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Odor has a .505 OPS this spring.

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Trade for Birk?

A year ago Odor got that contract and hit the bombs against Cleveland opening day. Those were the days

Is anybody else surprised at the number and quality of free agents still out there?

http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/available/

SPs - Hellickson, Cobb,Lackey, etc
Closer - Greg Holland
OF - Cabrera, Werth

Just to name a few. There are still some players out there.

I fear this is going to be a long year.

It seems the White Sox got to Fister. 7 ER in 2.1. It's now 10-0 in 3rd

DallasAg 94 said:

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gougler08 said:

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I'm confused by the emoticon you chose. Surprised at the value (too much or not enough)? Surprised at the length? Or surprised that the Astros actually are ponying up for players when this thread thought they wouldn't?

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Let's start with your questions...

Do you like the value $30M/yr for 5 years?

Do you like the length (adding 4 years ending when he is 34)?
Do you like the Astros actually ponying up for players?
Do you care if Rangers fans think the Astros will pony up money?

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They gave him $1 million to sign, bumped his 18 salary to $16 mil from $6 mil, 19 salary to $16.5 mil from $6.5 mil and then he has a 5 yr/$130 mil extension. His $26 mil/yr average salary for those 5 years won't even place him in the top 10 of yearly salaries in baseball.

I drove bus said:

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I fear this is going to be a long year.

It seems the White Sox got to Fister. 7 ER in 2.1. It's now 10-0 in 3rd

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Ugh. I know it's ST, but I have seen nothing to get me excited for this year.

Well, this is one way for the Rangers to make some headlines before the season starts.

http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2018/03/21/texas-ranger-kills-eats-bull-that-injured-his-elbow-it-was-good-meat.html

So Matt Moore is sucking today. None of these retreads have looked very good. 4 runs in 1 2/3 innings so far.

Lone Star Ball says Jesse Chavez has been told he will be on the 25-man roster; and that he will be a long reliever who will occasionally start.

https://www.lonestarball.com/2018/3/21/17148284/texas-rangers-acquire-eliezer-alvarez-transactions-destin-hood-curt-casali-jesse-chavez-plouffe

With this rotation we may need multiple long guys out of the pen. Chavez may get his shot in the rotation before too long anyway.

ST so far. I know there is more to ST than the stats, but worth looking at:

Perez: 5.0 IP, 1.80

Minor: 6.1 IP, 2.84 ERA
YoMen: 12.0 IP, 3.00 ERA
Colon: 12.2 IP, 4.26 ERA
Chavez: 13.0 IP, 4.85 ERA
Hamels: 10.0 IP, 5.40 ERA
Fister: 10.1 IP, 6.10 ERA
Moore: 11.0 IP, 7.26 ERA
Blackburn: 7.2 IP, 8.22 ERA <- Put on 60DL
Lincecum: <- getting one more minor league appearance. declared not ready for opening day.

It will be interesting to see what shakes out on the rotation and if YoMen gets a shot.

DallasAg 94 said:

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ST so far. I know there is more to ST than the stats, but worth looking at:

Perez: 5.0 IP, 1.80

Minor: 6.1 IP, 2.84 ERA
YoMen: 12.0 IP, 3.00 ERA
Colon: 12.2 IP, 4.26 ERA
Chavez: 13.0 IP, 4.85 ERA
Hamels: 10.0 IP, 5.40 ERA
Fister: 10.1 IP, 6.10 ERA
Moore: 11.0 IP, 7.26 ERA
Blackburn: 7.2 IP, 8.22 ERA <- Put on 60DL
Lincecum: <- getting one more minor league appearance. declared not ready for opening day.

It will be interesting to see what shakes out on the rotation and if YoMen gets a shot.

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Didn't they already send YoMen to the minor league camp? Might as well see which of the retreads pan out before we rush YoMen to the bigs. Give it a few weeks and one or two of them will disappear.

I've been traveling and have had many distractions... so I may have missed that.

I agree. Might as well see if one of the retreads does anything.

DallasAg 94 said:

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ST so far. I know there is more to ST than the stats, but worth looking at:

Perez: 5.0 IP, 1.80

Minor: 6.1 IP, 2.84 ERA
YoMen: 12.0 IP, 3.00 ERA
Colon: 12.2 IP, 4.26 ERA
Chavez: 13.0 IP, 4.85 ERA
Hamels: 10.0 IP, 5.40 ERA
Fister: 10.1 IP, 6.10 ERA
Moore: 11.0 IP, 7.26 ERA
Blackburn: 7.2 IP, 8.22 ERA <- Put on 60DL
Lincecum: <- getting one more minor league appearance. declared not ready for opening day.

It will be interesting to see what shakes out on the rotation and if YoMen gets a shot.

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Perez has been really good. I am cautiously optimistic.

I know in Hamels' last outing, he threw nothing but fastballs down the middle of the plate. When he hit 80 pitches, he turned to the dugout and walked off the field. He was basically throwing BP. I trust that he will be what he is. If he isn't our ace, all bets are off anyway.

I am intrigued by the Hefty Lefty who still seems to be effective. Fister and Moore have flat out sucked. I think all three of these guys get a few times through the rotation before we see YoMen. He is the future and we don't want to dick up the future to win meaningless games in 2018. But I'm sure we will see him sometime this year.

I am more intrigued as to whether we see Kyle Cody or Cole Ragans this year. I've been a big proponent of "burn this m/fer down" and bring the kids up - hopefully as soon as July. I am excited by these guys. I also will speak blasphemy and say we should trade Beltre, move Gallo to his natural position and bring up Guzman.

wbt5845 said:

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Perez has been really good. I am cautiously optimistic.

I know in Hamels' last outing, he threw nothing but fastballs down the middle of the plate. When he hit 80 pitches, he turned to the dugout and walked off the field. He was basically throwing BP. I trust that he will be what he is. If he isn't our ace, all bets are off anyway.

I am intrigued by the Hefty Lefty who still seems to be effective. Fister and Moore have flat out sucked. I think all three of these guys get a few times through the rotation before we see YoMen. He is the future and we don't want to dick up the future to win meaningless games in 2018. But I'm sure we will see him sometime this year.

I am more intrigued as to whether we see Kyle Cody or Cole Ragans this year. I've been a big proponent of "burn this m/fer down" and bring the kids up - hopefully as soon as July. I am excited by these guys. I also will speak blasphemy and say we should trade Beltre, move Gallo to his natural position and bring up Guzman.

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I agree Hamels is what he is, likely. If not... ugh.

I agree about Perez and YoMen.

I don't think you'll be as intrigued with either Cody or Ragans. Ragans is either on his way for TJ Surgery and Cody will likely start season on DL with elbow inflammation.

DallasAg 94 said:

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I don't think you'll be as intrigued with either Cody or Ragans. Ragans is either on his way for TJ Surgery and Cody will likely start season on DL with elbow inflammation.

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I didn't realize they were hurt. I haven't been paying too close attention to the guys who are not going to start the season on the MLB roster.

Yohander Mendez was never a serious candidate to make the rotation out of spring training; he was always going to go down to AAA.

Lincecum and Barnette likely to open the season on DL.

LINK

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Tim Lincecum and Tony Barnette, Texas Rangers relief pitchers, will likely start the 2018 season on the disabled list, per the beat guys. Lincecum is still building up to regular season strength after signing and starting camp late, while Barnette has been slowed by a back issue.
Neither pitcher appears likely to miss significant time, but a d.l. stint to start the year would mean that each would miss the first week of the season. The consensus seems to be that pitcher Kevin Jepsen, in camp on a minor league deal, has the inside track to fill one of those spots in the bullpen after a strong camp. Jepsen, 33, has a 3.92 ERA in 400 major league innings, mostly with the Angels, and was particularly good in 2014 and 2015. Jepsen struggled in 2016, however, was released by the Diamondbacks at the end of the spring of 2017, and ended up pitching the final couple of months of the year with the Nationals' AAA affiliate, where he put up a 5.32 ERA in 23 innings.
The final few spots on the roster appear to be a bit fluid, as its still not been determined whether Martin Perez will start the season on the disabled list. He also would likely miss just the first week, which could offer a reprieve for Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci, should the Rangers opt to go with a four man bench and keep Tocci around for at least the first week of the season.

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Big Sexy released

Huell Babineaux said:

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Big Sexy released

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Allegedly they're still discussing a deal to sign him to a minors deal and keep him for depth.

Martin Perez to start season on DL. Tocci (rule 5 outfielder) makes opening day roster,which was unexpected based on previous reports.

If you are bored with some time on your hands, a little discussion on the fatass Bartolo Colon situation:

https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/rangers-release-bartolo-colon/c-269569882

Cobb to O's for something like 4yr/$57M?!

Not sure what to think. $15M/yr would seem reasonable for the guy. With recent health... you wonder if 4yrs is too long, or he is past any medical...

Ryno01 said:

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I'm going with Under. No chance in hell they get 78 Ws.

Clsoing the book on this one


Pitcher Additions
Bartolo Colon RHP 4x All-Star, former Cy Young winner
Doug Fister RHP made MLB debut in 2009, 3.68 career ERA
Kevin Jepsen RHP 33-year-old reliever, features upper-90s FB
Mike Minor LHP Has shot to join Rangers' rotation this spring
Matt Moore LHP 2013 All-Star looking for a career reboot
Jon Niese LHP 31-year-old starter, spent much of career w/ Mets
Shawn Tolleson RHP former Rangers closer rejoins the roster

Hitters
Darwin Barney 2B/IF 2012 Gold Glove winner
Juan Centeno C member of WS champion Astros
Trevor Plouffe 1B/3B 31 years old, 105 career HR






LOST PITCHERS
Dario Alvarez LHP signed with Cubs
Anthony Bass RHP signed with Cubs
Andrew Cashner RHP signed with Orioles
Preston Caliborne RHP signed with Indians
Yu Darvish RHP signed with Cubs
Sam Dyson RHP traded to Giants
Ernesto Frieri RHP signed with Brewers
Dillon Gee RHP signed in Japan
Miguel Gonzalez RHP signed with White Sox
A.J. Griffin RHP free agent
Jason Grilli RHP free agent
Mike Hauschild RHP returned to Astros
Jeremy Jeffress RHP traded to Brewers
Jhan Marinez RHP signed with Orioles
Nick Martinez RHP signed in Japan
Tyson Ross RHP signed with Padres
Tanner Scheppers RHP signed in Japan

Lost Hitters
Carlos Gomez OF free agent
Philip Gosselin IF signed with Reds
Jared Hoying OF signed in South Korea
A.J. Jimenez C free agent
Pete Kozma IF signed with Tigers
Jonathan Lucroy C free agent
Will Middlebrooks 3B signed with Phillies
Mike Napoli 1B/DH free agent

Thought Gomez was hitting leadoff for the Rays?

Ag2012 said:

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Thought Gomez was hitting leadoff for the Rays?

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Must be an older list. Napoli and Lucroy signed as well. Napoli may have been a minor league deal hoping to make the team. Not sure if he did or not.

Opening day.