So has it been long enough for someone to take on Bauer without getting rung up by the media? Didn't most of the charges against him eventually prove to be false? He's been in Japan, so I don't recall exactly. I thought he had been struggling over there, but per the below looks like he has figured it out again.

Trevor Bauer’s agents Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba are meeting with teams in hopes of finding Bauer a job back in MLB. Bauer went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA for Yokohama, including 9-2 with a 1.97 ERA over his last 15 starts. His fastball ticked up 1 mph on average, hitting a 99.3 max

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 9, 2023

KT 90 said:

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So has it been long enough for someone to take on Bauer without getting rung up by the media? Didn't most of the charges against him eventually prove to be false? He's been in Japan, so I don't recall exactly. I thought he had been struggling over there, but per the below looks like he has figured it out again.

Trevor Bauer’s agents Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba are meeting with teams in hopes of finding Bauer a job back in MLB. Bauer went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA for Yokohama, including 9-2 with a 1.97 ERA over his last 15 starts. His fastball ticked up 1 mph on average, hitting a 99.3 max

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 9, 2023

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I used to follow his YouTube page pretty frequently. I've always heard how he wasn't a good locker room guy, but the guy doesn't seem as bad as everyone makes him out to be, he's not like a Logan Paul type of guy.

Yeah, I'm 99% sure everything was dropped, I believe it was kind of like a Zeke Elliott type of thing where he was just painted in a bad light so the league and team had to just protect themselves.. I'd be all for him, I do really like the guy. He is incredibly smart when it comes to pitching and mechanics and all of that.

Id take Bauer in a heartbeat

Mr Gigem said:

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White jerseys with the World Series patch are available in the team store today

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in person only, or is there an online way to order? I'm an out of towner.

I believe just in person for now

looks like it. If you go to the TexasRangers.com and take the link to order jersey's, it takes you to mlbshop.com, which only has smaller sizes for a handful of players. I've been checking mlbshop.com pretty frequently.

Woke up this morning with a different opinion...

I now think that the Ohtani to Rangers idea is not only real, but likely. Do I like it, not exactly, but I don't run the finances for the Rangers. There are some bean-counters out there that say it makes sense and is doable.

We will get some RPs signed, but I don't think it will be Hader. If Ohtani is signed at something like $45MM, a $20MM contract for Hader would nearly strap our ability to make other quality deals. Again, I am not the bean-counter, but at some point logic overrules fantasy.

SPs - As Dallas stated yesterday, Dodgers will be hot on SPs. I predict Snell, Stroman, and Sonny to sign with Dodgers. Yamo to Yankees or Seattle

The rest of off-season will be bland. Not much excitement. The Rangers might trade for a big SP, but I could also see us starting the season with what we have and making mid-season moves for SPs to close the season. Will be similar to this past year, and something tells me that plan worked!

KT 90 said:

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So has it been long enough for someone to take on Bauer without getting rung up by the media? Didn't most of the charges against him eventually prove to be false? He's been in Japan, so I don't recall exactly. I thought he had been struggling over there, but per the below looks like he has figured it out again.

Trevor Bauer’s agents Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba are meeting with teams in hopes of finding Bauer a job back in MLB. Bauer went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA for Yokohama, including 9-2 with a 1.97 ERA over his last 15 starts. His fastball ticked up 1 mph on average, hitting a 99.3 max

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 9, 2023

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More info came out about the accuser about a month or 2 ago and it's clear it was a setup from the beginning. It was a complete lie. If everything hasn't already been dropped then it will be soon.

We should absolutely make a run at him and any sort of media blow back would be based on complete falsehoods or jealousy that he isn't on an NY or LA team.

Nobody truly knows how much ownership is willing to spend and how much they are willing to go over luxury tax threshold. There's no cap, so they could literally go sign anyone they want.

Bingo Gigem. Also, Caps are a meaningless term most of the time. They are not hard caps, you can pay over and also kick the can down the line continually. Just a way for the leagues to keep salaries in line and give smaller market teams the guise of competitiveness and relevance.

Bauer was mentioned on the radio today and I thought about posting about him, but sometimes I'm concerned I post too much and too often.

A month or two ago Bauer posted a video about the situation. I saw it, because someone posted it on this Forum. Even from the beginning, it smelled like a setup. He discloses he had to clear the NDA stuff associated with case, before presenting his case.

I've liked Bauer and think part of his lockerroom stigma comes from his background. Seems like a guy in HS that was probably dismissed and pushed around. Probably a late-bloomer. I relate to much of what I've heard about his HS experience.

Where we differ is... he went on to make millions in baseball. Oh... and his other "fetishes."

Anyway, he developed a massive chip on his shoulder through HS and people enjoyed putting him down because of it... which fueled his inability to be a good teammate and isolated him socially. Went to UCLA, I believe, and continued with the chip on his shoulder.

Bauer was never validated by those he sought to be validated and it took over his desire to prove how everyone was wrong.

He'll be a good teammate and successful in an environment where he feels appreciated and validated. If he goes to a team that has a frat-type clubhouse, watch out. That includes how the media treats him. He will fail socially in a place like NY/Boston/LA/Chicago.

He and Seager were teammates in 2021 so if they go that route I'm sure they will get his thoughts. Not sure if Ray Davis will go there but I would have no problem with it.

cmiller00 said:

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He and Seager were teammates in 2021 so if they go that route I'm sure they will get his thoughts. Not sure if Ray Davis will go there but I would have no problem with it.

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I forgot about that.

CY has been very clear that the culture they are developing is very important. Bringing in Monty and Scherzer were reliant on Mike Maddux's experience with them.

CY himself brought in Bochy based on their past relationship.

If the Rangers consider signing Bauer, they likely have input from Seager.

If there is a clubhouse that is built to support him and the type of teammate he is, it's ours.

ETA: especially for Pitchers

Bauer can't be worse than Josh Hamilton, and even with all his side show, he still brought TEX two pennants.

The difference here is TEX doesn't need Bauer (like they needed Hamilton). Sign Bauer to an incentive based deal and if it doesn't work, you cut bait.

I understand what you are saying, but the problems in LA have nothing to do with Trout or Ohtani. All accounts point to both of those guys being truly amazing humans. LAA's problems were injuries and then everyone else around Trout and Ohtani. I really hope Trout gets traded to a winning team. He deserves to finish his career with playing for something on a competent team and in a good clubhouse.

I'd love to have Bauer. A Cy Young type pitcher for what - something just above the MLB minimum?

Part of me wants to see all the "Me Too" people flip out the same way the sexual degenerates flipped out about the Rangers not having a Pride Night.

WE as baseball fans deserve to watch him play in games that matter; but you are right he did hitch his wagon to a loser by signing that contract. Trout is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball.

Nevermind, saw your answer about online orders for jerseys.

Division competition conversation. Where do we stand compared to teams in the division now? Expected off-season improvements for those teams?"

I mentioned the LAAA. Team in shambles. More to come now that they have Wash on board.

Seeing where Astros GM is indicating they won't be big spenders in the off-season unless "the right situation" develops. At the TradeDeadline, that "right situation" was the Rangers getting Scherzer forcing the Astros to keep pace.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/astros-rumors-payroll-space-maldonado-neris-free-agents-outfield.html

Much to the dissatisfaction and negative response from Astros fans... I predicted at the end of the season that they'll start their falloff and 2024 will be questionable about them making the playoffs. It wasn't meant to be provocative, but predictive.

If you look at their 2024, they have $211M Committed and a Tax Payroll of $235M projected for 2024. If that is accurate, they'd be $1.8M below the Luxury Tax. Really that is more a jab... a jab at "buying a team."

Well, their aging team has plenty of holes in 2024 and they don't have a farm system from which to pull talent.

W's and L's fall off quickly in MLB. An injury or two in the rotation and Astros are looking at a 75W season.

You stopped at LAA and Astros...

Oakland - Will not make any major moves and continue to be sub-optimal through 2024.

Seattle - They will make one big move, maybe Yamo, or some other SP. They will make great strides and will compete for the Division in 2024, again.

As you are alluding, Astros are fading quick. I believe the Rangers and Mariners, with their young core and long contracts, will be the competitors of ALW for the next 5+ years.

shack009 said:

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I'm really excited for "Maldonado really wasn't all that good defensively and didn't really handle the staff all that well and wasn't really worth -1.00 ERA" szn.

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They'll be begging Maldonado's ghost to appear by the end of the 1st full month.

That sounds good, but for how long and for how much? He will turn 35 next offseason and he already has an injury history (we already have one guy on the team like that).

Love what Eovaldi did for this team this season but that doesn't mean he gets to hold this team hostage for the next 4 years.

shack009 said:

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That sounds good, but for how long and for how much? He will turn 35 next offseason and he already has an injury history (we already have one guy on the team like that).

Love what Eovaldi did for this team this season but that doesn't mean he gets to hold this team hostage for the next 4 years.

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His injury history isn't much different from any other SP in MLB today. Other than 2017, going back to 2014, he hasn't missed a ton of starts. Maybe DallasAg can explain what the "Vested" means for 2025.

South Platte said:

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He signed a 2 year $34 million contract? Are you kidding me? $17m? Extenze him . . . .

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So, for more clarity, he earned $1.6M in incentives for 2023 (he pitched 144 IP with $750 per 130 & 140.

The Rangers hold a team Option for $20M in 2025. With 300IP in '23-24, it becomes a player option.

I wouldn't be upset if they extended Eovaldi... I don't think the time is now, though.

2024: Scherzer, Heaney, Eovaldi, Gray, Dunning / Bradford, deGrom, White, Leiter

2025: Eovaldi (vesting), Gray, Dunning / Bradford, deGrom, White, Leiter

Also consider, we have:
#4 Brock Porter (eta 2025)
#5 Jack Leiter (mentioned)
#8 Owen White (mentioned)

The following are Rule V eligible:
Dane Acker (24-AA): 18GS, 2.54
Winston Santos (21-A+): 23GS, 6.29
Nick Krauth (23-AAA), 24GS, 6.36
Nick Lockhart (22-A+), 6GS, 3.80

Yeah those '25 options for Eovaldi are great. Great deal by CY. Dude just pulls the right strings.

What about ole prodigy Cole Winn? Is he rule 5 by now or possible DFA

I'm not sure he'll ever pitch in the MLB.