The Rangers fell short of their ultimate goal but still had an extremely successful season in 2011. They'll look to improve this winter, then try to become the first AL team to win three straight pennants since the Yankees from 1998-2001. Here's the latest from Texas…
- C.J. Wilson spoke to Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas about his upcoming free agency following last night's loss. He feels the Rangers have treated him with a lot of respect, but the free agency process is foreign to him and he doesn't know what will be out there for him.
- "I'm definitely interested in coming back," said soon-to-be free agent Mike Gonzalez to Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Whatever we can do, I'm willing to do what I need to do." Gonzalez will have his knee scoped next week, but will be ready in time for Spring Training.
- “We’ve got to find ways to get better," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports after last night's game. Rosenthal says Daniels is likely to let "some other club overpay" for Wilson.
Better work on the bullpen, bring in Buehrle, and so your best to trade for Felix if the Mariners even consider dealing him. I’m still in shock…what an aweful way to go out.
Don’t think the M’s would deal a 25 year old ace in their division.
There’s nothing saying they wouldn’t do it. they know they won’t compete for a while. Especially given Ichiro’s age. I’m sure if the right prospects were exchanged there would be talks.
like profar and a top pitching prospect at Least. Kershaw, hernandez, and longoria are probably the most untradeable players in the game. Chances are felix will be there the next time the Ms compete
I don’t doubt they won’t trade them. I’m just saying there’s always a chance. The M’s would be doing their team a disservice to not listen to an offer.
Despite the fact that Washington led the team to the World Series two straight years, he has proven to be a huge liability. I feel like you’ve gotta start wondering whether this team would have made the series with any decent manager.
And if the Rangers won last night I’m certain people would be calling Washington a genius and LaRussa overrated.
Washington has lead the Rangers to the Series twice in a row and did a good job managing in the playoffs, I wouldn’t throw him under the bus yet.
cj wilson should have pitched the 9th instead of mr. slop..or keep his closer in another inning..he only threw 19 pitches and his nerves had to have calmed down..i feel bad for washington and all the great texas fans
I’ll grant you Washington has a history of making strange moves and at times gets out managed as a result. But he made the right move in game six.That his closer could not get strike three on two occasions is not his fault. That his pitchers could not protect a lead in the tenth is not his fault. You sound like a terribly ungrateful sore loser with a statement like that.
Ranger Fan here; Wash has proven his smarts in managing,but what control does he have over pitchers that have winning stats all year long and can’t win a game in the All Stars or post-season series? Derik Holland has proven himself both during regular and post season…give him the ace starter position and a pay raise;he deserves it…Mike Gonzales is a good asset,he has the right attitude and team spirit;Feliz is a legend only in his own mind…he needs to think team instead of Neftali.As an armchair manager,I would have had Holland face-off Carpenter in Game 7,but there should not have been a game 7…Ranger bullpen lost game 6 3 times…twice they needed 1 strike to win;twice relievers couldn’t “get er dun!”
Translation: Wilson wants money.
“some other club overpay” it better not be the Yankees.
I agree and I hope the Yanks are not involved, at all. Not saying he’s a bad guy or anything and his stuff is pretty good, but the guy was a relatively no name reliever two years and about 350 innings ago. No chance I would hand out a $100mm deal. I’m entirely confident Cashman and his team have considered all this. I do believe the media and fans have been thinking too high on his price. I wouldn’t be surprised to only see him wind up with a four year deal around $62-$68mm.
so 3 chokers on the same season. Boston, atlanta and the rangers
how is losing in game 7 of the world series ‘choking’ ?
they choked in game 6, one out away of winning a world series TWICE and they blew it. I give them a lot of credit and we all know that their window is not closing. Just in case,Im not a texas hater.
they didn’t choke, they lost.
so being one strike away from winning a world series and blew it is not choking????!?!?!? Come on!! we have to give credit to the cards but that was Boston-like choking.
Thats not choking, it’s baseball. Sometimes the hotter team wins. The Rangers came back later and took the lead again, the Cards came back, it’s happened countless times before.
You want an example of choking?
Matt Holiday!
I can tell from your user name that you are a fellow Mets fan. Did the Red Sox choke in 1986…or did we just surge and win?
Buckner lost that series alone.
And Cruz in game 6 of 2011?
So it had nothing to do with Schiraldi giving up all those hits? Bob Stanley’s wild pitch brought home Mitchell to tie it. The Red Sox might not have won in the ninth.
Not every loss is a choke.
So very proud of the Rangers. They gave us a tremendous season.
I’d be glad to keep Gonzo, and am willing to let CJ walk.
The Rangers had a fine season and have proven they are a quality team. Two years in a row isn’t a fluke and I’m glad to see another legit competitor in the AL. Not just some one off. As for the bull about Washington not being a good manager, the team doesn’t advance without him. He may not be Tony La Russa or a highly analytical and binder type like Girardi, but he knows what he is doing. I fully expect him to return next season. Maybe if things don’t go well next year, you could then see someone new managing the team the year after.
I think they should let Wilson just walk and not even place a bid at all and get a veteran on the team. I think Oswalt for 2 years and $26mm would be a terrific signing and a Texas known guy. I don’t believe they’ll go after Fielder. Pujols maybe, but I think a better bet would be an outfielder. Both Cruz and Hamilton while they are proven very good hitters, both are prone to injury and will start breaking down in the coming years. Hamilton could DH and alternate at first (maybe 40 games there).
I almost have to wonder if the Red Sox and the Rangers could match up on a deal for Crawford. It’d be incredibly tough to pull off, but there would be some potential. Sox would have to eat $30mm or so, which would get the balance down to somewhere just below $100mm. The Sox don’t need to do that, but I think most people realize by now that Crawfords skills and Fenway never matched up well. Crawford could play any of the fields in Texas.
If they could get Crawford, sign Oswalt, re-tool the bullpen a little and with the infusion of more young starters, several that are almost ready, the team would be even better than they were this year. Who knows though, it’s just some ideas.
I don’t see any way a trade for Crawford would happen. That’s too much contract for a guy that had an aweful year. Way too big of a risk. That would remind me of the Angels trading for Vernon Wells.
I hear ya, but I think that is the unfortunate misunderstanding about Crawford. He actually is a really good athlete and a hard worker. That’s his value. What we all witnessed in Boston this season was a horrible application of his skills to the park, a somewhat redundant player, often out of place in the line-up. This isn’t a knock against Francona, but I believe Crawford in particular was not managed the best. I don’t see how his situation improves going into next season, in Boston. He can work as hard as he wants, but you’re still trying to jam the square peg in a round hole. I do believe it would be in the Sox best interest to work something out even if it includes eating a lot of money. They can just put it behind them and take the savings, which should still be significant and apply it to Ellsbury and lock him in for 4 or 5 more years. As for Wells, I wouldn’t compare the two.
edit
I think Mike Gonzalez is just looking for a major league deal after the last two seasons.
A fellow Orioles fan, I was amazed at how decent his statistics were for the O’s.
He SEEMED awful, but actually wasn’t half bad. Not worth the money, hurt too much; but not awful.
Over a year and a half about (for 12 frickin million)
71 IP, 4.18 ERA, 9.8 k/9, 1 fWAR, .7 brWAR
Rangers are more like the Oakland A’s from 1988 to 1990. A team good enough to make the playoffs, good enough to go to the World Series, lucky enough to win a couple of games due to errors, but nowhere good enough to defeat a weaker (offensively, in paper) rival.
So Texas isn’t good? You clearly know alot about baseball.
The Rangers are clearly capable of beating an opponent like the Cardinals. Note that they were a STRIKE away from winning it all.
Make that twice a strike away,,,a game so weird you either blame the “Rally Squirrel”,or post-season inexperience in Rangers’ bullpen…LaRussa was definitely NOT the better manager…he basically threw his whole team under the bus for miscommunications…never took any blame on himself.Wash will take blame and give credit where deserved.
Wash made moves I certainly didn’t like in the Series, but at the end of the day, the players have to play.
The Blue Jays will go after Gonzalez for sure
And the Yu Darvish bidding begins….
If it doesn’t begin at this exact moment you will lose credibility forever.
Rangers are going to have a solid team for next year. I would love to see them sign Roy Oswalt. I’d like to see them trade Michael Young and then use that salary towards signing Fielder or Pujols, if he’s available. Then trade for James Shields. They could include Moreland, Torrealba, as well as prospects that the Rays would be asking for.