The Texas Rangers are paying Elvis Andrus for another two seasons at $14.25MM per season, but their long-time shortstop might have to start yielding minutes to Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Anderson Tejeda, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. While one consideration might be the $15MM vesting option the Rangers hold on Andrus for 2023, the fact is Andrus hasn’t provided positive value with the bat since 2016 and 2017, the only two seasons of his 12-year career with a wRC+ north of 100. The last remaining member of the Rangers’ back-to-back World Series squads in 2010 and 2011, Andrus long provided value with the glove to offset his subpar bat, but the defensive numbers have slipped a touch and, at his price point, the Rangers can’t afford for him to be a one- or two-dimensional player. Andrus himself admits that he’s been slow to adapt, saying in a quote provided by Grant, “The toughest thing for me is to not to believe my instincts during the game and to actually believe more in a piece of paper, or report. That’s where the game is right now. I think that’s what I’ve been a little hard-headed about.”
- Boston Red Sox lefty Martin Pérez is glad he remained with the team through the trade deadline. The 29-year-old veteran is trying to do his part to mentor the young players on an inexperienced Boston staff, writes Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Said Pérez, “I’ve been at this level for a couple of years and I’ve learned from a lot of guys. Now it’s time for me to let the youngest guys know what they have to do.” The Red Sox have leaned on Pérez in a season where they’ve lacked veteran options. Boston holds a $6.25MM option for Pérez next season, a reasonable price point for the kind of production he’s offered this season (4.07 ERA across 42 innings).
- Jesus Cruz has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Cardinals’ alternate site, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). Cruz was designated for assignment last week. Cruz, 25, appeared in just one game for the Cardinals this season, yielding 2 earned runs on 3 hits and a walk. Cruz has been in the Cardinals organization since 2017, marching steadily up the organizational ladder year-by-year. In 2019, he stuck out 13.1 batter per nine innings across Double-A and Triple-A, but struggled with his comman, surrendering 6.8 BB/9. He worked a 6.02 ERA across 61 1/3 innings between the two levels.
I would be curious to see the change IF andrus does buy into the analytics. Obviously I’m not expecting a radical jump in production, but I wonder if his game would change enough to at least offset some of that price tag (make it easier to swallow so to speak).
I don’t know… I feel most good players use a blind of science and instincts.
Interesting observation. He’s 32 yrs old, and his production had been slowly declining for a couple years. After he was hit by a pitch and broke bone in elbow, just hasn’t ever gotten back to what we have come to expect. Gonna be a tough call with 2 more years on contract. Don’t know if the team has a buyout or not. Other problem with Rangers, who do replace him at SS with?
I think most Ranger fans are ready to see what Anderson Tejada has to offer. He looks good and provides much more the bat than Elvis.
When the Sox inked Perez, my reaction like many others was WTF. While he’s no stud, he’s been worth the contract and hopefully next year will be a valuable BACK end starter who could be traded at the deadline if 2021 is another building but win loss record disaster.
By the way, anyone see Munoz? Of course it was just one day’s work but watching highlights, I am impressed with his swing as a middle infielder.
He’s putting up basically the numbers we expected. He’s not the issue with the staff. The issue is that he was supposed to be the #4 starter
Mafia – I as well expected Martin Pérez to perform the way he has and I am sure the Red Sox will pick up his option. The biggest question for next year will be the health of Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Eovaldi. At some point I think Houck will be in the rotation and productive. He has been great in the Sim game, not just the results, but over coming the problem he had with left handed hitters.
Bloom has been doing his best to refill the system with prospects not just bodies. I think the Red Sox will finally start to produce impact arms from the minor leagues….
I love this team, but this season has been rough. I love seeing the young guys play, but this team just doesn’t have any heart. They go out, do what they need to do (lose), and go home. Day in and day out. No electric Luis Robert or Fernando Tatis jr, just the same old same old. Part of that is on Andrus. He’s normally the guy who provides the spark or energy that gets this team rolling. But this season he’s just looked depressed, and so has the entire team. (Dang you Kenyan Middleton… if you know, you know)
There are bright spots for sure IKF, Solak, Trevino, Cody, Allard, Lynn, and most of our bullpen have been great for sure, but despite all of that, this team is hard to watch.
Hopefully we tank for Kumar, and then after this season we fire the entire FO, and Kip Fagg, so that we don’t screw up taking Kumar.
Yep agree with this. When Elvis came up he was the heart and soul of the team. I think that broken elbow has pretty much ended his career as a starter in the bigs. Also agree that it doesn’t appear like there is a big dog prospect in the minors. I hope maybe Josh Jung turns into a staple of the future. Solak looks and plays just like Michael Young btw, he’s fun to watch.
Thought I’d start an related thread about who belongs in the hall. Obviously such is subjective and everyone has their own list but here’s my top ten (not in order, just spontaneously, the first names that pop into my head as deserving and I ask others to do the same without looking up stats – sometimes the eye test gets forgotten about). Note that I have not included any I thought cheated the game – just my personal choice:
Dwight Evans
Luis Tiant
Thurman Munson
Gil Hodges
Albert Belle
Bill Buckner
Steve Garvey
Curt Schilling
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
I’ll give you Evans, McGriff and Schilling. Belle? You have to be joking.
Belle was a head case and one who no one liked but he was one of
the most feared hitter in his prime and an RBI machine. Injuries shortened his career but to me he did enough and personal writer bias kept him out.
Milt, I said without checking. Well I just checked and Buckner’s hit total was less than I thought which makes your comparison stronger. Buckner was still hurt by his injuries but I get your point. Buckner won a batting title whereas Grace had four gold gloves. I think there was better competition in both leagues at 1B during Buckner’s time but they are comparable and it’s arguable as to who was better. I’ll replace Buckner in my list with Billy Wagner who was my “11th” player originally.
Schilling will get in. The voters just want to make him squirm for his comments he’s made through the years.
Which, is pretty sad. Its the HOF. Not Hall of moral character or Hall of Values.
Comments he made off the field and post playing days shouldn’t affect his chances.
I hate Pete Rose, but he bet on baseball while as a manager and that should not affect him getting in as a player. (The fact that he was an arrogant jerk who had kids other than with his wife…..oh hell let him wait and put him in the HOF after he dies….) lol
I’m with miltpappas. Munson, too, maybe. If Buckner deserves admission, then so does Mark Grace, IMO. IIRC, Buckner wasn’t as good an on-base guy as Grace, either. Glove first, low power, high average corner IF.
Buckner had over 2800 hits, had a very good glove (if not a Hernandez/Mattingly type), and was clutch except in the 86 playoffs when his ankles just gave out. After an on field injury early in his career ruined his speed, he continued to adjusthis game until he couldn’t walk on the field. No one in baseball history did more to get ready just to play. Bilateral ankle shots as often as the doc would allow and ice became the pre AND post game norm. If you divide his hits out, it’s like seven hits per year on the average kept him out if you assume 3k would have changed some writers minds.
See correction above. Buck had over 2,700 hits and there were so many good to great first basemen in his era and the next that his inclusion might be an over reach.
Cruz was a Covid add to the roster. Glad they did not lose him. Has potential long term
Yielding minutes? This isn’t basketball…
IKF is the most underrated utility man in baseball