Spent the evening with my wife, kids, and my sister's family watching The Force Awakens in blissful ignorance.

Ozuna a Ranger?


http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/01/rangers-marlins-talking-marcell-ozuna-but-deal-unlikely.html

The trade proposals in the comments of that link are pretty laughable going both ways. One guy mentions Martinez as a "throw-in" and another guy thinks that Brinson is too high of a price.

10-game plans are going on sale 1st week of February. PM me your email if you're interested, and I'll send you some info.

Also, if you're looking at other plans or group/suites, I can help you with that as well

Anybody headed out to Fanfest next weekend? I've never been, but I'm taking my 9 year old daughter - wicked little softball player/pitcher and HUGE Rangers fan. Any advice on navigating the autograph onslaught?

I will be there

Word is The Rangers have shown continued interest in Lucroy and he wants to be traded. I'm all for the move. He's cheap, would be an immediate upgrade at the plate and gives us a needed RH bat. What do you guys think it'd take to get him here?

yes please

Milwaukee wants way more than he's worth.

Anybody interested in splitting a half season plan this season? I have a client who is looking for a ticket partner to split his tickets with. He has a great location in the lower infield looking right down the 3rd base line. Shoot me a message if you're interested

I hope I posted the image correctly.

Went to the Rangers Fan Fest today. Here is what the A&M caps for university days for this year will look like. Game day TBD.

Blech. Flatbill dbag version

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The trade proposals in the comments of that link are pretty laughable going both ways. One guy mentions Martinez as a "throw-in" and another guy thinks that Brinson is too high of a price.

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Martinez is an interesting situation. I think he's a talented player who could have a bright future, but his role with the Rangers at the moment is undefined and I would bring that up immediately if I were with another club and in trade talks with the Rangers.

(And I can't imagine Nick Martinez is just thrilled right now, either. At 25 year's old, he's got to want more clarity on his role with the Rangers.)

Did you see they are going to have 9 bobblehead giveaways this year??

I didn't see that, but I did see that the Beltre bobblehead is going to have a removable hat so that you can touch his head

The Banister bobblehead will be pointing his finger like he did in the bench-clearing argument against the Astros last year. And the best part of it all, it will be given out when the Astros are in town!

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Martinez is an interesting situation. I think he's a talented player who could have a bright future, but his role with the Rangers at the moment is undefined and I would bring that up immediately if I were with another club and in trade talks with the Rangers.

(And I can't imagine Nick Martinez is just thrilled right now, either. At 25 year's old, he's got to want more clarity on his role with the Rangers.)

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There really isn't much about Martinez that points to him ever being more than a swing man/org guy. Maybe he's a regular rotation member of a non-contender (see 2014 Rangers), but on any competing club, he's at best a #6/#7 starter/Long man in the bullpen/Up and down between AAA spot starter. To that end, and given that he doesn't represent a ton of potential, I actually do think that he'd largely be treated as a throw-in, or atleast represents less value than any meaningful prospect would in trade talks.

As far as his attitude, I'm sure he's thrilled he's earning an MLB minimum paycheck. He was a mediocre middle infielder at a mediocre baseball college 4 years ago. His baseball life has exploded beyond his wildest dreams.

Squirrel,

I'm not really sure what would lead you to that conclusion, but I disagree completely. I understand that he hasn't really been on any prospect rankings lists and therefore hasn't generated the same buzz that the prospect watchers love to drool over. He buzzed through the minor leagues and in 2014, won a job out of spring training on a pitching staff that was coming off of five straight winning seasons and that had yet to be hit by the injury bug that would disrupt the next two seasons. He's managed to spend most of the last two seasons in the majors (his 3rd and 4th as a pitcher) and he even posted an rWAR of 1.0 this past year. He's started the past two seasons really well and then finished poorly, which is to be expected by young pitchers who haven't thrown heavy innings in their career. He's right about at the age and experience level where good pitchers tend to figure it out. Pitchers that have had success such as he has had and that have room for improvement are typically what rebuilding clubs look for in a trade partner.

13 days until pitchers and catchers report!!!

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Squirrel,

I'm not really sure what would lead you to that conclusion, but I disagree completely. I understand that he hasn't really been on any prospect rankings lists and therefore hasn't generated the same buzz that the prospect watchers love to drool over. He buzzed through the minor leagues and in 2014, won a job out of spring training on a pitching staff that was coming off of five straight winning seasons and that had yet to be hit by the injury bug that would disrupt the next two seasons. He's managed to spend most of the last two seasons in the majors (his 3rd and 4th as a pitcher) and he even posted an rWAR of 1.0 this past year. He's started the past two seasons really well and then finished poorly, which is to be expected by young pitchers who haven't thrown heavy innings in their career. He's right about at the age and experience level where good pitchers tend to figure it out. Pitchers that have had success such as he has had and that have room for improvement are typically what rebuilding clubs look for in a trade partner.

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I'm basing my opinion strictly on watching him pretty much every start he's had so far. He doesn't really have a single pitch that I would rate as a plus pitch. Now, maybe he'll continue to develop and improve his breaking stuff to where he can make it a weapon, but to me he seems like a guy who will always have to pitch to contact, work the low part of the zone, and hope to get away with some stuff. I have a tough time ever seeing him as a sub 4.50 ERA guy.

I'm open to the possibility that he can beat my projections either through bulking up and adding some power and control, or getting his stuff coached up a bit since he's still a relatively inexperienced pitcher. I don't dislike the guy at all, and I'm impressed with how far he's come in a relatively short time. I just have a really tough time watching him and projecting his ceiling to be anything more than a #5.

Well, his ERA last year already surpassed the very expectations that you stated. The one before it was just five points higher than it. Those were in the portion of a career that one would expect a pitcher to get hit harder as they are learning the craft.

He also only threw 125 innings. I'm talking about as a full-time starter. He started well, but fell off considerably and was sent to the minors to protect him.

Regardless, he's an interesting player to follow and see what comes. I'm not trying to trash him on here. Just anticipating nothing more than say, Tommy Hunter.

Heard Houston is one of the teams showing interest in Gallardo. Can't recall other 2 teams I heard.

Baltimore has been a name mentioned a lot in regard to Gallardo.

After signing Fister, gotta figure that Houston's interest in him is gone.

Evan Grant on the plan for Profar

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2016/02/09/rangers-spring-training-issues-planning-uneventful-camp-jurickson-profar

I hope he kills it in spring training and beats out Elvis.

Alberto/Odor/Profar could be a great middle/utility group...I'm not sure I can stomach another season of The King at SS. His performance against the Jays was one one the record books.

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Alberto/Odor/Profar could be a great middle/utility group...I'm not sure I can stomach another season of The King at SS. His performance against the Jays was one one the record books.

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Man... I'd gone so long without thinking about that. Thanks for the reminder.

Perhaps

Done. See y'all over there