The Rangers announced today that they have released veteran outfielder Ben Revere. He had been with the club on a minor-league contract but was not slated to make the MLB roster out of camp.
Revere, 30, topped three hundred plate appearances in the majors every year from 2011 to 2017. But the light-hitting center fielder failed even to appear at the game’s highest level in 2018, managing only a forty-game run at Triple-A in the Angels organization.
There was never a clear opening for Revere in Texas, though perhaps it was possible to imagine a way for him to crack the roster. He received only 22 plate appearances in camp, however, and never gained traction. Presumably, the speedy Revere — he has 211 career steals in the majors — will look for a better opportunity elsewhere.
I swear there was a story about Ben being signed specifically to play in triple a…
Diamondbacks?
Would make no sense. Aside from Peralta they have a very weak hitting outfield plus they have revere’s speed in dyson. If i were in the dbacks office I would be hoping to get Brito back or looking at the surplus of outfielders in Philly. Maybe Aaron Alterr. He is from the Phoenix area and has more upside then Sousa did at just above league minimum.
Nope Giants, along with picking up Brito lol
Why would the Giants want Ben Revere?
They have no back-up CF at the moment
Just do a defensive shift and play two second basemen, only one of them really deep in the infield. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Why would the Giants want Sandoval. Answer that 1 and can ask that question of about 8-10 other guys who will end up on the roster when it’s final.. it’s 25 makeup will be awful, for sure and several spots will be over paid veterans and guys just like Sandoval with no business being on a 25 man roster.
Why would the Giants want Sandoval AND Solarte? Solarte is Sandoval-(un)lite.
Regardless of Ben Revere’s career moving forward, he will always be known as making perhaps the greatest catch in the history of the game. And that is not an exaggeration. It belongs in any discussion.
link to greatest catch: mlb.com/video/reveres-dazzling-catch/c-18335953
Pretty great catch. Speed kills. I like seeing Vlad in the Baltimore orange. Ewww.
The stats didn’t like him as a player, but I sure did. Revere was not a slugger, he was a poor man’s Tony Gwynn. Well, a very poor man. Maybe Willie Wilson or Omar Moreno would be a better comparison. There needs to be a place for a slappy singles hitter in today’s game. In the 70s/80s, Revere would have been a starting OF for 15+ years.
I really hope the game goes back to that trend. I love baseball, but damn the games that have a total of 12 hits, and 30 strikeouts just aren’t entertaining.
I loved the games from the early to mid 80s. Almost every team had a guy at the top of the lineup that could change the game with his speed. Henderson, Wilson, Moreno, Raines, Eric Davis, Alan Wiggins, Juan Samuel, Brett Butler, Vince Coleman. Heck, the Cardinals had a lineup full of them. Revere would have fit in perfectly.
I can’t argue with that. The “launch-angle” trend gives us those slow strikeout filled games. Put some speed back in the game. Loved that Mickey Callaway had bunting practice and that Robbie Cano laid one down the other way in a spring training game to drive in the winning run. I just hope that with the season starting they don’t forget those lessons. I remember baseball being “ take what they give you” and “Hit it where they ain’t”. Instead it is power pitching ( with Tommy Johns ) and all-or-nothing swings.
But since then “science” and “math” have taken the game over and they disagree. I think it is clear that science and math have become so spiritualized that they have become their own religions, even taking over baseball. Maybe I should call it Scientism. So much of baseball is the unexplainable, the anticipation, and the intangible, and this Scientism is doing its best to ruin the sport.
Maybe analytics are actually HURTING rather than helping the game. Some of those scrappy guys really turn out the best and are the most fun to watch, but may not have the best analytics — now you’ve got analytics that try to get everything (and everyone) perfect and then all you get are 100 mph fastballs that no one can hit. Boooorrrrinnngggg
It’s not a maybe. Ultimately, analytics seek to turn the game into a spreadsheet which determines the outcome of games without the game even being played.
As a result, MLB has gotten pretty boring. No steals. No hits. Low batting averages. No trick plays. no bunts. Pitchers who can’t throw strikes or pitch more than 1 full season in a row. Players with no defensive skill playing wherever the manager likes because nobody puts the ball in play, anyway.
The opener concept seeks to kill some of the biggest pitching accomplishments in MLB history. Perfect games, no hitters, shutouts and complete games.
Boring. But winning is still king, and that’s how you win in today’s MLB. By being boring AF.
Couldn’t agree more guys, Revere would have had a very successful career in the ‘70’s or ‘80’s, and today’s game isn’t great.
Imagine no Willie McGee. How about the Wizard of Oz? No way he would be treated any differently than John MacDonald in today’s game. Bunting for a base hit, and then stretching it with a steal, foreign concepts today.
Hopefully Ben catches on somewhere, love his game and his hustle. Not a Jays fan, but live in Toronto area. I remember watching that catch live, amazing.
The Royals are building a speed team. Revere could catch on there.
Has to hit better than Gore.
Except we’re carrying two backup DHs right now in Lucas Duda and Frank Schwindel so nowhere to put him.
How is he only 30? Seems like he has been around for a long time.
Decent average and speed, no power. Surprised he isn’t with someone as a 4th/5th outfielder.
Braves
and the most wet noodle arm MLB has ever seen. That severely hampers his effectiveness in CF and especially RF. I’ve seen runners tag from 1st and advanced to 2nd on Revere’s arm while playing CF several times.
Tigers could use him.
Peter Bourjos was just selected by the Angels. If he can find a big league job, I don’t know why Revere can’t/won’t.
Tigers have an injury in the OF at Center in a huge park so he could find a job there for a few weeks.