Arb 3 in 2023
UFA in 2024

Mr Gigem said:

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It's definitely going to happen

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Yep. Do it now and you're back for spring training.

Unlucky first inning so far. So much weak contact, just tons of speed by KC

Nice top of the second though

Slow ass pursuit on that. You don't see too many lazy fly balls like that fall in. Wtf

vander54 said:

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Nice top of the second though

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And bad bottom of the second

Fore Left! said:

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Slow ass pursuit on that. You don't see too many lazy fly balls like that fall in. Wtf

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He was moving pretty quick. Looked really surprised that he didn't catch it

Really seems like both defenses just look uninterested in this game so far

Nice adjustment but Tavares may need to see Ricky Vaughn's optometrist

Semien breaks the tie

vander54 said:

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Semien breaks the tie

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Clutch!

Garver!!

Didn't get to catch the game tonight. Looks like Heim, Calhoun, Lowe and Taveras are heating up. Nice W. Hope we can get back to .500 with a KC sweep.

I think he has one more year left of team control.

Mr Gigem said:

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Garver!!

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What is the deal with Garver's injury? Yesterday the talk was he may be done for the year. Today he is launching home runs!

WestTexasAg said:

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Mr Gigem said:

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Garver!!

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What is the deal with Garver's injury? Yesterday the talk was he may be done for the year. Today he is launching home runs!

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I believe it's a right forearm issue that doesn't really affect his hitting. The issue is he's not a DH. We brought him here to be the primary catcher. We've been very fortunate that Heim is having a great offensive season.

Last night was an enjoyable game to watch.

I really hope Leody can figure it out with the bat because he's fun to watch play outfield.

Read an article this morning that the Senate Judiciary committee is reviewing the legality of MLB's anti-trust exemption. Will be interesting to see if anything comes of that, it could completely alter the landscape if it changes.

What would be the potential effects? I always knew it was a thing, but never really understood how it really helped them.

Quincey P. Morris said:

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What would be the potential effects? I always knew it was a thing, but never really understood how it really helped them.

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I'm not a lawyer, but my general understanding is that it frees up MLB to conduct business in a more authoritarian manner, especially in regard to labor disputes/strikes. For years, the ATE allowed clubs to prevent free agency, for example. It protects the MLB clubs from competition, like a start-up league. It also is used to prevent teams from moving to different cities whenever they want to, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Bottom line is that losing their ATE would change the way owners have to conduct business, especially in regard to player contracts, the draft, minor leagues, etc.

Here's a snippet from Levi Weaver's most recent Ranger update in the Athletic about Garver.

Garver's injured forearm flexor means he won't catch again this season. Much like Shohei Ohtani's recovery from Tommy John surgery, Garver can still swing a bat, but he can't throw. Worse yet, the time spent on the COVID-19 IL stiffened his arm, making it even more uncomfortable. This presents the Rangers with a conundrum: Garver says he can't be the player he wants to be without surgery, so the front office has to decide if keeping his bat in the lineup is worth the cost of him missing some of the 2023 season or if it's better to pull the trigger on the procedure now so he can be fully healthy and ready to go for next season.

"You know, it's not ideal," Garver said, clearly frustrated. "The front office knows about it, the staff knows about it. I mean, it's not really a big secret at this point. We're trying to do the best we can to manage it."
While surgery seems inevitable, the when might be dictated by the performance of the team. The Rangers have been lingering on the outskirts of wild-card contention for over a month. If they surge into late-season relevance, Garver's presence in the lineup could provide value as they chase their first postseason appearance since 2016. If they wilt, there's no point in mortgaging 2023 for meaningless games this season.
"If we do have to go down that road, then we have to decide where we're at in the standings," said manager Chris Woodward. "If it's a pretty steep mountain to climb, then it probably wouldn't make sense to hang on. But if we're on a tear, pull off seven or eight in a row, or just somehow get into a really good position, that's a much tougher decision. And you never know. If you've got an opportunity, a chance to win the bracket, if we pull it off, I think he'd probably want to be a part of that."

Another factor is whether Garver's production is going to warrant sticking around. While he hit well before going on the COVID IL, he's 1-for-9 since returning. "I'm not hitting the ball well," Garver said. "I'm not gonna blame it on my elbow; I'm just not hitting the ball well, and it is what it is. But I do think (the elbow stiffness) is part of it. (It) sucks not being able to catch. It's who I am. I'm not a DH, I'm a catcher. So a big part of who I am is missing if I can't go out there and do what I want to do and do what I'm good at."

It does help that the Rangers have catching depth, even after trading Jose Trevino to the Yankees. Jonah Heim has always been an above-average defender and pitch-framer at the position, but this year, he has emerged as a perfectly serviceable every-day big-leaguer, hitting .246/.307/.474 (.781 OPS) with 10 home runs. And while Sam Huff is back in Triple A to get more playing time, he's still considered a part of the team's future plans and could be paired with Heim, whether that's this year or next. After that, there's Meibrys Viloria, who is currently in the big leagues, and Yohel Pozo, who hit well in Arlington in 2021. Further down the depth chart, David Garca is a highly-regarded prospect, though he's still a ways from being big-league ready.
But they'll have to make that decision soon. Surgery requires recovery time, and if the team wants Garver at full strength by spring training, that presents a deadline. Full recovery is usually around six to eight months (though Garver could return to a DH-only role sooner). That would mean the surgery would need to occur between about two weeks ago and the middle of August. The earlier they decide, the more wiggle room they give themselves to deal with any complications or setbacks.

Just do the surgery. I have a hard time believing Garver at DH is going to be the difference in this team making the playoffs. Give the others extended looks this year so you know what you have. Seems really straightforward to me

Nice inning from gray

Welcome to the big leagues chump.

Gray finally pitching like we thought he could

Josh Smith ties the franchise record for consecutive games to reach base safely to start his career (11).

"Awesome!!"

Record was previously held by Nick Solak.

"Oh."

DannyDuberstein said:

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Josh Smith ties the franchise record for consecutive games to reach base safely to start his career (11).

"Awesome!!"

Record was previously held by Nick Solak.

"Oh."

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Lol my thoughts exactly

Semien reads Texags!

Semien 3 run homer! Also made a nice defensive play on the short hop last inning.

Wow! Semien woke up today. Another great defensive play!

Big baws came to play tonight!

They heard you talking that ish