Now we have a manager.

Rangers have declined Rios' option.

According to COTS, they have $108M committed for 2015, with $13.2M for Harrison.

I could be wrong, but really doubt Harrison will return. I'm sure they will get some medical relief for his absence.

Calvin Watkins indicated they will likely remain in the $133M for 2015.

We have -
Outfield:
Choo - Leonys
with Robertson, Choice, Adduci, Engel Beltre (maybe), Robertson, Smolinkski
Could re-sign Rios.

Infield:
Beltre, Andrus, Odor, Fielder (any update?)
with Profar having been shutdown again last month.
and Sardinas, Moreland, Rua, et al.

DH:
Who knows...

C:
Chirinos, Telis, Alfaro

SP:
Darvish - MRI in November
Holland - Finished the season strong
*
*
*

Tepesch (26) is likely.
Nick Martinez (24) could go.
Could sign Colby Lewis (likely)
Bunch of other arms.

Closer: Feliz

Needs:
DH, OF, 2+/- SPs.

There are tons of good arms on the market this winter. I'd like to see the Rangers get one. Everyone will hate it and love it during the seasons.

IMO, I'd like to see them go after one of the bigger FA SPs.
Let Aducci, or some other serf in the OF... sign an aging leader looking to make a comeback for DH. Maybe Moreland?! Save any money they don't spend to start the season, in order to be positioned to take on a contract at the trade deadline.

I think we have a few more SPs in the minors who could surprise us and make a jump. Martin could provided innings mid-season, but won't offer much until 2016.

All this assumes Darvish, Holland, Fielder, Choo and Beltre are healthy.

The season could be Effed by November is Darvish's MRI reveals a torn UCL

Magadan returning

They better extend Maddux. Magadan returning while losing Maddux would be about as disastrous a start to putting a staff together as I can imagine. Hopefully the delay is just a matter of finalizing $$$. I'm already skeptical of selecting a guy that spent the last 3 decades coaching for what was mostly a loser organization to manage this team. Really liked Bogar.

Maddux is official with a new contract, as is Buechele as bench coach. Hector Ortiz at 1B coach, with the remaining opening being 3B coach. So all in all, the pitching, hitting, and bench coaching all remains the same as what they finished the year with. Will have new base coaches and an extra field instructor.

Pushing for Torii Hunter? This could be interesting.

If the price is right, don't mind it at all. Awfully long in the tooth, so it needs to be short-term at a solid value.

Well, so much for that. Hunter is going back to the Twins on 1-yr deal ($10.5 mil)

Also, they have non-tendered Alexi Ogando, Michael Kirkman & Adam Rosales, making them free agents. - Edit: Kirkman brought back on a minor league deal with invite to ST.

Colby Lewis is expected to finalize a deal this week to return. - Edit: 1 yr, $4 million

Glad to see Kirkman go.

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Glad to see Kirkman go.

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Rangers have now re-signed Kirkman.

glad to see kirkman back

[url=https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=Joelsherman1][/url]
Joel Sherman
@Joelsherman1
#Padres would like Jurickson Profar -new GM Preller signed for Tex- but as much as #Rangers want SP Kennedy/Ross/Cashner doesn't get done

At this point I would be willing to trade Profar for an upside pitcher......wish we would have traded him last off season before he got hurt.

Define "upside pitcher"?

We talking top prospect or just some arm that may be able to be a back-end-rotation guy?




On an unrelated note, so far the best news for Texas this offseason is Billy Beane gutting the A's.

CJ's on the market apparently.

What's weird is that so far, the Angels can't get anyone to bite.

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CJ's on the market apparently.

What's weird is that so far, the Angels can't get anyone to bite.

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At $19m/year for 2 years at ages 34 and 35, only an idiot would think it's weird there's been no bites.

And I'll end the back-and-forth before it starts with a summary:

* corleone: "You said CJ Wilson was an ace" (no texags history of me saying anything of that kind
* me: "I bet CJ Wilson will put up XXX #'s over the next 3 years, want to bet"?
* corleone: *crickets*

*** then cue 3 years of corleone bringing it back up and looking like an idiot each time ***



There you go Texags, I saved you the trouble

Goddammit. Someone go ahead and start a new thread.

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quote:

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CJ's on the market apparently.

What's weird is that so far, the Angels can't get anyone to bite.

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At $19m/year for 2 years at ages 34 and 35, only an idiot would think it's weird there's been no bites.

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That's because those teams are looking at it wrong. When you break it down into $5 million for a declining pitcher and $14 million for your team plane's emergency backup pilot, it actually comes out to being quite a steal.

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quote:

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quote:

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CJ's on the market apparently.

What's weird is that so far, the Angels can't get anyone to bite.

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At $19m/year for 2 years at ages 34 and 35, only an idiot would think it's weird there's been no bites.

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That's because those teams are looking at it wrong. When you break it down into $5 million for a declining pitcher and $14 million for your team plane's emergency backup pilot, it actually comes out to being quite a steal.

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laugh/cry

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@AdamKilgoreWP Source: The Rangers have expressed strong interest in the Nats starters. Nats asked for 2B Rougned Odor. Rangers said they won't trade him.

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Rangers not making progress with Padres

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Preller has temporarily put the brakes on any Padres rebuild mode, which has left the Rangers to explore trade avenues with other teams. The Padres believe they have a small window to win with the quality pitchers everyone seems to want if they can acquire two bats.

That leaves the Rangers looking toward the New York Mets, where they've been looking all along, and the Miami Marlins and at pitchers who become free agents next off-season. Cincinnati righties Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos fit that mold, and both are on the Rangers' board.

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The Rangers also are looking more closely at free-agent pitchers, though whether they have offered right-hander Justin Masterson or just discussed what they might be comfortable doing is a matter of semantics.

The Rangers met with the representatives of righty Gavin Floyd, who pieced together nine nice starts for Atlanta last year before suffering a fractured elbow. Floyd fits the mold of a veteran on the rebound who could be had at a reasonable price.

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Braves' Evan Gattis a potential target

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TR Sullivan: Rangers interested in Braves C-OF Evan Gattis. But Braves want RHP top prospect Alex Gonzalez and that's a deal-breaker for Rangers.

If the Rangers were to acquire OF Justin Upton, they would likely try to flip him for pitching. But again won't give up top prospects

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Jeff Wilson: Hearing that Braves are more likely to move Justin Upton than Evan Gattis. #Rangers have inquired about both.

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Rangers eyeing Arizona pitching

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According to a major league source, the Rangers have engaged in talks with Arizona about acquiring a starting pitcher. The most logical target would be 28-year-old LHP Wade Miley, who put together his second consecutive 200-inning season in 2014. Miley, 28, is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this winter. According to MLB Trade rumors, Miley's salary is expected to jump to slightly more than $4 million for 2015 and he would be controllable through 2017.

Miley, however, isn't going to come cheap. Arizona would likely ask for a package that starts with either pitcher Alex "Chi-Chi" Gonzalez, Jake Thompson or catching prodigy Jorge Alfaro.

A potential fallback with Arizona would be Trevor Cahill, who has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness the last two years, but who was quite effective for Oakland before a 2012 trade. Cahill, 26, had a 5.61 ERA in 2014 and is signed for $12 million in 2015, but as the Diamondbacks look to overhaul the roster, they would likely be willing to pick up a significant amount of money to move him and take back lesser talent.

The Diamondbacks move to the forefront because talks with San Diego over Andrew Cashner or Tyson Ross have stalled and talks with the New York Mets in regards to Mansfield's Noah Syndergaard went nowhere. The Mets are pushing UT-Arlington's Dillon Gee and lefty Jonathan Niese, but the Rangers' interest in them is lukewarm.

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CJ's on the market apparently.

What's weird is that so far, the Angels can't get anyone to bite.

---

At $19m/year for 2 years at ages 34 and 35, only an idiot would think it's weird there's been no bites.

---

That's because those teams are looking at it wrong. When you break it down into $5 million for a declining pitcher and $14 million for your team plane's emergency backup pilot, it actually comes out to being quite a steal.

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With no cap, the Rangers really need to step up their game. As I've stated for years, Andrus is very overrated and Profar will never amount to anything.

Rangers closing in a deal with a RH vet reliever that should be done next week.

Also met with James Shields but JD says it's unlikely.

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Rangers closing in a deal with a RH vet reliever that should be done next week.

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Standard rumor every year.

Big Game James who folds in big games. The board would love that one.

Rangers take Delino DeShields Jr. in the Rule 5 draft.

They lost Odubel Herrera to the Phillies.

Signed with invites to ST: P Anthony Bass, OF Antoan Richardson, P Ross Wolf

JD says Profar will probably not make the opening day roster. "We're not keeping him as our utility guy."

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They lost Odubel Herrera to the Phillies.

Signed with invites to ST: P Anthony Bass, OF Antoan Richardson, P Ross Wolf

JD says Profar will probably not make the opening day roster. "We're not keeping him as our utility guy."

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Middle infield will be an exciting place for Rangers fans.

Best I could tell, Profar wasn't really an option until maybe May or June.

Odor want 114 Games: .259 \ 9 HRs \ 4 SB. A .297 OBP. He will be 21 at the start of the season.
Andrus went 145 Games: .267 \ 6HRs \ 33 SB at 21, with a .329 OBP.

Andrus' value is way down. If he gets out to a great start, his value can be headed up, just as Profar is ready.

At 22, I suspect Herrera is done as a Ranger. Rollins was traded to the Dodgers.

They have traded for Ross Detwiler. Chris Bostick & Abel de los Santos to Washington.

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They have traded for Ross Detwiler. Chris Bostick & Abel de los Santos to Washington.

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YIPPEE! Rangers "makin' moves."

Daniels has turned the corner from a great young GM, while making great moves, to an overrated flop.

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Daniels has turned the corner from a great young GM, while making great moves, to an overrated flop.

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When you have success\failure in a variety of ways, having a brand for the type of GM you are tends to wain.

He had failure this past season in acquiring Fielder for Kinsler and signing Choo didn't work out last year.

Cheap plays like Kouz, Rua and Smolinski make signing a bunch of retread minor league deals worth pursuit to fill the gaps.

You want trends to be your friend, but the same things that were successful turn around and bite you.

Choo and Fielder get on track and 2014 was just a blip on the GM.

You can't predict injuries in BB, you certainly couldn't have foreseen injuries for the Rangers in 2014. I think JD feels a little snake bit and reluctant to make bold moves that he has had with success, but also that blew up in his face.

He has a ton of moving pieces and uncertainty for 2015. I don't think we can determine if it is a season to invest to make it over the top... or a season to invest for 2016. If Yu doesn't go in 2015, then all bets are off and time to plan for 2016.

Sounds like Darvish at least got a clean MRI a few weeks ago and is clear to go forward with his regular throwing. However, it wouldn't be the first time someone had that kind of report and then you hear, "whoops, needs TJ" once they ramp things up.

I think this season is a very much a cautionary one where you wait and see what you have as far as Darvish, Fielder, Choo, Odor, Profar, etc., so I can understand the lack of bold moves. Plug in gaps with cheap guys, and if those key players rebound and you find yourself in a pennant race, then you get bold during the season. Or if guys start dropping again, at least you kept your powder dry and didn't do any additional damage to your long-term flexibility.

Signed RP Kyuji Fujikawa, formerly of the Cubs, to a 1-year deal.