Totally get it. Was just giving you grief.

I do a lot of lobbying in DC (uncompensated) for the non-profit I'm on the BOD of. I try very hard to keep my personal politics out of everyday conversation because it's usually just inviting trouble.

I can't help but enjoy the irony, however, that the majority of my fellow board members are D's, and yet the overwhelming amount of legislation in our profession's favor has been introduced and/or passed by the R's. Watching them try to reconcile that amuses me to no end.

Aroldis Chapman to the Pirates, 1 year, $10.5M

Combined with Martin Perez, I'm guessing two of the Pirates three biggest salaries this year will be former Rangers. Odd that they're breaking the bank (comparatively speaking of course) to sign our old pitchers.

I know. We're good.

If we need him.

Who's the other former Ranger?

Chapman and Perez ($8M).

Marco Gonzalez is listed for $12M+, but $9M is paid by Atlanta.
Bryan Reynolds is ~$10M

COTS

Tyson Chandler was the free agent that the Mavs needed to resign in order to have a chance to run it back in 2012. Instead, they let him walk, weren't able to land a bigger fish in free agency, and have never gotten back to that level again.

RANGERS FANS

Adrian Beltre is expected to be announced as a Hall of Fame electee this evening.

What is your favorite HOF memory?

— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) January 23, 2024

That makes sense.

For those interested... 3B was posted today.


Here is the schedule:

Radio is talking up Langford. Said his wRC+ is 121 for 2024.

Let's say the Rangers are convinced he'll be a RoY candidate... not without early struggles, but he is ready.

Would you be willing to trade Taveras and Heaney to say Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh signs Monty with the intent and approval to trade to Texas and pick up $20M or so of Montys 12024 salary?!

We'd stay under the CBT. We replace Heaney with Monty. They get a cheap OF... even though they paid money in 2024.

Not sure MLB allows a sign-and-trade.

DallasAg 94 said:

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Radio is talking up Langford. Said his wRC+ is 121 for 2024.

Let's say the Rangers are convinced he'll be a RoY candidate... not without early struggles, but he is ready.

Would you be willing to trade Taveras and Heaney to say Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh signs Monty with the intent and approval to trade to Texas and pick up $20M or so of Montys 12024 salary?!

We'd stay under the CBT. We replace Heaney with Monty. They get a cheap OF... even though they paid money in 2024.

Not sure MLB allows a sign-and-trade.

---

If I'm going to trade with Pittsburgh, I might trade Taveras and Heaney for David Bednar and then use the money saved on Heaney to sign Montgomery. I don't think your plan is very good, even if MLB approved.

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

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DallasAg 94 said:

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Radio is talking up Langford. Said his wRC+ is 121 for 2024.

Let's say the Rangers are convinced he'll be a RoY candidate... not without early struggles, but he is ready.

Would you be willing to trade Taveras and Heaney to say Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh signs Monty with the intent and approval to trade to Texas and pick up $20M or so of Montys 12024 salary?!

We'd stay under the CBT. We replace Heaney with Monty. They get a cheap OF... even though they paid money in 2024.

Not sure MLB allows a sign-and-trade.

---

If I'm going to trade with Pittsburgh, I might trade Taveras and Heaney for David Bednar and then use the money saved on Heaney to sign Montgomery. I don't think your plan is very good, even if MLB approved.

---

Taveras and Heaney isn't enough for Bendar. I agree I can't see MLB going for that deal. All that being said, I like Taveras as a 4th OF. Adolis isn't playing 150 G.

Edited:

I realize he's played 148+ three years in a row. I'm sure I'm just nervous after sept/oct injuries and being a year older.

I agree with you on what it would take to get Bednar but OP was throwing out Heaney and Taveras. We'd have to throw more into the pot to get Bednar but I think he is controllable for three more seasons, maybe four.

I think I would rather re-sign Jankowski as my 4th OF even though it would be more expensive than Taveras. Outside of the one braindead play he made running to 1st is whichever game that was, he was nails all season.

I think he looks.like something out of central casting for Lord of the Rings, though.

Gallo to Nats for 5 mil on one year deal.

I imagine this will be Gallo's last shot. He's been soooo bad the past few years. Career .197 hitter, his 162 game averages are 37 HR (good), 80 RBI (meh), and 223 Ks (really bad). Last season he hit .177 and struck out 142 times in 282 ABs.

Great strike zone recognition but just never has been able to put the bat on the ball often enough.

rbtexan said:

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I imagine this will be Gallo's last shot. He's been soooo bad the past few years. Career .197 hitter, his 162 game averages are 37 HR (good), 80 RBI (meh), and 223 Ks (really bad). Last season he hit .177 and struck out 142 times in 282 ABs.
Great strike zone recognition but just never has been able to put the bat on the ball often enough.

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I enjoyed watching Gallo play for Texas but I'm glad he's gone. He could hit some monster bombs but is the epitome of three true outcomes. Give me baseball the way it should be played with SOME analytics sprinkled in.

I like this Hall class

Got a tear...

If you posted on here back when Beltre was finishing up his career, you'd have seen this before.

Let the debate continue... who are the Greatest 3Bs? Accumulation statistics favor longevity, where as, stats like BA, OBP, and OPS can diminish in later years. I believe the following are probably the most promoted 3B of All-Time in no intended order other than to have Beltre at the top for comparisons: I'll hold off my person opinions/comments, but here is some info:


Adr Beltre: 2732 G, .286, 1,430 R, 607 2B, 37 3B, 441 HR, 118 SB, .340 OBP, .818 OPS
Mathews: 2103 G, .273, 1,379 R, 321 2B, 67 3B, 467 HR, 63 SB, .376 OBP, .889 OPS
Robinson: 2834 G, .268, 1,226 R, 482 2B, 68 3B, 266 HR, 28 SB, .322 OBP, .724 OPS
MSchmidt: 2190 G, .266, 1,403 R, 377 2B, 54 3B, 509 HR, 174 SB, .380 OBP, .906 OPS
Geo Brett : 1685 G, .315, 1,035 R, 424 2B, 112 3B, 198 HR, 138 SB, .379 OBP, .885 OPS
Chipper Jo: 1983 G, .305, 1,352 R, 455 2B, 34 3B, 389 HR, 128 SB, .401 OBP, .936 OPS

=============

ABeltre ('98-18): 4 All-Stars, 5 GG, 4 SS
Mathews ('52-68): 12 All-Stars,
Robinson ('55-77): 18 All-Stars, 1 MVP, 16 GG
Schmidt ('72-89): 12 All-Stars, 3 MVPs, 10 GG, 6 SS
G Brett ('73-93): 13 All-Stars, 1 MVPs, 1 GG, 3 SS. Moved to 1B
Chipper ('93-12): 8 All-Stars, 1 MVPs, 0 GG, 2 SS. Moved to LF

=============

Not all awards were available to all players:
All-Star - 1933
MVP - 1931
GG - 1957
SS - 1980

=============

Changes:
1950s: 8 AL, 8 NL
1961: 10 AL, 8 NL (LAA & Tex via Washing Senators)
MLB went from 154 to 162 Games
1962: 10 AL, 10 NL (Houston Colt .45s & NYMets
1968: Mound height changed from 15" to 10" and more standarization/regulation of mounds
1969: 12 AL, 12 NL; Divisions created (KC and Sea/MIlw - Mont and SDP)
1977: 14 AL, 12 NL: (Sea and Toronto)
1993: 14 AL, 14 NL: (Colo and Flo)
1998: 15 AL, 15 NL: (TB and Az)


You could argue things like Expansion was good or bad. You add a whole rotation of SPs and dilute the pitching but more hitters increases the competition for things like AS, GG. Mound height, steroids, all play a role. Some would consider '68s mound change as a defining era change.

We may look back at '23 with all of the changes as a different and changing era.

It's close, but I'd probably go Schmidt, Matthews then Beltre. Beltre's lack of accolades and and MVP hurt him in comparison to the others imo.

Edit to add: I think Arenado could wind up being the best or second best by the end of his career.

More Stats:

Beltre is 1 of 6 to have over 3K Hits, 600 Doubles, and 450 HRs

Hank Aaron: 3,771 ( 3), 624 2B (14), 755 HR ( 2)
Stan Musial: 3,630 ( 4), 725 2B ( 3), 475 HR (32)
Yastrzemski: 3,419 ( 8), 646 2B ( 9), 452 HR (40)
AlbertPujols: 3,384 ( 9), 686 2B ( 5), 703 HR ( 4)
MiggyCabre: 3,174 (16), 627 2B (13), 511 HR (25)
AdrianBeltre: 3,166 (17), 636 2B (11), 477 HR (31)

Ripken: 3,184, 603 2B, 431 HR

33 Players with 3000+ Hits
18 Players with 600+ Doubles
40 Players with 450+ Home Runs

I agree, but it will be interesting how those things are judged.

In '03, A-Rod was MVP for Texas @ SS. It later came out that he tested positive for PEDs and MLB didn't suspend him, nor announced it. They just let it go. There is no question he used PEDs.

In '04 he transitioned to 3B for the NYY and from '05-13 he got 2MVPs, 6 AS, 3 SS

In '05 Beltre moved from the NL (LAD) to the AL (Sea-Bos-Texas) .

East Coast bias? With LAD and Sea, Beltre was relatively obscure... In 12 seasons, he got MVP votes once (2nd), GG twice and SS once.

At 31, he joins Boston for 1 yr (then 8 with the Rangers) and suddenly an AS for 4 of the next 5 years. Getting MVP votes for 7 years. 3 SS, 3 GG.

One of my concerns with using that is for guys like Brooks Robinson (Baltimore) being more widely seen by media as opposed to Mathews who played mostly in Milwaukee.