It’s definitely not the race the Rangers hoped to be leading in late August, but Texas is currently in position to land the first overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft. As you can follow on MLBTR’s Reverse Standings, the Rangers currently have the game’s worst record at 52-81, narrowly putting them “ahead” of the Rockies (53-80), Diamondbacks (55-78) and Astros (57-78). Houston, of course, is in line for two top-five draft choices since the team is already guaranteed the #2 pick in 2015 as compensation for failing to sign first overall selection Brady Aiken this past summer.
Here’s the latest from Arlington…
- Colby Lewis wants to return next season and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News figures the team wouldn’t hesitate to re-sign him aside from the troubling issue of Lewis’ struggles at Globe Life Park. Lewis has a 7.17 ERA in 13 home starts this season, as opposed to a 3.69 ERA in 11 road starts. Overall in 2014, Lewis has a 5.44 ERA in 137 1/3 innings, though ERA predictors such as FIP (4.35), xFIP (4.30) and SIERA (4.15) indicate that he has been unlucky this year, possibly due to a .365 BABIP. The veteran right-hander returned to action this season after being sidelined since July 2012 due to injuries, and his minor league deal with Texas is up after the season.
- The Rangers have long been interested in Orioles right-handed pitching prospect Parker Bridwell and have attempted to acquire him several times over the last three years, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports. Bridwell, 23, was a ninth-round draft pick in 2010 and currently has a 4.51 ERA, 2.03 K/BB rate and 136 strikeouts over 135 1/3 IP at the high-A ball level this season. Though Bridwell’s career numbers are nothing to write home about, Kubatko thinks the O’s should put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft since “he’s also got some of the best stuff in the organization.”
- Also from Evan Grant, manager Ron Washington says that Adam Rosales is performing well enough to be considered for a utility role in 2015. Rosales has started at all four infield spots for Texas this season and is enjoying by far his best season with the bat, posting a .907 OPS in 80 plate appearances. Rosales is eligible for arbitration for the third and final time this offseason.
I think Rosales may have finally found his groove. He’s been pretty great this year and made the most out of his opportunities.
Definitely been a big deal for us this year wherever he has been!! Nice to have him in a utility roll next year..
How about we send Bridwell and Christian Walker to TEX for Beltre? We’d have to come up with some other pieces to satisfy TEX, but we’re not going to win the WS with Crush at 3rd. Next year, we let JJ Hardy walk (even though I love him) and slide Manny to SS.
I hope that’s a joke. It would take Gausman and Bundy for JD to consider it. And he would still probably say no.
18M for a 36 (allegedly) year old 3B on his last year….I think JD may want to consider it. Angelos wont take all that money on, even for one year, so getting it down to 12M would take a decent package of prospects. I’d deal Bundy in the right package, but this isnt it. Gausman wont go anywhere now that he’s proven his worth at the MLB level.
We hold a option on Beltre have him till 16 with that!!
I’ll include Bundy but you have to take Ubaldo too.
I wonder whether Bundy, Wieters and Bridwell for Beltre and say $10 million ($5M in 2015, $5m in 2016) would work. Rangers could use a catcher if Wieters can bounce back.
so you want to trade 2 tommy john players: one who hasnt bounced back yet, two who Texas doesnt need and a player who isn’t proven in MLB for Adrian Beltre? Orioles don’t have the pieces right now for Texas to unload Beltre. They wouldnt anyways because they don’t have a star caliber player to take his spot in 2015 unless you put Ryan Rua there who is unproven in MLB.
Bundy has bounced back from the Tommy John Surgery. He has an ab injury at the moment but that’s minor. He was ranked in the top 10 of all prospects at the midseason by Baseball America and has nothing to indicate he won’t be a top 25 prospect in 2015. He’s on target.
Wieters hasn’t bounced back yet which makes him risky. But he’s also a catcher and not a pitcher. It’s not so risky for pitchers and should be even less so for catchers. It’s a reasonable risk.
You definitely need a catcher. Your rotation is weak so Bundy would help also. And if your team likes Bridwell…. Plus you guys have Gallo. He can be up by the all-star break to play third.
26.1 IP in high A doesn’t qualify as bounced back. Personally I would like Bundy on the Rangers but he wouldnt be the centerpiece of a Beltre trade. Rangers don’t need Weiters they have Robinson Chirinos and Tomas Telis for next season. The rotation will be fixed next season when guys get healthy again. Texas will probably trade for Matt Latos.
I think Matt Latos will be a second choice, James Shields I think would be first, everything even Shields will be cheaper…
Not interested in Bundy, yes to Bridwell, no to Weiters.. Gallo will not play 3b at the MLB level!! Also since Gallo
will not be called this year, doubtful he would be here at all-star time next year….
Do not need a long term catcher…. Jorge Alfaro will be up late ’15 and up for good in 2016. Chirinos, Felix and Arencibia can handle till then….
Your hoping that he can play again???
Each knee in less than a year, and this is not the first time this has happened to Manny. May never be the same???
The Astros should lose that #2 guaranteed pick because of the way they back out of the deal and then with the grievance from the other guy they did not sign because of the Aiken situation there should be sanctions against them!!!!!