Yea, probably 8 or so...


or are you implying that a christmas gift may include a non-pitcher? Hosmer???

I think it's clear Texas has the $$$ for a big name free agent SP if one is available. The money is there for both Darvish and Arrieta, it's whether Texas wants to go that high. Personally I'm out on Arrieta -- too many warning signs. And from what I've read there's been no reason to believe Texas has moved on from Yu. I think Texas is in the same boat when it comes to Yu/Arrieta as everyone else -- they are waiting to see what happens with the Ohtani sweepstakes before the big free agent moves.

I'm in on Darvish if it means Ohtani is coming as well. If not... I guess I'd classify it under the "it's not my money" category -- I don't think it's worth spending big money for a Hamels/Darvish/Perez/Fister/Minor rotation because that's likely a wildcard team at best, but the alternative is a minor rebuild and 2018 not really amounting to anything from jump street.

Re: finances and roster. Otani is so cheap and that I'm not sure the Rangers, with such a thin and weak rotation as it stands today, should be viewing Darvish and Arrieta any differently regardless of whether or not they sign Otani.

There will be roster spots for both Darvish and Arrieta regardless and whether they can afford 1 or both of them shouldn't change because Otani is making the league minimum.

Of course, I'm setting aside the one time $20 million payment plus bonus, but that shouldn't change anything, either.



Re; competitiveness. I don't agree that if I don't get Otani, I'm suddenly changing the overall strategy. The team can be competitive in the next year and/or few years with the right moves during this and the next few off-seasons, with or without Otani.

Otani is too much of an unknown, anyways, to be placing such a lynchpin status on him in the first place.

free_mhayden said:

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I think it's clear Texas has the $$$ for a big name free agent SP if one is available. The money is there for both Darvish and Arrieta, it's whether Texas wants to go that high. Personally I'm out on Arrieta -- too many warning signs. And from what I've read there's been no reason to believe Texas has moved on from Yu. I think Texas is in the same boat when it comes to Yu/Arrieta as everyone else -- they are waiting to see what happens with the Ohtani sweepstakes before the big free agent moves.

I'm in on Darvish if it means Ohtani is coming as well. If not... I guess I'd classify it under the "it's not my money" category -- I don't think it's worth spending big money for a Hamels/Darvish/Perez/Fister/Minor rotation because that's likely a wildcard team at best, but the alternative is a minor rebuild and 2018 not really amounting to anything from jump street.

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Aside from Ohtani, how much do you think the Stanton sweepstakes are holding things up?!

I think SF is waiting to hear if he'll waive the no-trade clause. I think SL is involved as well. Once that and Ohtani are decided, I would expect some quick movement on several players. The dominoes will move quickly, I think.

I don't know if SF is looking at Ohtani and\or Stanton leading one or the other.

TXAggie2011 said:

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Otani is too much of an unknown, anyways, to be placing such a lynchpin status on him in the first place.

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If you think organizations haven't been waiting to see what comes of the Ohtani sweepstakes to make some of their major free agent decisions, you haven't been paying attention.

I pay attention but don't agree that a bunch of teams have been or continue to wait on Otani to decide if they're going to try to be competitive in 2018 and decide their overall club outlook.

But even if we're about to see a bunch of teams throw their hands up on 2018 and change their outlooks when they don't get him, nothing changes about my opinion that Otani doesn't deserve that credit.

Ohtani is a very unique situation that baseball just hasn't seen before. I don't think many (if any) clubs think Ohtani is going to be a centerpiece or a player that makes or breaks their club (especially for 2018). But with someone as "polished" and "cheap" as he will come, there is no doubt it has a lot of clubs in wait and see mode.

Take the Rangers. If they don't get him, maybe that forces the Rangers to over pay for Darvish and/or Arreita. Or if they do get him, maybe that changes the way Sea/Laa go about their off season.

Just one example, but I think most clubs just want to figure out what's going to happen with this once in a lifetime player acquisition, and go from there. Sure, it is not going to "change" the outlook on a club's perspective of being a contender or not, but then again, no one is really arguing that it is either.

After this, I'm thinking he goes Seattle

https://instagr.am/p/BcaygngAWzY

_lefraud_ said:

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Ohtani is a very unique situation that baseball just hasn't seen before. I don't think many (if any) clubs think Ohtani is going to be a centerpiece or a player that makes or breaks their club (especially for 2018). But with someone as "polished" and "cheap" as he will come, there is no doubt it has a lot of clubs in wait and see mode.

Take the Rangers. If they don't get him, maybe that forces the Rangers to over pay for Darvish and/or Arreita. Or if they do get him, maybe that changes the way Sea/Laa go about their off season.

Just one example, but I think most clubs just want to figure out what's going to happen with this once in a lifetime player acquisition, and go from there. Sure, it is not going to "change" the outlook on a club's perspective of being a contender or not, but then again, no one is really arguing that it is either.

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Someone is saying it should change the outlook of a club, and takes the opposite of your view along the way re: overpaying Darvish. Anyways, I don't disagree that clubs may be delaying other possible signings to know if they'll have a potential SP/OF/DH/combination that they need a roster spot for and can potentially choose to spend their money on other positions.

As far as the Rangers and how they'll appropriate their money, I view Otani as too much of an unknown for a thin pitching staff to change how I would approach Darvish or Arietta or any other reputable starter this free agency. If you'll pay whatever for Darvish or Arietta without Otani, I'd pay it with Otani.

Um gonna go out and say that I think he's going to be a giant bust.

For those that were of the opinion Texas had an advantage because they could offer the most money -- not anymore.

free_mhayden said:

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For those that were of the opinion Texas had an advantage because they could offer the most money -- not anymore.

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Yup

https://instagr.am/p/BcbGfq7AcUH

Seattle looks to have everything he's looking for. Be shocked if he went anywhere else.

Makes you wonder if they were really down to Seattle and Anaheim.

Did they keep the Rangers in, in order to get those two to bump their money?

I think the Padres were a phantom pick. Cubs might have been a sentimental pick.

Rangers were already at their max. You include a bunch of teams that can't bump their Pool. Eliminate as many with extra pool money.

Seattle and Anaheim get told the Rangers money is a factor. Suddenly they increase their max.

Pretty much a suburb of Tokyo, but with higher real estate prices and more rain.

Didn't realize Rangers were maxed out. Since Othani prefers West coast and now we can't offer more money, not looking good.

So now we go after some of those Braves prospects that recently became free agents?

*with the international money we have

Still have other money to pursue other mlb starter options

I don't recall seeing the terms of Mike Minor's signing.

3yr/$28M

$8.3M for 2018. Yikes.

He said the Rangers were willing to consider him as a SP, which seems to have been the difference maker in signing him. He said he was open to RP, but that he has always been a SP and that is where he wants to be.

Seems like a desperate move to sign a guy to 3 years at $9M per year who hasn't been a SP since 2014. It will have been 4 seasons. Even then, in 2014 (age 26), he went 25GS, 145.1 IP and a 4.77 ERA/1.438 WHIP. In 2016, he was a SP in the minors for KC, but pretty much got lit up.

He will be 30 in a couple weeks. Even if he is below a 4.50 ERA... I can't see him going more than 140 IP. If we go with a 6-Man rotation with Ohtani, I see a value for Minor, but still not at that price.

I would think the $8M in 2018 would be an indication we are out of Darvish\Arrieta, unless we substantially raise salary.

We are now at $121M for 2018, with 10 signed:
SP: Hamels ($23.5M), Minor ($8.3M), Perez ($6M), Fister ($3.5M)
RP: Barnette: ($1.5M)
OF: Choo ($20M)
IF: Beltre ($18M), Andrus ($15.3M), Odor ($3.3M), Chirinos ($2.3M)

Add the -
Arbs: Diekman, Kela, Profar (should be traded), Rua
Serfs: Mazara, Claudio, DeShields, Bush, Gallo ~ $550K each

At a minimum, we need
at least one more SP (FA?, YoMen?, Herrera?)
at least one OF

Some rumors on Darvish I've heard range from 6yr/$20M ($120M) to 5yr/$25M ($125M)

Ohtani to the Angels

AccidentProne said:

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Ohtani to the Angels

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Interesting.... I'm actually more okay with that than I am the Mariners. The Angels are still just not as good as they should be with Trout.

F'ing Angels!!!

*tries not to think about what our starting rotation is*

The Angels?!?!?

Hear that? That was our window officially closing.

jtstanley4621 said:

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Huell Babineaux said:

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Way to go JD. Bet you're glad you wasted all that time fondling this guys nuts for the last 7 years. We're ****ed again next year

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You seemingly always jump to the cliffs, dude. There is no certainty that Otani is going to be a superstar. I agree that the talent level heading into this season isn't great, especially in terms of the starting rotation, it's baseball! The Otani whiff is not going to be the singular reason why we struggle.

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We went into the offseason needing pieces in order for us to compete next year. Doesn't look like we're set up to get much.

Doug Fister and Mike Minor? How long is JD gonna keep sticking band-aids on our pitching staff?

I don't disagree, but this team to begin with is missing things. Yes, that's JD's fault, but I didn't think Otani was gonna fix everything.

We traded away the young talent we had to get the pieces we thought (and most of the baseball world thought) would bring us to the World Series again. I don't blame JD for pulling the trigger on Hamels and Lucroy at the time of those trades. In hindsight, it would be a breath of fresh air to have those players still in the organization

Not sure Ohtani had any intention at all of signing with a non-west coast team.

"Small market team" = LAA?

Whatever. Like was said above, he was never leaving the West Coast to play in Texas

I'm just not sure what Ohtani is thinking with the LAAA. There has to be something we are missing.

So much for the small market.
So much for money not being an object.

With Trout, maybe he likes the idea of a marquee name to carry the banner.
With Pujols, it isn't like if Ohtani struggles that the Halos don't have another big name underperforming...

It just seems like Anaheim was never even in the conversations. Just weird.

Probably some under the table deal

Better do something with that international money now.

AggieDPT said:

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Better do something with that international money now.

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Need to go after some of those Braves prospects that recently went on the open market. Think the Angels (of all teams) already snagged a couple though.