Wacha has developed a dinger problem. Been giving up a ton of them the past 2 years. He just can't seem to get the shoulder right, and shoulders are a whole different ball of wax than elbows

Maybe Wacha wasn't interested in the Rangers

The FA market seems weird this year. Almost nobody got a qualifying offer (cough, cough - COLLUSION) and then so many of these guys are only signing one year deals. Guess I'm a little confused on what's going on with the market.

I just chalk it up to covid financial uncertainty. Teams don't want to commit to a more aggressive long-term offer without having a better handle on what their revenue stream looks like. Players don't want a long-term deal with a covid uncertainty discount baked in. So they are all largely hitting the one year pass button

I don't really follow the NBA or NFL anymore, what were their off seasons like this summer? The transfer window jn soccer this was definitely depressed this summer.

DannyDuberstein said:

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I just chalk it up to covid financial uncertainty. Teams don't want to commit to a more aggressive long-term offer without having a better handle on what their revenue stream looks like. Players don't want a long-term deal with a covid uncertainty discount baked in. So they are all largely hitting the one year pass button

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Yeah, this is the answer. Only the top shelf type free agents are going to get long term deals this off-season. Might be a few shorter term deals for the mid-level guys, but we will see a lot of one year deals. Doesn't mean the players wont come back at some point and try to claim collusion, but it's kind of hard to be passing out too many long term guaranteed deals when the revenues are so up in the air.

This might actually be a good thing for the Rangers being in rebuild mode. Take a few flyers on one year make do type deals, then offer them a longer term deal if they have good year.

It will definitely result in more options on the market s year from now.

Nice signing.

Here is a short writeup on him. https://www.mlb.com/news/kohei-arihara-posting-decision


@Sullivan_Ranger
December 25, 2020
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers added a potential candidate to their starting rotation when they reached an agreement with Japanese right-handed pitcher Kohei Arihara on a two-year contract, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The value of the contract is between $6 million and $7.5 million, including posting fees. The Rangers have not yet announced the deal. Arihara's 30-day posting window was set to expire on Saturday.

Arihara, 28, has spent the past six seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters and was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in 20 games and 132 2/3 innings. He averaged 7.2 strikeouts, 2.0 walks and 8.5 hits per nine innings.

Arihara's best season was in 2019, when he made 24 starts and was 15-8 with a 2.46 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He averaged 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Arihara averages in the low 90s with his fastball and also throws a changeup and a slider. He is not considered as overpowering as other Japanese pitchers who have made the jump to the United States.

But he is still expected to be a part of a rotation that already includes Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles. The other candidates include left-handers Wes Benjamin and Kolby Allard, and right-hander Dane Dunning.
Kyle Cody is another candidate for the rotation. But Arihara's signing would be a significant step toward allowing him to get badly needed development time in the Minor Leagues after pitching just 27 2/3 innings over the past three seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Looks like we are not going to get Kim. I was kind of hoping we would.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/12/padres-sign-ha-seong-kim.html

IronAg45 said:

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Looks like we are not going to get Kim. I was kind of hoping we would.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/12/padres-sign-ha-seong-kim.html

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Of course we have to lose out to the Padres. That team sure seems like they have turned things around.

The Padres are all in at this point. They are making moves like I have never seen before. Two Cy Young type pitchers in 24 hours is ridiculous. They have the prospects to pull it off I guess.

Can they both pitch in the 1-game wildcard they'll have to win to just get to the division series?

And... Darvish to the Padres.

Schall 02 said:

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And... Darvish to the Padres.

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They also signed that Korean SS/UTL IF. They are going all in, but have to get by the Dodgers to take the NL.

Sucks how we couldn't get any of their prospects.

That reference to TJ surgery in Sullivan's article is to Kyle Cody.

So how bad we gonna suck this year? We thinking if everything goes right we might finish 3rd in the west?

Their win % last year would have been a 60-102 full season. I expect about that in 2021

DallasAg 94 said:

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It is hard to believe the Rangers are better in 2021.

I always like to start with SP.
2020 Gone:
Lynn: 13 GS, 84.0 IP, 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 9.5 K/9
MInor: 7 GS, 35.1 IP, 5.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.9 K/9

202 Returning for 2021:
Gibson (32-R): 12 GS, 67.1 IP, 5.35 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 7.8 K/9
Lyles (29-R): 9 GS, 57.2 IP, 7.02 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 5.6 K/9
Allard (22-L): 8 GS, 33.2 IP, 7.75 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 8.6 K/9

TR Sullivan suggested a rotation, back in Nov:
Lynn, Gibson, Lyles, Allard, and Wes Benjamin (26-L)

Since that article, we've picked up:

Dane Dunning (26-R) in a trade for Lance Lynn.
7GS, 34.0 IP, 3.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.3 K/9

You lose the 2 best SPs from your rotation and don't really replace them.

4.00 ERA in 20 GS (Lynn & Minor) Lost
6.46 ERA in 29 GS (Gibson, Lyles, & Allard) Kept

You are looking at 2.5 more ERs per game given up.

Lynn had 6 of the 22 Ws.

I mean... Tim Dilliard was signed last week, and I think he is as good a pickup as any for this team.

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Does it really matter?

The miserly stooges are going to coast on the allure of the " new stadium" for as long as they can then hopefully sell the damn team.

We don't have a set 1st baseman, second baseman, or third basemen either. Seems like everything is open because nobody has stepped forward and proven themselves except for IKF who got moved to short stop.

Gee Rangers - thanks?

It's going to be an... interesting season. I can't imagine the financial difficulties a franchise that spends money on a new park and then gets little revenue from it in Year 1 is having... But likely going to have reduced capacity for much of Year 2 as well.

Just terrible timing.

DallasAg 94 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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It's going to be an... interesting season. I can't imagine the financial difficulties a franchise that spends money on a new park and then gets little revenue from it in Year 1 is having... But likely going to have reduced capacity for much of Year 2 as well.

Just terrible timing.

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They didn't spend money on the new park. Tax payers visiting Arlington paid for most of it... The residents covered the rest.

They spent money on "Live!," and best I can tell... there was money flowing into it.

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They even got Arlington to pay for some of Texas Live as well.

Silly to act like you don't care about the franchise's financial woes when it's related to the product they put on the field.

Can't wait to wonder how much financial stress I'm going to be in once again because the majority of my income comes from commission because they don't pay us a livable wage. But that's my fault because I chose this career

Mr Gigem said:

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Can't wait to wonder how much financial stress I'm going to be in once again because the majority of my income comes from commission because they don't pay us a livable wage. But that's my fault because I chose this career

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The pro sports business is a real grind. Seems like too many employees are underpaid and overworked in your industry.

I started in the NBA right out of school. The salary for sales reps was $18k and they received 1% on new season ticket sales(0% on renewal but were required to have an 80% renewal rate). Very tough to start out on much less survive in a pandemic.