Fans tend to look immediate (what gets us the next win or wins this season). Front office has to look long-term.

Short-term who gives a **** what a starter wants if shoving him to the bullpen helps us win games now?

But long-term maybe that pitcher bad mouths the team and/or his agent starts advising his clients they don't care what the actual player wants, and suddenly free agency gets a lot tougher.

Proposition Joe said:

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Fans tend to look immediate (what gets us the next win or wins this season). Front office has to look long-term.

Short-term who gives a **** what a starter wants if shoving him to the bullpen helps us win games now?

But long-term maybe that pitcher bad mouths the team and/or his agent starts advising his clients they don't care what the actual player wants, and suddenly free agency gets a lot tougher.

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So...a full commitment to Analytics...until the 16th best player's agent gets mad?

You can rationalize the decision however you want to, but the fact remains that the Rangers are unlikely to put a pitcher making $14M in the bullpen as a long man.

IMO if they don't believe in him as a starter, in next year's rotation, they should trade him. Urena would be a cheaper long man and arguably as effective. I still think Gray should try being a closer...he certainly wouldn't be the first MLB starter to make that transition.

I suspect the way they are bringing deGrom back... they will likely have him go 2-3 IP as a SP once they call him up. Maybe it is just me, but I'm hoping they don't push him too hard or try to get too much out of him, too early.

If that is 2025, as well, so be it. I'm guessing he'll be a SP... he may just not look like we think.

It would be harder on him, IMO, to be a RP getting up and warming quickly on back-to-back days, than to just become an Opener every 5th day.

94chem said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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Fans tend to look immediate (what gets us the next win or wins this season). Front office has to look long-term.

Short-term who gives a **** what a starter wants if shoving him to the bullpen helps us win games now?

But long-term maybe that pitcher bad mouths the team and/or his agent starts advising his clients they don't care what the actual player wants, and suddenly free agency gets a lot tougher.

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So...a full commitment to Analytics...until the 16th best player's agent gets mad?

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When maybe 10 agencies represent the bulk of MLB players... yeah, having one of their clients say your franchise didn't listen to your wishes probably isn't wise.

rbtexan said:

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You can rationalize the decision however you want to, but the fact remains that the Rangers are unlikely to put a pitcher making $14M in the bullpen as a long man.

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Yes it's unlikely to happen, but it has very little to do with "we can't have a player making that much be in the bullpen instead of starting".

It's just silly to think that these front offices lean on analytics and maximizing their edge but would then revert to front office neanderthals that missed the day in ivy league business school where they taught sunken cost.

At this point I don't care where they put him. As long as he's playing and pitching well when he's in. I agree that he shouldn't be rushed at all. Let him pitch 2-3 innings till the end of the season and let him get his feel back. If he's not ready to go 5-6 innings to start 25 that's fine. Whatever plan keeps him healthy and contributing is the plan we need to stick too.

What about having deGrom go 2-3 innings then have Gray come in? That way deGrom isn't rushed and Gray is essentially on a starters schedule/work load. Once deGrom is ready to go we can either turn Gray back into a traditional starter or trade him.

No need to continue going back and forth. I believe that salary factors into the decisions and you don't. Agree to disagree.

FWIW I think your take is spot on, I just think the salary component is added on top of what you're saying. We're very much in agreement otherwise.

John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersly did okay.

Old friend Julio Borbon! Sometimes I think about random Rangers like him, wonder if I'm the only one?!

He also racked up a crisp $137 Million Dollars per Baseball Reference. Gonna be comfortable for a couple generations lol

Bottom half of this lineup tonight. Woof

ETA: this entire lineup tonight. Woof.

bmac_aggie18 said:

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He also racked up a crisp $137 Million Dollars per Baseball Reference. Gonna be comfortable for a couple generations lol

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Jimbo money. Amazing what it can do to a guy's edge.

rally time

Our leadoff hitter sits at .236 and our cleanup hitter sits at .221. Blech.

How can you be late on an 89 mph fastball?

GrapevineAg said:

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Our leadoff hitter sits at .236 and our cleanup hitter sits at .221. Blech.

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Rendon and Adolis have the same batting average lol

If my tickets for tomorrow say ring offer does that mean I get a ring and don't have to be early or anything?

cmiller00 said:

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If my tickets for tomorrow say ring offer does that mean I get a ring and don't have to be early or anything?

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Correct, and I got this email today:

Thanks!

Roof open, looks great.

Glad I took the family to the one game they did not do anything this weekend. I'll take a series win though and inch closer back to .500

Completely different with roof open. Glad I'm in the shade tho.

Hello Win Column!
Is 88 wins enough for the postseason? 18-0 Let's go Rangers!

Super Aggie 64 said:

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Hello Win Column!
Is 88 wins enough for the postseason? 18-0 Let's go Rangers!

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I this division? Hell yeah.

Question is if 81 wins is enough

FWIW:


The road ahead (Next 10 +/-):

Minn: WC3 v LAAA (3), then v Cincy (3), then @ Cle (4)
Seattle: 3.5GB v SDP (2), then v Texas (4), then NYY (3)
Detroit: 4GB v Colorado (3), then v Balt (3), then @ KC (3)
Boston: 4GB v Balt (3), then @ NYY (4), then @ Tampa (3)
Tampa: 5GB @ Philly (3), then @ Cle (4), then v Boston (3)
Texas: 6.5GB @ Arizona (2), then @ Sea (4), then v Tor (3)

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41179333/jacob-degrom-max-scherzer-declared-ready-rejoin-texas-rangers-rotation

Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer deemed ready to rejoin Rangers

Quote:

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"He's ready to start here," Bochy said of two-time Cy winner deGrom. "Same with Max. Both had great outings, terrific outings."

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Quote:

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Bochy said the staff is still discussing specific dates for deGrom and Scherzer with the possibility that deGrom could pitch Friday in the second of four games at Seattle.

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That should give this team so much juice.