KT 90 said:

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Jimtim1216 said:

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Interesting...

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A controllable starter that is mostly a salary dump would be idieal. Hopefully we wouldn't have to give up too many prospects, at least not decent ones.

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Possible salary dumps could be Greinke, samardzila, and Duffy ?

Grapesoda2525 said:

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KT 90 said:

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Jimtim1216 said:

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Interesting...

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A controllable starter that is mostly a salary dump would be idieal. Hopefully we wouldn't have to give up too many prospects, at least not decent ones.

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Possible salary dumps could be Greinke, samardzila, and Duffy ?

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And Bauer. I'm sure there are others.

There are 3 things we probably have to keep in mind.

First, is win now (next couple weeks). If we can put some distance between us and the others in the WC quickly, rumors of adding another front-line start might discourage other teams from staying in the race.

Rangers
Cleveland: 2(GB)
BoSox: 2
Oakland: 3
LAA 4
CWS: 4
Seattle, Detroit, Toronto, KC and Balt have mostly waved the white flag.

I don't think any of the teams chasing can add much in terms of payroll. BoSox are at like $236M.

Second, as teams start to distance, it brings in more SPs available, which will drive the cost down.

Third, if we add anything, it has to be that one guy we can count on to start a WC game and win it. Not a mid-tier, middle of the road SP.

Stroman (28-Tor): 14GS, 3.31 (controlled though 2020 @Arb)
Bauer (28-Cle): 14GS, 3.93 (controlled through 2020 Arb)
Scherzer (34-WSN): 14GS, 2.83 (controlled through 2021 @$42M per)
Greinke (35-Ari): 14GS, 2.87 (controlled through 2021 @$35M per)
Jake deGrom (31-NYM): 13GS, 3.45 (controlled about 5 more yrs @ ~$32M per)

Stroman and Bauer will likely be expensive to get because they are Arb3. For Scherzer and Greinke... even deGrom, you might find few takers. The big spending teams like LAD, Cubs, , Hou, NYY & Bos... they are tapped out on committed money. Minn, Tampa, Oakland, Brewers... No chance they are an option.

Added Trevor Bauer in the edit.

I wouldn't turn down a mid-tier starter that could be acquired as mostly a salary dump. It would get Smyly out of the rotation at least and if it's mostly a salary dump it wouldn't cost much prospect wise. Of course, pulling in a Bauer or a Grienke type would be preferable, but we'd be taking on a salary dump and giving up more prospects.

Jimtim1216 said:

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Interesting...

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My one fear of becoming "buyers" is that we end up like the 2000s Mavericks for the next several years. Good enough to make a playoff run, but not a serious championship contender.

Don't get me wrong, I love playoff runs and anything can happen once you're in the tournament, but I looks at the majority of our roster and farm system and just don't see the makings of a true contender.

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Don't get me wrong, I love playoff runs and anything can happen once you're in the tournament, but I looks at the majority of our roster and farm system and just don't see the makings of a true contender.

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I agree with this. Which is why I'd like to only consider trading for pitchers that are controllable for multiple years. If it helps this year, great. But mostly would like to fortify for the future years. And since we apparently will have more money to spend, getting a controllable pitcher via a salary dump seems to be the best route to go.

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Morosi saying the Rangers are seeking controllable starters makes sense, as that has probably been true of the Rangers for the last 30 years. That said, the number of quality starters out there under team control is relatively slim, and the Rangers farm system at this point is more quantity than quality, making it hard for them to put together the type of package that a good starting pitcher under team control for several years is likely to command.
The most likely scenario, were the Rangers to become buyers, would be to pursue decent pitchers whose contracts are such that they wouldn't command a significant return in talent. We have previously discussed Mike Leake as someone who might be of interest, if the Marinerssubsidized some of his contract. Jeff Samardzija is making $19 million this year and next year and hasn't been good, though he could be of interest if the Giants absorbed a significant amount of his contract. And of course there is Jon Daniels' white whale, Zack Greinke, who is under contract through 2021 at $35 million per year.
If the Rangers do slump, and a wild card berth appears less likely, Mike Minor would obviously be the shiniest chip the Rangers would have to trade, though it is hard to get a good handle on what his market would be. Texas would seem to have interest in an extension, potentially, though Minorwould likely use Miles Mikolas's 4 year, $68 million deal as a benchmark, and I'm skeptical Texas would want to go four years.
That said, even if potentially, especially if the Rangers deal Minor, they'd be in the market for starting pitching help. Someone has to absorb some innings, and even if you believe in Ariel Jurado and Adrian Sampson, there's a hole in the rotation that needs plugging, and dealing Minor would simply make it bigger. I wouldn't expect a major move, but if Texas keeps it close, you could see some minor pieces go in a deal to get a functioning, reliable starter in who can be penciled in beyond 2019.

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What scenario would a trade deadline deal for a SP make sense?

Realistically we are fighting for a WC spot. If we do nothing or get a SP... the next hurdle or gate is to get past the WC game. A single game.

Trading for a SP has to have that outcome in mind, or it doesn't make sense.

If we are looking for a mid-tier SP for 2020, and 2021 and beyond, that isn't going to start the WC game... we can pick those up as an off-season FA, without giving up prospects.

At that point, we might as well keep our powder dry, until June 2020, to see if that is the piece we truly need. Maybe Jurado or Sampson or Palumbo have stepped up.

Wheeler... 4.2IP, today... 5 ER

Here we go...

Jurado has looked better than the line appears.

Walk back-to-back guys with 2 Outs, then get your pitch, but it gets smacked deep into CF.

Hope he settles back down and chews up some innings.

Bases loaded, no outs, and we only get one run out of it.

Elvis, being the veteran he is, sure does put together some terrible plate appearances at times. Three pitches? Really? That 0-2 breaking ball was nowhere near the plate and he got embarrassed by it. He has to be better than that. Boston is not a team you can **** around with with only a 1-run lead

Realistically, if 4-5 weeks we are in the same position I think you have to make a move for a SP. need one that can be controlled. Give up a position player.(s)

That's an out but Guzman may want to ease up on the super quick hotdogging ball flips. Not impossible for an ump to consider it a bobble

Betts moves from right to center and the world ends. Wow.

Pence with the inside the park HR

Tossing everybody!

Weird stuff has happened in Boston these last two nights

Don't know I've ever seen both managers tossed.

How is Angel Hernandez still employed by MLB?

1st ejection of Woody, AFAIK.

Bet he gets fined, etc...

DannyDuberstein said:

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I have never seen one where the guy scored before the ball was even picked up.

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Not since they put up fences.

Actually, I've seen a couple of balls off the wall, where the player was very slow to get up...

Not often, though.

DallasAg 94 said:

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1st ejection of Woody, AFAIK.

Bet he gets fined, etc...

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I'm curious to know what set him off. Pretty odd for a manager to go nuts like that literally one batter after getting a 6 run lead

gigem1223 said:

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How is Angel Hernandez still employed by MLB?

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Because the MLB is...racist?

gigem1223 said:

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How is Angel Hernandez still employed by MLB?

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He must get a bonus for each bad call resulting in an ejection. I think he leads the league in that category.

Like Supreme Court Justices, they're pretty much set to exit on their own terms.

Both Angel and C.B. Bucknor are great candidates for release if MLB ever decides to enforce some kind of competency metrics.

Besides, didnt Angel claim some kind of racial bias BS about not being selected to work the Series. He'd probably make a scene if he were reprimanded in some way.

Hunter wasn't arguing with whatever Woody was mad about. Either he just wanted to move the game along or didn't disagree.

Jurado just hit 94 and 93 on pitches 93 and 94...not lacking for stuff. Everything he throws has movement.

PWestAg18 said:

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DallasAg 94 said:

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1st ejection of Woody, AFAIK.

Bet he gets fined, etc...

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I'm curious to know what set him off. Pretty odd for a manager to go nuts like that literally one batter after getting a 6 run lead

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I was going to comment from 94chem, about not having seen it before. I've seen a couple where both managers were ejected.

IIRC, at least one of them was around players getting plunked. The one manager gets tossed for defending his hitter/pitcher... and then the other manager (home team)... not to be outdone by the other manager... wants to get ejected to show how he defends his player, as well.

Woody seemed like he wanted to get tossed because Cora got tossed. LOL.

I'm not sure what the issue is. Woody is pretty good in post-game interview, so we'll learn. Speculation was that either Woody wasn't given enough time to appeal/review... or that it appeared the Ump called him safe, and then called him out, without him coming off the base.

It was probably in that he wasn't given an explanation of the call with enough time, so that he could review the play to determine if he wanted to appeal.

There was a game earlier this season where Woody felt shorted on review time. It's likely he's got a pretty sour taste about the process and a short fuse with it.

Martinez is like Pujols. Speed up his bat, and prepare to pay.