all-how is your 'hot wife'? 2nd-you know little to nothing about baseball. Read other sites instead of just reading what your man-crush[joey] has to say. Your thoughts Joe?
Question; for those of you suggesting we trade Kinsler; who would play 2B in his absence? There's NO way you play MY at 2B... so do we go with Blanco? Is that really a good idea?
@ JOEY - Regarding your comment "Kinsler-Young-Hamilton-Beltre-Thome-Cruz in the top six spots being anything less than a dream scenario come to life". So under this scenario, you're suggesting kinslet bats leadoff? Is this the twillight zone? Haven't we been down this road already and the consensus is Kinsler is NOT a leadoff hitter?
For those of you suggesting Thome at 1B, whether it be full time, part time, or in an emergency; he is NOT capable of playing 1B. I'd rather see Hillary Clinton there.
The only way, in my simple mind, that Thome makes sense is if MY is traded, giving Thome the full time DH role and Moreland as full time 1B. I'm NOT in favor of trading MY unless swept off our feet, and I don't see that happening.
With that said, if Thome's willing to sign here with the understanding he's going to split ABs (at DH) with MY (while MY is fulfilling his role as super sub or playing a little 1B) then I'm all for it.
Thome would be a great dude to add to the clubhouse, and if he truly only hit against RHPs, he'd be damn productive. Ultimately - with Wash as the manager - I think adding Thome would either come at the expense of Mitch Moreland or would have Young spelling the other IF more than any of us would like.
I have a little conspiracy theory percolating around in my head. Let's lok at some recent events.
Rangers rumored to be interested in dealing Young to Rockies.
Rangers in on Beltre. Questions about Young's playing time.
Word comes out in one of the papers that Young expects to play the field everyday.
Young talks to a local columnist saying he would move to DH if it would help the team.
Rangers sign Beltre, annouce Young as DH/Utility.
Rangers in hot pursuit of a DH-only player.
What I wonder is if there isn't a major rift between Young and JD stemming from the public blow-up between the 2 when Young was moved to 3B. I wonder whether JD didn't ask Young about moving to DH with the idea that Young would say no, clearing the way for Young to be traded. I wonder whether the FO didn't plant that rumor that Young refused to move, only to be countered by Young publicly accepting the move. And I wonder whether the Thome pursuit, in addition to being about making the team better (which it assuredly would) isn't partly about pissing MY off enough to get him to demand a trade. I could be totally wrong about all of this and can't support any of it with evidence. But it seems like a possible explaination for what is going on here. After all, Young is just about the last guy left on the team who isn't a product of JD either breinging him in or developing him up. And JD is a smart, head-over-heart guy who probably knows this team would be better with Young gone and a cost savings of $8m/yr over the next 3 years.
Thome is not just a dh, he's a RH DH--for 8 mil and cutting the AB of 2 good players! Get real. He may take up a much needed roster spot in the course of a season. I don't see any positives. If there was unlimited roster space and money then fine.
@jd21:
I assume that you are not implying that chemistry had nothing to do with (go ask Lombardi, Wooden, Belichick, Bear Bryant, Shula, Walsh, Torre) . I understand that it takes talent. But you cannot expect to win ballgames day in and day out without chemistry. You have to have both. If it was all about talent, the Yankees would win every year. Pound for pound the Yankees talent surpasses the Rangers, hard to argue, especially when you consider future HOF's.
Yankees: A-Rod over MY, Jeter over Andrus, Cano over Kinsler, Texiera over Moreland, Posada over Molina, Swisher over Murphy, Rivera over Feliz .
Rangers: Hamilton over Granderson, Cruz over Gardner, Lee over Sabathia.
Obviously, the list above is not complete (I'm @ work) but my point is the Yankees talent is obviously better than the Rangers.
But chemistry, whether it be the claw, the antlers, the clubhouse, standing up for Wash at his press conference, etc., is why (not implying 100%) the Rangers were WHO they were last year.
I get your point, but do not undervalue chemistry just as I do not undervalue talent.
Like I have stated previously, the Rangers are as a team and management are in a much different place than they've ever been...they are EXPECTED to win, not expected to build the system.
Thome is not just a dh, he's a RH DH--for 8 mil and cutting the AB of 2 good players! Get real. He may take up a much needed roster spot in the course of a season. I don't see any positives. If there was unlimited roster space and money then fine.
@Pabloesque - Last season Kinsler was the hitter who profiled best at the leadoff spot. With the exception of 2009, his on-base skills have been above average, and he'd be fine in the leadoff spot. Regardless I think the bigger picture is that you'd have a lineup with those six in it. I'd have put it in a different order to be honest, but that's not really the point. That would be one scary lineup for opposing pitchers.
On to your second point: You're pretty much spot on with your assessment of Thome's 1B capabilities - they're non-existant. I don't really think we'd want him as a full time DH even if we could get any sort of return for Young. As far as I can tell the only useful role for Thome would be DH vs most RHP and a pinch hitter for interleague games. If he's cool with ~350-400 PAs, then it could work.
@ fishbait:
Moreland and Young are two good hitters. But they're not Thome at the plate. Not by a longshot. Look at the numbers. Thome is a whole class up from those 2 guys.
@ Dave:
I think Thome's 41-year-old body will tell him to accept 300-400 PAs. He got just 335 last year and still managed 25 bombs. I think Thome wants to win, get paid, and get enough ABs to ensure that he should get the 11 hrs he needs to get to 600.
Buster Olney's column today features a list of 10 youngsters to watch this season, with Dutch listed #4, as well as an extensive write up of the Rangers' pursuit of Thome. He makes the excellent points that (1) Thome had the 2nd highest OPS in baseball vs RHP last season. #1 was Josh Hamilton. Deadly combo. (2) when Hamilton is hurt (as seems to happen all-too-often), the Rangers' lineup gets way too Right-handed (Cruz, Beltre, Kinsler, Young, Andrus, Torrealba, Treanor, Blanco). Thome would ballance that. And (3) Thome told Olney last year that he is aware that regular rest makes him a better player, given his advanced age.
Screw everything else. If it makes the team better, do it.
Winning is like heroin to me. I'm freaking addicted. I don't care who they get or get rid of (as long as Josh isnt included). Just keep winning.
Thome raked against right handers last year just like he has over his career. The ballpark would be a perfect place for him to mash 25 or 30 more this season. Make him a strictly RHP DH/PH. If nothing else, he could seriously mess with the other manager's game plan. I say bring it on, and we will figure out where Michael and Mitch play later.
@ all who are chiming in about Thome at 1B.
I agree that is most unlikely that Thome will play defense. It's most likely right that the Rangers see the probable role the Twins have for Thome and thought they could offer the same role (and a little more cash). Just to see if he bites.
Part time DH. Pinch Hitter. He is 41, after all.
Still, I'd keep the 1B idea out there, just because JD does think outside the box, and I can't really believe he's comfortable with the following SP options:
1. CJ
2. Colby
3. Hunter
4. Webb
5. Holland
6. Kirkman
7. Beltre
8. Scheppers
9. Hurley
10. Feldman
If he could find a way to bring in Bell, say for Moreland, I wouldn't be surprised, and he could then have a more serious evaluation of Ogando or Feliz for SP.
With Thome as the 1B against RHP, it still limits his ABs to 400.
Let's consider, for the sake of argument on a web board, that this interest is driven more by the chance to pick up Bell than the Rangers interest in having a part-time DH. What other options are available on the market to fill Moreland's position at 1B? Thome, Glaus, Kotchman, Nick Johnson. That's about it. That's probably the order of preference as well.
Or, of course, the could slot Thome in as primary DH, and ask MY to move to 1B, which would seem the obvious move but would require going through the asking MY to change positions process again.
Are we really wanting 3 different 40+ year olds on the Rangers roster? From the youngest roster to the oldest. This smacks of Wash Power.
@Pabloesque: Hillary is Left Handed but does she bat Left? Of Course, everyone knows husband Bill, Swings both ways.
Thome, hit 25 homers in 276 ab's in one of the worst hitting ballparks in the majors. His HR/ab's is only second to Jose Bautista who played in the best HR park.
Bautista 569ab 54hr 10.53
Thome 276ab 25hr 11.04
Pujols 587ab 42hr 13.98
Hamilton 518ab 32hr 16.19
Moreland 145ab 9hr 16.11
Young 656ab 21hr 31.23
Minnesota HR per game 1.43
Toronto 2.91
Texas 2.15
Is there any questions that Thome will be effective in a line up with Hamilton and Beltre hitting in front of him and Cruz, Moreland and Young hitting behind.
Looking at these numbers would you rather have Thome and Moreland hitting or a declining Mike Young who hits to right field because he can not pull the ball anymore!
yuk yuk yuk. another 41 year old. You know, now that we could not sign him, Lee was not worth trading him for Smoak. Look at the years we might have had a good 1B and dangerous hitter. All for 2 wins over the yanks. He could not stand up to Lincecum. Many of you can't wait to bust up the team and go with someone to play one year.
The player hardly mentioned in all of this Thome or Not Thome business is David Murphy, who just signed an extension.
The club's scenario plays out like this: In the spring, Borbon shows the skills to take over in center, moving Hamilton to left. Cruz, of course, is in right.
As it now stands, you have Moreland at first and Young as the primary DH, but also have Murphy available to DH mainly against lefties, play left or right and pinch hit.
So who gets left out if the Rangers decide to throw $8 mil at Thome? Murphy, of course. His duty would be limited to an occasional outfield relief job and pinch running. Or, in the worst case scenario, take over for Cruz/Hamilton if either one got hurt again, just as they did in 2010.
I've got to believe that by signing Murphy last week, the club made it clear he's in their long range plans and not simply as a late inning replacement or part-time DH.
As some have pointed out, there may be a trade brewing that the masses simply don't know about yet. Or perhaps JD is trying to add as much offense to the lineup as possible.
For whatever the reason, it's certainly true you can't have enough talent if you want to go back to the World Series and win it this time.
Here's some numbers and splits for Jim Thome from 2010:
BA/OBP/SLG:
overall - .283/.412/.627
vs LHP - .241/.298/.471
vs RHP - .302/.455/.698
Mar/Apr - .256/.385/.605
May - .217/.362/.348
June - .286/.412/.786
July - .277/.397/.554
Aug - .298/.404/.723
Sept/Oct - .362/.508/.830
OPS+
overall - 178
vs LHP - 123
vs RHP - 204
Mar/Apr - 165
May - 96
June - 220
July - 157
Aug - 205
Sept/Oct - 272
For OPS+, Jim Thome ranked third amongst players with at least 340 plate appearances behing only Justin Morneau and Miguel Cabrera - right ahead of Josh Hamilton. His 272 mark at the end of the season would rank even higher than Barry Bonds's monster years of the early 2000s as the best all time. His 178 for the season would rank as the 150th best season of all time or 76th best since 1947 (integration era/post WWII).
wOBA (weighted on base average (~.340 is average)
overall - .437
vs LHP - .344
vs RHP - .477
Mar/Apr - .416
May - .320
June - .491
July - .408
Aug - .465
Sept/Oct - .548
For comparison the only two players who qualified for batting titles with higher wOBAs were Josh Hamilton and Joey Votto. His .437 wOBA was better than six of Albert Pujol's 10 seasons. Babe Ruth had two seasons with a higher wOBA than Thome's .548 in September and October. Gehrig had one season better, and it was his first taste of the bigs with a smaller sample size than Thome's Sept/Oct.
The Rangers did not "sign Murphy to an extension". They came to an agreement on a 1 year contract in lieu of going to arbitration with him. It says nothing about his place in the long term plan. They would have done this if the plan was to keep him or trade him.
@Tom B. - LOL... good one. You made me smile, thanks!
@Scooby - as always I enjoy reading your posts and your conspiracy theory is entertaining... but it's gibberish. I would bet my house and my mom that JD has too much class to fabricate a story to make MY the villian. What's the upside in defacing The Face?
I know you were just having fun... but I don't think there's any conspiracy here.
@Dave H. - I disagree on Kins hitting leadoff. When he did hit 1st, I remember 95% of the people on here screaming that he be pushed down the order.
I do however agree with you that the 6 guys Joey listed would be a tall order to fill for opposing pitchers. I would like to see an opening day lineup like this:
Andrus
MY
Hammy
Beltre
Cruz
Kinsler
Moreland
Torrabela
Borbon
I like the idea of adding Thome... but what is JD's plan B if any of the OFers gets injured and spends significant time on the DL? I know Murph could back fill the corner spots... but what about CF? You're just asking for trouble by playing Hamilton there for anymore than 20-25 games. You could bring up Gentry... but that's not really a great option. He could be exposed playing anymore than a handful of games in center.
Curious as to what the plan is if say Cruz or Hammy gets hurt and Borbon bombs. Marcus Thames might be a good addition at the right price... so would Scott Pesdenik. Just sayin'
Just saw this about Hammy:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/01/11/rangers.hamilton.ap/index.html
Thome is a better offensive player then any of the guys he would be taking ABs from. The one who I imagine he would take the most ABs from, on the MLB level, is Moreland. If we sign Thome I could see Moreland being an option to AAA candidate. I think this would be a better move for us, as it makes our team better. Getting more ABs to better players will make us a better team.
In the same vein as that I would still argue that Kinsler is probably our best leadoff candidate on the team. .284 /.350 /.492 /.842 is Kinsler's career slash line as a leadoff hitter, in 1248 plate appearances. Yes he did poorly at leadoff in 2009, because he did poorly that season I would argue as opposed to lead off being the issue. He changed swing plane and put in that upper cut and hurt his hitting. I still would rather see us start tying Kinsler in lead off, because he is just flat out a better hitter then Elvis and would rather get more ABs going to Ian then Elvis. Elvis might become a good leadoff hitter, but he isn't there yet. Right now Elvis is a below average hitter.
eh... After letting the idea of Thome play 1B sit in my head for a while, I think it is a crappy idea.
@Pabloesque:
Not suggesting JD made anything up. I'm suggesting that JD said "Would you be okay moving to 3B if we signed Beltre?" Young responded "No" thinking that it meant he would be the Rangers' 3B. JD then said tomself "Great. We'll move MY and use his refusal to switch positions as an excuse" and leaked it to the media. Young realized he was about to be shipped out and, much to JD's surprise, decided to publicly accept a move to DH. At which point JD decided to bring in Beltre, and then sought out Thome.
Why would JD want to do this? Because maybe he wants Young shipped out of town, but doesn't want to take the p.r. hit so he needs an excuse. Why would he want Young out of town? Because he no longer has enough glove to justify a spot as a full-time 3B or 2B, and he lacks the bat to really justify a spot at 1B or DH. As I've said, the place where his athleticism and bat would play both defensively and offensively is LF/RF, and the Rangers don't have a spot open there.
Again, not saying this is true, but my Spidey Sense is tingling.
To flesh this out:
If the rumor that Young had refused to switch to DH didn't come from the FO, where did it come from? Pulled out of the ether? It certainly didn't come from Young. He would not want that refusal made public. It either was totally fabricated by the media, or it came from the FO.
JD didn't just figure out that Thome could hit yesterday. Why would he ask Young to move to DH just last week and then turn around and try to sign a 100-game DH this week? This seems like it's being handled in an impolitic manner. If JD really loved Young and wanted him to stay happy, I would think 1B as a primary destination for Young would have been discussed at the time of the Beltre signing, rather than saying that Young would be the new DH.
My conspiracy theory seems to make more sense than the notion that JD decided he might be interested in Thome some time after the Beltre press conference. I'm sure that JD had interest in Webb, Rhodes, Beltre, and Thome within a week or so after Game 5 of the WS.
I don't have a problem with Gentry as a DL replacement for Hamilton, being used as a platoon with Borbon, with Moreland and Murphy picking up the extra slack at the COF spots.
I thought some of you guys might find this interesting if you haven't seen it already.
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/3/17/795946/optimizing-your-lineup-by
Scoob - I just don't think Young is tradeable, unless Texas assumes the lion's share of the contract, which would then make such a move pointless. I wouldn't be surprised if JD / Nolan secretly desire to move Young, bring back Vlad, and sign Thome, but I just don't see how it would be done without them losing so much money in the deal it would make the move pointless.