I actually like Keller over Cease, so I'd much prefer Keller/ Bednar over Cease. Cease is a little overrated imo. Honestly am kind of hoping the Astros blow their farm up for him.

gigem1223 said:

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I actually like Keller over Cease, so I'd much prefer Keller/ Bednar over Cease. Cease is a little overrated imo. Honestly am kind of hoping the Astros blow their farm up for him.

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I doubt Pitt will package those 2 together to the same team vs maximizing their return and splitting them up between 2 teams. I'd be all for it 100% but don't see that happening. And we need Bednar more than Keller IMO.

I think they'd be blowing up their current roster. It would take guys like McCormick, Yainer Diaz, Hunter Brown, etc. imo. I like Cease, but I can't argue that he's not having a down year in basically every counting stat and advanced analytic. Mitch Keller would be just fine with me.

Tksymm7 said:

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I think they'd be blowing up their current roster. It would take guys like McCormick, Yainer Diaz, Hunter Brown, etc. imo. I like Cease, but I can't argue that he's not having a down year in basically every counting stat and advanced analytic. Mitch Keller would be just fine with me.

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Yeah, but his down year is still on pace for 3 WAR.

No doubt, and I'd still love to have him on my team. Just would have to be the right price. In a trade for a guy like Cease my only untouchables would probably be Carter and Walcott. Everyone else is fair game because of his upside and controllability left.

Some comments

I think KC traded Chapman for a couple reasons. One, they have a buyer with a pretty good offer. They also prbably wanted to move him before the market got flooded with LHRP.

Remember, Ragans went: 9GS, 4.95 (age 24) last year for the Rangers. I think the BP was not the place for him. His 1st GS for KC went 5.0, 1ER. In a place, like KC, he may play well.

I kinda thought that trade would facilitate more activity. I think teams are still trying to figure out the market, right now. Both buyers and sellers.

Probably start Monday, after this weekend's series, if positioning seems more definitive. Lots of teams have lots of holes and the question is whether what it will cost to fix.

Love getting Chap, but sure hated to see Ragens go. Would've loved for him to keep improving and move into our rotation.

Kennedi Landry came up with this trade proposal.. way too much

Houston (WC3) visits Oakland.

Matchup:
Sears (19, 3.99) v Valdez (18, 2.76)
Blackburn (8, 5.48) v Javier (18, 4.39)
Medina (9, 5.79) v TBD


Baltimore and Tampa play this weekend.
Boston (3GB from WC3) hosts the Mets.
Yankees (4GB from WC3) They host KC.

Houston has the opportunity to coast for a sweep, but then so do Boston and NYY.

I think if Houston sweeps and neither Boston nor NYY sweep, I think Sellers start to lineup frantically.

AL Buyers become:
Tier 1: Texas & Baltimore - Clear buyers a few holes to fill, looking for limited number of big Plaoff upgrades
Tier 2: Tampa, Toronto, Minnestoa - Several holes to fill to get to the playoffs, could piece more smaller trades. Cautious on big names.
Tier 3: Houston & Cleveland - Creative buyers who need too many fixes to make a big splach, looking to emerge and remain a playoff hopeful.

If Houston doesn't sweep and either Boston or NYY do sweep... the market will open with several pieces start to move and big names will be associated with most Tier 2 & Tier 3 teams above. Buyers will become aggressive.

MrCoachEricTaylor said:

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Love getting Chap, but sure hated to see Ragens go. Would've loved for him to keep improving and move into our rotation.

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Agree, but I think he is an example of getting squeezed out. All around a good trade for KC, Tex, and Ragans.

SIgning deGrom, Heaney, & getting Odorizzi pushed him way down. Then, with the emerging Dunning, it made him less relevant. And then with White, Otto, and Bradford sitting there, someone had to go.

The next week will be interesting to see who else we have to part with.

Fellas, she mentioned in her article that it still might be too much for the Rangers to part with for a 2 month rental. She's just spit balling, but tbh I think she's not far off. It's going to cost a fortune the way Arte Moreno is.

It is one too many players imo, though.

The Red Sox writer had a trade of Shohei for Marcelo Meyer straight up too

The only way I'd consider her trade is if we can keep Owen White. And then if I'm CY, I have to feel very very confident in my FA offer for Ohtani.

Just a few thoughts on the Ohtani thing. Totally my opinion, and some if not all you may disagree, but here goes.

I don't think the Rangers need to trade for Ohtani, or should. My reasoning is this: the holes in our current roster can be filled at far less cost than what it will likely/possibly take to pull Ohtani away from the Angels. What we really need, in order of priority IMO, is bullpen help, a TOR starter, and one more bat (OF). Ohtani certainly would provide #3, but certainly not #1 and I have reservations about him as a TOR starter - to me, he's a 2/3. A great 2/3, but that's how I see him. And even if he is a TOR guy, you still have bullpen problems to solve, and in acquiring Ohtani you basically shoot your trade wad and have to try to cobble something together.

Another thing I haven't seen discussed as much in regards to an Ohtani trade is Arte Moreno's ego, as it pertains to trading Ohtani to a team inside his own division. If I'm him, I would much prefer to trade him to the Yankees than to the Dodgers or any team in the AL west. Maybe that's not a factor in his thinking, but to me that would be akin to Jerry Jones trading the Cowboy's best player to the Eagles.

This has wound up being a really, really good team with just a few holes - holes that can be filled without trading away all or most of our top prospects. Guys like Foscue, Wendzel, Otto, Bradford, etc. - those are the guys I think we can leverage into acquiring what we need - not trading away White, Acuna, Leiter, etc.

I'm obviously not a GM but that's how I would be approaching this thing. If Moreno decides to settle for less in regards to Ohtani, great, make the trade. But I don't think he will, especially to the Rangers, and that's why I think you take a pass on a player that would be a 100% rental for likely a very high cost.

Hillarious trade suggestion.

MLB MIF, #2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 Prospects?!

Ohtani is a WANT for us, not a NEED. Our NEED is RHRP. Why would we gut our farm for a WANT?

We might give up 1 of: Duran, White, Acuna, or Leiter, but not more than one. Foscue and Harris are certainly available and likely part of a deal.

Ohtani developed a blister right before the ASB and hasn't pitched well since...

Yeah I don't think we can give up two guys who are likely helping you this year/by the end of the year, or at the very least the beginning of next season (White and Duran). I think they are going to let Owen White have every opportunity to be in the rotation going into next year *knock on wood*.

I'd agree with you if there were a large amount of TORP's out there to alternatively get. But there's not, so Ohtani also being able to fill a lineup hold is what makes him that much more valuable.

If there was a legit TORP and bullpen arm to go after, I'd absolutely make that priority #1 and #2. We don't need a bat. We can find room for a big bat (as could any team), but it's not a need.

rbtexan said:

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Just a few thoughts on the Ohtani thing. Totally my opinion, and some if not all you may disagree, but here goes.

I don't think the Rangers need to trade for Ohtani, or should. My reasoning is this: the holes in our current roster can be filled at far less cost than what it will likely/possibly take to pull Ohtani away from the Angels. What we really need, in order of priority IMO, is bullpen help, a TOR starter, and one more bat (OF). Ohtani certainly would provide #3, but certainly not #1 and I have reservations about him as a TOR starter - to me, he's a 2/3. A great 2/3, but that's how I see him. And even if he is a TOR guy, you still have bullpen problems to solve, and in acquiring Ohtani you basically shoot your trade wad and have to try to cobble something together.

Another thing I haven't seen discussed as much in regards to an Ohtani trade is Arte Moreno's ego, as it pertains to trading Ohtani to a team inside his own division. If I'm him, I would much prefer to trade him to the Yankees than to the Dodgers or any team in the AL west. Maybe that's not a factor in his thinking, but to me that would be akin to Jerry Jones trading the Cowboy's best player to the Eagles.

This has wound up being a really, really good team with just a few holes - holes that can be filled without trading away all or most of our top prospects. Guys like Foscue, Wendzel, Otto, Bradford, etc. - those are the guys I think we can leverage into acquiring what we need - not trading away White, Acuna, Leiter, etc.

I'm obviously not a GM but that's how I would be approaching this thing. If Moreno decides to settle for less in regards to Ohtani, great, make the trade. But I don't think he will, especially to the Rangers, and that's why I think you take a pass on a player that would be a 100% rental for likely a very high cost.

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I don't believe we need a #1 starter…we need a top 3 guy for the playoff run. I love what Dunning has done but I'm not confident in that come October. If we can get a guy to go with Eovaldi and Gray, in whatever order they go, I'd feel good. Ohtani fits that role AND the bat. Then we can have Dunning and Heaney out of the pen.

I'm 100% on board with an Ohtani move…even if it winds up being a rental. I just am giving nowhere near what Kennadi proposed.

Deal based on rental assumption…not need to sign value…and I'm in. He'd be worth it.

MrCoachEricTaylor said:

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The Red Sox writer had a trade of Shohei for Marcelo Meyer straight up too

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So, a Minor League version of Duran who is 2 years younger. If that is the market, Duran today straight up is the answer.

Yeah I mentioned this to a friend yesterday, that we NEED another RHRP, and WANT a TORP. Now, I could make the argument that a TORP is a need going into the playoffs if you really want to make yourself a favorite to win the damn thing, but we could just keep clawing through starts and see where the cards lay at the end of it.

I do agree with rbtexan about blowing your wad on one trade. It would really, really hinder us from doing anything else. That's why I personally would much rather blow our wad for a Mitch Keller/Bednar type of deal. That solves two issues, while Keller has control left and Bednar wouldn't be too difficult to resign imo. I would heavily consider the Landry deal above (give or take a player) for those two.

MrCoachEricTaylor said:

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The only way I'd consider her trade is if we can keep Owen White. And then if I'm CY, I have to feel very very confident in my FA offer for Ohtani.

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I still think that is overpaying.

I'm still in the camp of Josh Smith, Foscue, and Bradford.

Even a 3-Way that would cost us Foscue and Bradford, which would allow us to trade Perez and the pieces from his trade (or equivalent) could be included.

I'd kill for that, but I think for who all is still "in" on him and the fact that he's a generational two way player, his market is going to stay pretty high. That and Moreno wouldn't mind keeping him for all the revenue that he's worth and taking the compensation pick when he leaves.

I still think everyone is going to be shocked at how much it takes to get him. In the sense that it's a lot less than expected.

I agree with what you posted.

A RHRP and a Bat and we should be pretty solid.

Moreno apparently has said trading Ohtani to the LAD is a no-go. If NYY fade, then the market for Ohtani is very small. Moreno likely keeps him and the MVP trophy.

We have about 3-4 Appearances from Speas over the next week that will tell us if he fills the RHRP. We are also hoping Sborz returns to form. If those are filled, then Duran with Jankowski and Grossman in LF/DH could remain.

Ohtani for the Rangers would be a luxury that bumps a #5 SP and a avg platoon in OF. I agree Ohtani is likely a #3 the rest of the way. Wear and tear mounts and they've been getting him extra rest on the pitching side, pitching with 5 days rest.

When you look at the holes in other teams... Ohtani isn't their answer. Almost every teams needs 2 SPs as well as other pieces.

MrCoachEricTaylor said:

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Kennedi Landry came up with this trade proposal.. way too much

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This has to be a joke. Absolutely NO WAY!!!!!!

Agreed.

The thing about a ToRP is what is the matchup team's rotation we are looking to overcome in the playoffs. It is a question that I repeat.

At least from a Rangers perspective, here is where we are:

1. McClanahan (TB): 2.56
2. Eovaldi: 2.69
3. Framber (Hou): 2.76
4. Cole (NYY): 2.78
5. Dunning: 2.82
6. Gausman (Tor): 3.03
7. Castillo (Sea): 3.04
8. Son Gray (Min): 3.16
9. Kirby (Sea): 3.23
10. Jon Gray: 3.31
11. Berrios (Tor): 3.39
12. Lorenzen (Det): 3.49
13. Ohtani (LAA): 3.50
14. Wells (Balt): 3.54
15. Eflin (TB): 3.59

Our 1:2, whether it is Eovaldi and Gray or Dunning matches well against anyone.

In the AL, at least... Toronto and Tampa are what we are looking at.

investorAg83 said:

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I still think everyone is going to be shocked at how much it takes to get him. In the sense that it's a lot less than expected.

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I agree.

Pivotal weekend series in the AL East. Baltimore and Houston could effectively turn Boston and NYY into sellers.

I haven't been as active looking at NL teams, but what I have looked put the SF, Az, and LAD as top options. If the LAD our not being considered, the NL could say, "Let him stay in the AL."

rbtexan said:

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What a great opportunity for me to bash Kennedi Landry. I'm not a fan...at all.

I'm sure she's a nice person and seems to do a great job reporting news & info about the Rangers, but her opinions on trades & such are just turrible... sorry/not sorry.

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Pretty sure she just graduated from LSU a couple two or three years ago... yet was able to walk into a MLB beat writer position. Don't know that she even has a baseball or softball background (that I know of).

Seems like you should at least have earn your stripes a bit before walking into that gig. TR Sullivan (who she replaced after he retired) is probably having a good laugh.