Feldman Placed On Waivers

Per Robothal. This was a procedural move made with the intention of outrighting Feldman to Triple-A Round Rock, as Feldman was out of minor league options -- what this means is that Feldman, by virtue of having amassed five years of major league service time, had the ability to reject such an assignment and become a free agent while still being guaranteed the entirety of his contract, which amounts to a little more than $9 million total.

However, it appears that there was a preexisting handshake agreement where Feldman agreed to not opt for free agency and accept the assignment to the minors, so he'll hang around in the minors and perhaps get an opportunity to make his presence felt at some point down the line.

And, of course, it's extremely unlikely that any team would saddle themselves with a $9 million commitment to Feldman, given that he's coming off microfracture surgery and given that he doesn't seem to be the same pitcher that he was in 2009.

Ron Washington spoke more about the thought process behind the move on Ben and Skin this morning:

"There's an old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Washington told 103.3 FM's Ben and Skin Show. "We decided that we would stay with [Derek] Holland in the rotation for now. We want to make sure that we have someone stretched out in case something happens." 

"All five starters are still strong, [and] the bullpen is getting it together. We're going to be making moves here pretty soon, and Scott Feldman will be a part of those moves when we're able to sort some things a little more."

Today's Misleading Headline

Saw this pop up in my RSS reader around midnight:

Fraley: One mistake from C.J. Wilson could end up costing Rangers a title

So:

... if the Rangers make the playoffs, and are then fortunate/good enough to advance to the World Series, and ...

... if the Rangers then lose the World Series for a second consecutive year, and ...

... if the Rangers lose the World Series in significant part because they didn't have home field advantage, which would, for all intents and purposes, mean a loss in seven games, as both teams would otherwise have played an equal number of games on the home and on the road (in the event of a four- or a six-game series loss) or the Rangers would have actually played a greater number of games at home (in the event of a five-game loss) ...

... then, yes, Wilson giving up three earned runs last night will mean that he did meaningfully contribute to the Rangers not winning the title.

But what are the odds of all of those things happening? Isn't this really stretching the use of "could" to its limits?

The Brewers Get K-Rod

Per SI.com's Jon Heyman. The press release indicates that the Brewers obtained Rodriguez and an undisclosed sum of cash in exchange for two players to be named later, which must be determined within a six-month window.

This is the first real meaningful move of the trade season, and one that I would have liked to have seen the Rangers in on, as there was reason to believe that K-Rod's price was going to be lower than what his actual value merited ... there was the 10-team no-trade clause in play, his insistence that he would veto a deal to any of those 10 clubs if they didn't permit him to keep closing, and, of course, the looming $17.5 million albatross of a vesting option that presumably scared any team without a sturdy closing situation away. There were the high BABIP/walk issues in play with K-Rod this season, but he was still a good late-inning power arm, with a strong strikeout rate and good homer-suppressing tendencies.

It is, however, unclear whether the Rangers were on his no-trade list, in which case there would have been no possibility of a match, as slotting him as a setup man would have then required some form of additional compensation in order for him to green-light a deal, and may very well have 

Jay Jaffe notes on Twitter that the Brewers don't actually have any decent prospects that can be listed as players to be named later. That pretty much conforms with my expectation that the Mets would be very eager to move him just for the purpose of averting that vesting option, and that they wouldn't be seeking -- or be able to extract -- very much for him.

For what it's worth, Buster Olney further speculates on Twitter that there's now a "very strong chance" that Carlos Beltran will be moved.

Today's Carlos Beltran Poll

Short and simple.

"The Rangers Lost Their Edge"

So says Kevin Sherrington in this morning's paywall-protected column, which so intrigues me that I'm tempted to drive over to Chick-Fil-A after my morning run, pick up a copy of the News, and see what kind of case he brings to the table * -- a case which apparently also suggests that the Rangers' flaws run so deep that they cannot be bailed out by any kind of trade this month.

[* - I probably won't do this, but it is tempting. Funny that this kind of pessimism-blowing story drops the morning after the Rangers finally string together a couple of wins.]

I presume this means if the Rangers went out and grabbed Anibal Sanchez or John Danks or a Carlos Beltran combo platter later this month at a hefty premium, it would still mean that the Rangers were doomed, because "tired, uninspired, sloppy play ... is not the stuff of extended streaks or championship seasons."

I'll report back with the general tone of the story if/when I make said excursion this morning *, or somebody else can report what was said in the comments if they actually drop a healthy amount of coin per month on the News's online product. I'm just really curious about the case being made that this team is already beyond saving even with the right combination of non-roster reinforcements and outside talent, because it "lost its edge."

Saying that this team should be better than the standings reflect is one thing. Saying that this team isn't as good as it should be because it has mysteriously been sapped of some of its will to win is quite a bit more presumptuous and vague.

[* - I still probably won't do this.]

Passan On How To Fix The ASG

My interest in baseball's All-Star fesitivities has waned a great deal over the years (even before I started blogging on a regular basis in 2007), such that I always take a certain amount of amusement whenever fans work themselves into fits over who does and doesn't make the roster, and endlessly carp about all of the silly technicalities attached to the game itself (e.g. at least one All-Star from each team, "this one counts," etc.).

But, with that said, and with my cynicism towards the game itself now out in the open, I can say with a clear conscience that I really like what Jeff Passan brought to the table in terms of ideas on how to "fix" the All-Star Game, in a column which leads with a rather scathing assault on Bud's great genius:

The square peg that is the All-Star game and the black hole that is Bud Selig’s idea to make it count for something are back for their ninth year of nonsensical commingling. There is no worse rule in baseball. It rivals the BCS for the most illogical thing in sports.

How the stupidity has survived almost a decade never fails to blow the mind. Home-field advantage in the World Series is a significant prize owed to the team that best survived the 162-game season. It is instead given to the team that emerges from the league lucky enough to prevail in an exhibition game managed by the same precepts and principles as a Little League contest.

It should not work both ways. If managers want to hand out the equivalent of participation trophies, the game should not count. If baseball wants the game to mean something, managers should stick with the best players – pitchers especially – for as long as necessary.

Absent direct orders from Selig, that won’t happen. And Selig won’t do bupkis. Already he’s seen as too much of a puppeteer. [...] The new-and-improved, counts-for-something All-Star game posted its worst TV rating ever last season. While TV isn’t all that matters, it’s enough of a barometer to show that the gimmick isn’t driving any interest.

And Passan's ideas, in order:

1. Abolish the World Series home-field advantage tie-in
2. Pay players an All-Star bonus
3. Trim the rosters back down to 30 players for each league
4. Require the starting lineup to play at least five innings, and the starting pitcher to log at least four innings
5. Give pitchers who pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star Game a choice of whether to participate
6. Move the All-Star Futures Game to Monday, before the Home Run Derby
7. Use metal bats in the Home Run Derby
8. Select Wily Mo Pena to participate in the Home Run Derby

Clearly, these are not all equivalent in importance, but I like some of the unconventional thoughts being churned out here, and, obviously, the case against "this one counts" being attached to the All-Star Game into perpetuity is a strong one. Baseball may not heed a single one of these suggestions, but at least they've been dispensed for public consumption in a high-visibility medium. 

And as much as I really don't care for the All-Star Game at this point, I do have to recognize that being selected is something that matters to the players themselves (especially C.J. Wilson, who is finally getting the call after a very up-and-down major league career), and if that's something that makes Wilson and the rest of the Rangers' All-Star ensemble happier, well, that should matter to us as well.

Welcome Back, Mike Napoli

Per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Rangers have, as expected, activated Mike Napoli (oblique strain) from the 15-day disabled list, with Taylor Teagarden heading back down to Triple-A Round Rock.

This should provide a boost to the lineup against lefty starters in particular, as he had clubbed southpaws to the tune of .255/.388/.582 in 67 plate appearances against this season, and one has to wonder how often we'll be seeing Napoli behind the dish as we go forward, as Yorvit Torrealba is once again slumping, and continues to creep towards a career high in games played.

Ron Washington Has A Bee In His Bonnet ... About Elvis Andrus

... or at least that's what his post-game comments convey, as he went off on first-base umpire Angel Hernandez after himself being tossed from the game after protesting Gary Pettis's ejection from the game after Pettis barked that Nelson Cruz was only picked off first base because Marlins pitcher Michael Dunn had balked (got all that?):

It didn't take long for Hernandez to eject Pettis. That only made Pettis argue more and forced manager Ron Washington out of the dugout himself.

"I must have said something I shouldn’t have and I guess Gary did too," Washington said. "I was out there to see what went on with Gary and he said something to me and I said something to him and next thing I know I was gone too."

The play gave the Marlins two outs and eliminated a runner in a 2-1 game at that point.

"Angel is just bad," Washington said. "That's all there is to it." 

And then for good measure, he let Elvis Andrus have it as well:

With a runner on third and two outs in the eighth and the Rangers hanging on to a 2-1 lead, Hanley Ramirez hit a chopper over reliever Mark Lowe on the mound. Andrus charged the ball, gloved it, but couldn't transfer it to his hand to get the throw to first base in time to end the inning. It was scored an error and the Marlins tied the game. They would add three more runs that inning.

"This is the big leagues," Washington said. "That’s a chance for a major league shortstop to make and he didn’t make the play. There’s no excuses, he didn’t make the play." 

If you go back and punch up the video of the play in question, you'll find that it was a very difficult chance for Elvis, one where he had to haul ass just to possibly put himself in position to make the play because of Hanley's wheels, and one where, even if he does everything right, he probably only has a 50-50 chance of nailing Hanley at best. It was a pretty questionable call as far as being deemed an error rather than a hit, and clearly a function of being rushed more so than being lackadaisical in his fielding methods.

I don't know. The league-average defensive shortstop doesn't even have a prayer of making that play in all probability, but Washington clearly holds Elvis to a higher standard, and from that standpoint I guess one can understand his disappointment at Elvis not being able to gun down Hanley ... but at the same time, it comes across as a tad strange for this selective criticism to come raining down on Elvis and not the offense (for scoring only two runs in six innings off Javier freaking Vazquez) or Darren Oliver/Neftali Feliz (for putting the game out of reach), and it also strikes me as a bit interesting that Michael Young was the one to leap to Elvis's defense:

"I thought it was a really tough play," Michael Young said. "Hanley runs well and I know Elvis is playing deep there with two outs. They are trying to take away a hit. The last thing you expect is a chopper over the pitcher. It was a tough play. It's a tough break. We have a lot of confidence that any time a ball is hit to short, Elvis is going to make the play." 

As for the continued criticism of Elvis's error totals, I'd like you to consider the following:

2009: 22 errors, +14 DRS, +12.1 UZR, .848 RZR
2010: 16 errors, +1 DRS, +0.1 UZR, .817 RZR
2011: 16 errors, +8 DRS, +4.2 UZR, .842 RZR 

Can we please stop pretending that the main determinant of defensive value is error avoidance?

Darren O'Day Activated From DL; Michael Kirkman Optioned

The makeover of the Rangers' bullpen continues tonight, as the Rangers have activated Darren O'Day from the 60-day disabled list, and have optioned Michael Kirkman to Triple-A Round Rock.

This is a tad strange to me, as there's been increasing buzz from the beats about Arthur Rhodes possibly being in trouble as far as his roster spot is concerned, but his recent string of (low-leverage) scoreless outings and the lack of other major league-ready lefty options probably helped him out here, and Kirkman, who has had some problems of late, probably wasn't going to be available for another day or two after logging 24 pitches over 1.1 innings last night.

Some Rangers July 2nd Info

Baseball America dropped a wealth of scouting information about the July 2nd international signing period yesterday, and what the Rangers could end up doing during that span, and while the Rangers' Rule 4 draft haul was somewhat underwhelming from the perspective of BA, things are definitely looking up from a J2 standpoint, as the Rangers are listed as one of the 8-9 teams that will invest heavily in this year's class:

In the July 2 market, their priority appears to be Dominican outfielder Ronald Guzman, who should command one of the top bonuses in Latin America. Several international sources also expect Venezuelan lefthander Yohander Mendez to sign with the Rangers. Beyond those two, the Rangers could also be involved with Dominican outfielder Franmil Reyes, Colombian shortstop Gustavo Perinan and Venezuelan outfielder Eduar Pinto, among a host of other players they'll likely add for low six-figure amounts.

I already published some information (and video) on Guzman in an earlier Clubhouse post, so that leaves us looking at Mendez in particular, the top Venezuelan lefty hurler in this year's entire Latin American class:

While many young players of his size struggle with the coordination of their deliveries, Mendez has smooth, fluid mechanics, and the ball comes out of his arm easily with good arm action. His fastball worked around 83-86 mph much of the spring, but he was up to 85-89 mph at a recent showcase. Though Mendez doesn't throw as hard as some of the other top arms in Latin America, he has the delivery and projectable body to throw in the low 90s once he fills out. He also has shown feel for a curveball and changeup. 

The thing about distributing a set amount of cash among a greater number of J2 prospects as opposed to, say, doing the same thing with high school/college players, is that there's greater uncertainty with 16- and 17-year-olds who are less developed and have often been seen less in live games ... given that, tossing $100K to 10 different players often proves to be a more viable approach than throwing $1M at a single player.

In any event, it will be interesting to see what other surprises the Rangers pull out of their hat during the coming days and weeks.

The Dallas Mavericks Are World Champions (And A Dark Confession)

Dirk is never late nor early. He arrives precisely when he needs to. 

Each and every one of my distinct sports fandoms (the Rangers, the Packers, and theMavericks) was established well before the aughts kicked in and, clearly, one of those ended up overtaking the other two in terms of fanaticism at some point, given that I'm writing this (and you're reading this) on a baseball blog. There's no doubt that I've invested many more hours cumulatively into one than the other two combined over the last 15 years.

But before I ever took up any interest in baseball, and before the seedling of my Packers fandom fully germinated, I was an obsessive Mavericks fan. They were my first true sports love.

I watched damn every game of the 1994-96 seasons and was so spellbound by the Three J's that I invented my own primitive basketball scorecards so that I could go back and rifle through my notebook full of them and relive the memories of those occasions when they actually did win.

I stomped around in front of the television at the age of eight, pretending I was Dick Motta directing his troops around -- and, later, I pretended I was a far less endearing Jim Cleamons.

I remember George McCloud raining down three-point attempts from the heavens as though his life depended on it.

I remember being utterly devastated and driven to tears when my first legitimate sports hero, Jason Kidd, was shipped out of town right around Christmastime '96. I've still got a plaque encasing his Upper Deck rookie card buried somewhere deep in my closet.

There are probably "better" Mavericks fans than me out there (at least in the sense of closely following even the tiniest bits of minutia and watching damn near every game, as I used to), but I'm reveling as much as anyone else in this truly joyous and special night that, frankly, I had serious, deep-running doubts I would ever see happen during the Dirk era.

And let me go ahead and confess something right now, if you'll allow me that opportunity -- I'm still a Rangers fan, but not the same way I used to be. Four-plus years of writing on a virtual everyday basis, of trying to absorb every sabermetric principle and scouting guideline possible, of trying to learn everything I possibly can about the game ... it has eroded my Rangers fandom. I wish this wasn't the case, and I understand why you probably can't relate to where I'm coming from, but it is what it is and I can't change it no matter how much I might want to. I realize this probably isn't the case for guys like Jamey and Adam (though I obviously don't want to speak for them), but I also know for a fact that my condition is not unique among the baseball literati. 

The reason I bring this up now is because, as far as I'm personally concerned, there's no such burnout effect with basketball. I don't have to look at basketball from an analytical perspective and stare at every play with a keen and discerning and totally objective eye and point out the faults and strengths of each player. I can simply sit back, enjoy the pure beauty of the game and cheer rabidly like an eight-year-old again ... which isn't to say I don't still do that with baseball at times, but, again, it's just not the same it used to be.

And that, for me at least, is what helps make this so damn special. More special than an eventual Rangers World Series title? Maybe not. But maybe so.

I'd have to know what it feels like first before making that determination.

Josh Lueke And The Egg On The Face Of The Seattle Mariners

Geoff Baker has a very in-depth and informative story on the latest imbroglio to rock the Mariners' front office, that being new information that directly contradicts the Mariners' claims that they (a) did not know of Josh Lueke's rape and sodomy charge when they acquired him in the Cliff Lee trade, and (b) could not send him back to the Rangers because Jon Daniels refused to take him back:

The Mariners knew all about Josh Lueke's 96-mph fastball when they acquired him from the Texas Rangers in the Cliff Lee deal.

But Mariners executives insisted they knew nothing before the July 9 trade about the 25-year-old minor-leaguer facing felony charges in a rape and sodomy case in which he later pleaded no contest to a lesser charge.

However, new information appears to contradict the Mariners' original version of events. Former Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair said he told general manager Jack Zduriencik about Lueke's troubles well before the deal.

And contrary to Mariners claims that there was nothing they could do after the trade, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said he made a standing offer that night to take Lueke back.

According to the timeline of events supplied by Baker, (recently fired) Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair -- who was the Rangers' minor league pitching coordinator during the Lueke fiasco -- personally informed general manager Jack Zduriencik of the Lueke situation before the trade was consummated, and Zdurienick apparently didn't delve any further into the matter -- as evidenced by his failure to perform a five-second Google search on Lueke's name, which is sort of mindblowing in this day and age -- after Jon Daniels told Zdurienick that Lueke had been involved in an incident and had been "acquitted."

Hours after the trade was completed, Mariners president Chuck Armstrong -- a strong advocate of groups who oppose violence against women -- learned of the Lueke situation and immediately ordered Zdurienick to substitute Lueke for another player in the Rangers organization. Zdurienick says that the Rangers rebuffed that request, but Jon Daniels says that the Rangers "offered several times to reacquire Lueke in a separate transaction," including once on the same night of the deal, and also says that his offer to reacquire Lueke is a standing offer.

What I think happened -- and what seems to make the most sense given the facts presented here by Baker -- is that Zdurienick had a pretty firm understanding of the Lueke situation, but went ahead and acquired him anyway, perhaps not figuring that his inclusion would create such an uproar at the top level of the Mariners organization and that he could quell any opposition. When Armstrong blew his top, Zdurienick hastily shunted the blame onto the Rangers as a means of covering his own ass. As far as why the Mariners appear to have lied outright to the press about all of this, and why they're painting the Rangers as bad guys who knowingly pulled a fast one on the Mariners and refuse to take back their bad egg, I'm not sure, but it certainly does not reflect well on the reputation and/or honesty of the Seattle front office. 

I'm also pretty sure that the Rangers resent the Mariners' implication that they are liars, and it would not surprise me if relations between the two teams cool to the point that they don't hook up again for another trade for a pretty long time.