http://mweb.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/24250972/fielder-for-kinsler-bloickbuster-is-on-the-table

CRAZY!

The 1st 2 years ... essentially removing Kinsler and adding Fielder and $8M/yr... doesn't look insane.

HOWEVER, after 2 years, you have:

Kinsler @2yr|$25M + $5M buyout

vs

Fielder @ 5yr|$120M $24M/yr

The last 3 years... age 34, 35 and 36... 5'11"/275 BEFORE his metabolism goes to hell... I want NO part of Fielder after 2-3 years. NONE!

ZERO!

Gawd that is a terrible contract.

it's apparently done.

Fielder is a Ranger!

Holy *****

Well we finally have a first baseman that can hit. Hopefully we win a championship before the back end of that contract hits.

Now go get McCann or Napoli and this line up is dirty again

Take that Angels! We'll put these last three terrible contract years against your first baseman's any day.

Well... for $8M we've killed two birds.

- Moved Kinsler making room for Profar <- Huge plus
- Filled DH and Power bat.

I'm hoping we got $5M+/yr on the Fielder contract, or something special in the unwrapped minor league realm.

Now for McCann.

Then next up... OF. Stanton, Cargo or Kemp.

Getting Fielder for DH could very well help extend the life of Moreland 1 more year, to see if he can do anything. Then, if not... make a trade deadline deal.

I doubt they are paying Fielder to DH

He'll play a lot of 1st, won't he?

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I doubt they are paying Fielder to DH

He'll play a lot of 1st, won't he?

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He'll play first when he needs to, I'd imagine. But why would you not put him at DH? He can't move nearly as well as Moreland. Nothing wrong with a Moreland at 1B/Fielder at DH combo

DET sending 30M to the Rangers

As long as Moreland is on the team and getting ABs... might as well leverage the one thing he has done pretty good... play 1st Base.

Fielder's range at 1B is a liability.

I also like that this allows Texas to dangle Moreland out there, without 1) adding a hole at 1st if someone bites and 2) doesn't give teams the idea they are desperate to move him.

Moreland has value.

But, you trade him with 3 years of team control left, and if you can get Napoli - great, Fielder DHs. If you don't, Fielder plays 1st, and we fill in DH with someone else... or you get someone.

Either way... I like how this is going.

I wish Kinsler the best in Detroit... he served Texas well. Nothing bad to say about him!

They aren't getting Stanton, Cargo, or Kemp.

They talked Kins for Kemp and LAD balked.

Choo is more likely.

Also, Moreland would be an upgrade at first for how many teams?

His value is minimal.

Moreland sucks. I hope I never see him play for the Rangers again.

Appears Rangers made a move for Choo with the Gentry trade...and now talks have begun (or getting more serious) with him according to Evan Grant twitter.

Grant thinks Choo to Texas is a long shot.

Bowden, however, thinks it's likely.

YES PLEASE!

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Ken Rosenthalþ@Ken_Rosenthal23m
Sources: #Rangers interested in Napoli even after acquiring Fielder. Envision Napoli 1B-DH, Beltre-Fielder-Napoli 3-4-5. #Marlins also in.

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I honestly think BoSox will re-sign, but it's nice to think about him coming back.

Are the Rangers done, other than kicking tires? Does Seattle\Cano raise the bar? How about Houston\Feldman (for my Astros fans)?

TL DR version:
Could they still get a SP (Tanaka or Price)?
Could they still get an OF (Trade: LAD\Kemp?)?

Longer version
Going into the offseason, we were looking at an expected budget of $125M.

Loses to fill: AJP, Cruz, Murphy, Nathan, Garza
Needs: OF, C, #5SP, 1B, DH

Recap so far...

Re-signed RP Frasor (1yr/$1.75M)
Re-Signed SP Colby (1yr/Minor)
Re-Signed C Soto (1yr/$3M)


Signed C JPArencipia (1yr/$1.8M)

Traded:
- Kinsler (2B)
+ Fielder (1B)

Insert Profar @ 2B.

Traded:
-Lindblom (SP); -Gentry (OF)
+Choice (OF); + Bostick (2B)

Additional minor league signings:
Jose Contreras (SP-42); Nate Adcock (RP); Bryan Petersen (OF)

So:
Catcher has been addressed (Soto\JPA).
1B\DH has been addressed (Fielder).
OF has potentially improved.
SP could be addressed internally.

What's left? Anything?

SP:
The Rangers would stick with what they have. They could go after Price. Other than Price, Tanaka may be the only other real consideration. I'm good with any of those options.
Internally:
Darvish - Holland - Perez are definites. I assume Ogando is #4.
Not sure if Harrison will be effective in ST, and I don't have expectaions for Colby to contriubute. Ross pitched great in Winter ball as a SP. I wouldn't expect him to have more than 150 IP to contribute. His size has always been the question mark if he could be durable as a SP. Feliz has done well in RP in Winter ball. Not sure if he will be considered for SP (I doubt), nor would I expect too many innings. One report I read indicated Feliz has a fire lit, and is showing some determination to regain importance. Tepesch could be an option. The longer Tanaka is resolved, the more we'll know about Harrison. I like Tanaka, because it gives Yu (as it would Kuroda\NYY) another Japanese player. That could cause a trade.

OF\DH:
I think if they can add an OF, Choice could start in AAA, or as the 4th, or stick with Choice. Adding an OF could allow Choice to DH some, as well.


I also think if they decide to go after Tanaka, it would precipitate a trade for an OF. I don't think Price will be traded until teams know about Tanaka. I also don't think the LAD will make a trade until Choo, et al, find a home.

Any interest in Cole Hamels at 5/112 or Cliffy at 2/50?

Obviously adding 25M of payroll is significant, but two years of Cliff seems intriguing, especially after what he did last year.


[This message has been edited by Gerg marmaiard (edited 12/10/2013 9:14a).]

Not really. I feel pretty good about where their entire pitching staff sits. If they want to throw extra cash at something, more offense would be my preference.

Please sign Cruz!

wouldnt mind offering cruz the same deal berkman got last year, but looks like he can get much more. if we cant add another bat, i wouldnt mind adding lee for that, the window is now.

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I feel pretty good about where their entire pitching staff sits

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how do you feel about them if Harrison cant give you much?

Not as great, but still would go for the bat. Sounds like Robbie Ross is being stretched out as an option. I also am optimistic about Harrison. After the back injury, I was never optimistic he'd make it back and be productive last year, but the second injury - TOS - doesn't concern me. From what I've heard, he started throwing a month ago and is on track to be 100% for spring training.

[This message has been edited by DannyDuberstein (edited 12/10/2013 12:55p).]

I hear you. I just get flashbacks of having guys like Josh Lindblom, Tep, Grimm, and Travis f'ing Blackley starting damn near 30 games for my team last year due to injuries.

Agree, but in spite of that, I thought the staff still performed at a level that should have made the playoffs. But the lineup was in no shape to do what was necessary to be a playoff team, and even if they'd made it, do any damage in the playoffs. I just don't think you spend $50-100MM on something viewed as more contingency when I see existing holes elsewhere that are keeping this from being a championship calibur team.

[This message has been edited by DannyDuberstein (edited 12/10/2013 1:26p).]

Grimm is basically a #2 /DallasAg

Are you sure he included the "a"?

I guess we are seeing the budget limitations on JD with him now talking to Colon's people.
Coincidently, he and Cruz have the same agent.

Apparently putting together a 'roid user rehab team.

[This message has been edited by Silvertaps (edited 12/10/2013 2:24p).]

If they can get the asking price down a bit, JD needs to slip this Choos way (instead of Valentines day it would read "to be my left fielder):

Texas should go after Colon just to sit him on the bench so we don't have to bat against him.

quote:

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Grimm is basically a #2 /DallasAg

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Remember when I said that... yeah, you can find right there with the search tool... help out.

If you look back to what I've said of Grimm. Things like:

-I'm waiting for him to realize he (and Tepesch) isn't the Ace his numbers show him to be.

- I'm waiting for Grimm to realize who he is.

- I think he needs to be sent down for work.

Etc.

Yes, I was very BIG on Grimm. I think he'll be in a rotation. I don't have enough to know if he will be good or great.

Now for historical information... weren't you the one saying the Angels don't have budget concerns and that all those horrible contracts are irrelvant because Cal has such a great TV contract?!

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/trumbo-trade-frees-angels-to-pursue-pitching.html

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By trading Mark Trumbo to the Diamondbacks, the Angels freed up about $4MM in payroll, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez notes. Now they're approximately $20MM underneath the $189MM luxury-tax threshold.

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I was just kidding on Grimm being a #2... You have a tendency in your post to very much overrate every Rangers starter though -- that's been pretty well documented.

As for what I've said on the Angels, it has been that it's foolish year after year after year to point out how "Contract XXX is going to keep them from going after anyone!" until we actually see them not go after someone because of the bad contracts.

Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Jr, Albert Pujols, CJ Wilson, Josh Hamilton... I've never said the day won't come when they finally hit the wall on what they can afford to throw at a stud free agent, but history says that to imply they are up against the wall and have no money to spend hasn't really shown to be true.

I wouldn't exactly consider a measly $4 mill a salary dump, and the team model that includes Trumbo didn't exactly work the past 2 years.