Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers
The Rangers outbid the competition for Yu Darvish in the hopes that the Japanese right-hander can help put them over the top in 2012.
Major League Signings
- Yu Darvish, SP: six years, $60MM.
- Joe Nathan, RP: two years, $14.5MM.
- Jairo Beras, OF: $4.5MM.
- Colby Lewis, SP: one year, $3.25MM. Club option exercised.
- Yoshinori Tateyama, RP: one year, $1MM. Club option exercised.
- Total spend: $83.25MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Randy Henry and SS Greg Miclat from the Orioles for C Taylor Teagarden.
- Acquired Kelvin De La Cruz from the Indians for cash considerations. Later returned to Cleveland.
- Acquired RP Greg Reynolds from the Rockies for UT Chad Tracy.
- Acquired C Luis Martinez from the Padres for RP Ryan Kelly.
- Acquired IF Brandon Snyder from the Orioles for cash considerations.
Extensions
- Nelson Cruz, OF: two years, $16MM.
- Elvis Andrus, SS: three years, $14.4MM.
- Derek Holland, SP: five years, $28.5MM.
Notable Losses
- Andres Blanco, Matt Treanor, Endy Chavez, C.J. Wilson, Darren Oliver, Mike Gonzalez, Dave Bush, Darren O'Day, Brandon Webb, Teagarden, Tracy, Kelly.
Draft Picks Gained or Lost
- Obtained 78th overall selection from Angels for Wilson. Also obtain supplementary first round pick.
Give the Rangers credit: you don't lose two consecutive World Series without fielding some pretty talented teams. They prepared for another run at their first championship by moving their closer to the rotation and winning the rights to one of the most highly coveted pitchers available.
Yu Darvish (pictured) required a $107MM commitment, so he'll face intense scrutiny whether he succeeds or not. If he comes close to replicating the stats he put up in Japan, Rangers fans won't have much reason to miss new Angels starter C.J. Wilson. There are no guarantees of excellence, or even of mediocrity from Darvish, but this was a gamble worth taking for a large market team that had determined he could succeed in the Major Leagues.
Neftali Feliz will join Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis in a rotation that no longer includes Wilson or Alexi Ogando. The decision to pass on Wilson was understandable, but he'll now be an asset for their biggest rival. Ogando, who faded late in his debut season as a starter, will provide newly extended manager Ron Washington with depth.
Feliz should be more valuable to the Rangers as a starter, since he'll pitch more innings in that role. He started throughout his minor league career, so this isn't completely new to him. And if any team can convert relievers to starters it's the Rangers, who have transitioned Wilson and Ogando to the rotation under the watchful eye of pitching coach Mike Maddux.
Because the Rangers are six deep in the rotation, they didn't have room for Roy Oswalt. At the very least, Oswalt's interest in joining the Rangers shows that top-tier free agents view Texas as an appealing place to play. Several needs could emerge for the Rangers within the next 12 months, and their new TV deal should ensure that they have money to spend. They'll be well-positioned to sign players who prefer to join a contender.
The Rangers committed $14.5MM to Joe Nathan, and it seems like an awful lot for a 37-year-old who's one year removed for Tommy John surgery. However, Nathan struck out three times as many hitters as he walked last year and his fastball still checks in at 92.3 mph.
The Rangers signed Joe Beimel and former Brewers teammates Mitch Stetter and Sean Green to minor league deals, but left-handed relief remains a weakness for this team. Michael Kirkman and Robbie Ross haven't proven themselves at the Major League level, yet they'll be counted on to replace Darren Oliver and Mike Gonzalez. Despite Gonzalez's disappointing 2011 performance with the Rangers, he might be worth another shot if the team's young arms falter.
The Rangers could have been a fit for Prince Fielder, but they had the discipline to pass when his asking price soared to uncomfortable heights. As intimidating as Fielder would have been in Texas, Mitch Moreland should do just fine while earning 1/50th of Fielder's salary. Mike Napoli or Michael Young can play first against some tough left-handers when possible, reducing Moreland's exposure to same-side pitchers.
The Rangers locked up Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus to extensions that could save the club money in future years. Capping costs was the main motivation for the extensions, as the Rangers didn't obtain control of free agent years on either contract. Tim Dierkes questioned whether the Andrus extension was necessary and I agree that the potential savings probably don't justify the risk. The upside is limited for the Rangers on both deals, yet they took on most of the risk with these two extensions. The Derek Holland deal strikes me as an excellent fit for both sides, however. Holland obtains security, while the Rangers extend their control over the left-hander with two club options.
The Rangers tabled extension talks with Josh Hamilton after the outfielder had an alcohol-related relapse. Hamilton, a free agent next winter, may be playing his final season with the Rangers. Napoli, another prospective free agent, also enters the 2012 season without an extension despite his breakout 2011 season.
The team agreed to terms with Dominican outfield prospect Jairo Beras, but MLB and competing executives believe he is 16 and therefore too young to sign. It makes sense for the club to spend now (when doing so is permitted), before the new CBA's spending restrictions take effect.
The Rangers have increased their win total in each of the past four seasons, winning the past two division titles. The AL West figures to be considerably more competitive now that the Angels have added Wilson and Albert Pujols, so it's by no means a given that the Rangers will reach the playoffs this year. But GM Jon Daniels has assembled a well-balanced roster with enough pieces for another attempt at their elusive first championship. The Rangers appear to be one of the best teams in the game.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Rangers, Ian Kinsler Discussing Six-Year Extension
10:33pm: The Rangers will likely make a contract offer when they meet with Kinsler's representatives on Wednesday, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
7:20pm: The Rangers and Ian Kinsler are discussing a six-year extention for the second baseman, though the two sides haven't yet been able to agree on financial terms, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Kinsler's current contract expires after this season, though Texas holds a $10MM option on him for 2013. The new deal would replace that option and run through the 2018 season. Rosenthal says the Rangers are willing to give Kinsler a contract that would exceed Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM pact with the Braves.
One of the possible holdups, Rosenthal opines, could be Robinson Cano's next contract. The Yankees hold a $15MM option on Cano for 2013 and Cano's next deal (whether in free agency or in an extension with New York) will assuredly pay him more. While Cano is likely to command a larger deal, Kinsler doesn't want to be "shortchanging himself" by signing an extension that ends up worth much less than what Cano eventually earns. The Yankees have said they plan to keep Cano, though since their team policy is to not enter into early negotiations with pending free agents, there haven't been and won't be any early hints about a new Cano contract that the Rangers and Kinsler can use as a baseline.
The Rangers apparently have just three days to hammer out a new deal with their second baseman, as Kinsler told Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he doesn't want negotiations to last into the season. Kinsler said an extension "could" still be possible and he wants "to be treated fairly amongst his peers."
Rosenthal recently reported that the length of the contract, not the value, was the main obstacle between Kinsler and the Rangers, so it's a sign of progress that the two sides have apparently settled on a six-year deal. Kinsler would be the fourth, and most high-profile, Ranger to sign an extension this offseason, following Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz and Derek Holland's multiyear deals.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Abreu, Gonzalez
Gabe Kapler and Ivan Rodriguez each hit two homers April 3, 2000 as the Rangers celebrated an Opening Day victory over the White Sox. The Rangers have another season-opening date with the White Sox on Friday when both teams open their 2012 campaigns. Here's the latest from the AL West…
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels doesn't expect his club to finalize any contract extensions before Opening Day, he told reporters (including MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan), but Daniels is still hopeful since, "all it takes is one conversation to pick something up again." While the team prefers to have contract talks settled by Opening Day, Daniels said he is open to negotiating during the season, "if we are able to handle it quietly and not let it be a distraction." We heard earlier today that Texas is talking about a six-year extension with Ian Kinsler.
- An unnamed Angels player says Bobby Abreu is becoming more accepting of his backup job with the team, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. Abreu has spoken out about his reduced role and the Halos are known to be shopping him, with one potential deal with the Indians falling through earlier this week.
- The Athletics released right-hander Edgar Gonzalez last week, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Gonzalez signed a minor league deal with the A's in November. Gonzalez posted a 5.00 ERA in 26 appearances (25 of them starts) for the Rays and Rockies' Triple-A affiliates last season, appearing in one Major League game with Colorado. The veteran righty has a 5.90 ERA in 107 career appearances with the Rockies, A's and Diamondbacks since 2003.
Central Notes: Reds, Indians, Pirates, Royals
A look at some items out of the Central divisions..
- The Reds' acquisition of right-hander J.J. Hoover from Atlanta kills any chance the Rangers had of shipping pitchers Mark Lowe or Koji Uehara to Cincinnati, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The Reds sent Juan Francisco to the Braves earlier today to land Hoover.
- The Indians need to see a significant boost in attendance this year in order to allow themselves to spend, writes Sheldon Ocker of the Beacon Journal. One way or another, the Tribe should have some breathing room this offseason with the contracts of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore coming off of the books.
- Pirates owner Bob Nutting expects his club to contend for the division title, write Bob Cohn and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Former Nats GM Jim Bowden also weighed in on the club's future and said that he believes they will hit their stride in two years when Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon are ready.
- Royals General Manager Dayton Moore spoke to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times about employing the Rays' strategy of locking up players before they become too pricey. Over the weekend, Moore inked his third extension of the offseason when he signed Alex Gordon to a four-year, $37.5MM deal.
Quick Hits: Hamilton, Axelrod, Abreu, Pelfrey, Mets
Saturday night linkage..
- Josh Hamilton told Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas that he's open to talking to the Rangers about a contract extension during the season. “If they want to talk to my agent, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said after previously indicating an unwillingness to negotiate during the season.
- Agent Barry Axelrod has been discussing employment opportunities with the Diamondbacks, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (Twitter links). Axelrod and GM Kevin Towers are close friends.
- Unlike agents Jeff Moorad and Arn Tellem, Scott Boras has no desire to own a major league team, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
- The Angels' deal to trade Bobby Abreu to the Indians fell apart due to salary concerns, a source familiar with the talks told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Cleveland wanted the veteran slugger but the two sides couldn't agree upon how much of his $9MM salary they would assume.
- Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey was surprised to learn that his job was on the line during spring training, writes David Lennon of Newsday. The front office was kicking around the idea of releasing the 28-year-old before Opening Day to free up roughly $4MM, the non-guaranteed portion of his one-year, $5.7MM deal.
- Scouts covering the Giants say the club is getting nervous about rotation depth, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
- The Orioles cut minor league pitcher Josh Banks, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. The right-hander spent most of 2011 with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate and posted a 7.27 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in twelve starts and seven relief appearances.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Rays Acquire Kyle Hudson
The Rays have acquired outfielder Kyle Hudson from the Rangers for future considerations, reports Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Texas signed him to a minor league deal back in January.
The 25-year-old hit .296/.375/.336 line with 41 stolen bases in 485 minor league plate appearances last season. Hudson also appeared in 14 Major League games for the Orioles as a September callup.
Rosenthal & Morosi On Phillips, Hamels, Winfield
Outgoing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has some authority over the land surrounding Dodger Stadium and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if he’ll look to lure the NFL back to Los Angeles. Here are some more rumors and notes from Rosenthal and his colleague, Jon Paul Morosi:
- Rosenthal checks in on extension candidates around the league, offering insight into the negotiations. The likely asking price for Brandon Phillips is a raise from his current $12MM salary on a four or five-year deal.
- The issue in contract talks between Ian Kinsler and the Rangers is years, rather than dollars, Rosenthal writes.
- The Phillies haven't had substantive extension talks with Cole Hamels in the last three weeks, Rosenthal tweets.
- Hall of Famer Dave Winfield told Morosi that he has thought about teaming up with others to bid for an MLB team. “There’s been interest on my part,” Winfield said. “I really don’t need to go into more detail at this point, but that is something I’ve considered.” It’s hard not to wonder if Winfield could look to purchase the Padres, one of his former teams.
Rangers Release Brad Hawpe
The Rangers have released veteran outfielder Brad Hawpe, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Hawpe signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in January that would've paid him $1MM had he made the roster. By releasing Hawpe now, Texas avoids paying him a $100K bonus as a six-year veteran.
Hawpe's chances of making the Texas roster were slim given that the Rangers are in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder and Hawpe is both a lefty bat and hasn't been able to throw from the outfield due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Still, Hawpe hit well in limited action during the spring (a .849 OPS in 23 at-bats) and has a decent chance of catching on with another team if he can prove he's healthy. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports the Rangers have invited Hawpe to return if he can't find a Major League job elsewhere.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Dodgers, Rowand
On this date three years ago, the Padres returned Rule 5 selection Ivan Nova to the Yankees. The right-hander broke out with a 3.70 ERA in 165 1/3 innings last year, his first full season in the Major Leagues. Here are today's links…
- The Rangers are looking to tinker, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They’re looking to move Koji Uehara and/or Mark Lowe and aim to acquire a utility infielder and/or right-handed bat who can handle left field and first base. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported yesterday that other teams are calling about the Rangers’ relievers.
- Magic Johnson, whose group won the bidding for the Dodgers, promises to invest in the team, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports (via the Baltimore Sun). "Teams are investing," the former NBA star said. "That's what you do when you put a winning team on the field. We're not going to be any different from those teams."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports argues that it would be good for baseball if more of the sport's stars remained involved in high-profile roles after their playing careers end. "Two trends — increasing player compensation and larger ownership groups — have combined to create more opportunities for players to become owners," Astros CEO George Postolos told Morosi.
- Teams with catching depth such as the Yankees, Padres, and Blue Jays aren’t inclined to make deals at this point, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
- Aaron Rowand, who was released earlier today, says he'll "probably" retire if no team needs an outfielder, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Hamilton, Reds, Francis, Rays, Nady
Wednesday night linkage..
- Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said that it will be “miraculous” if he and the club come to terms on a new deal before Opening Day, writes Drew Davidson of the Star-Telegram.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com that while the club is making progress in multi-year contract talks with Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto, nothing is imminent.
- Pitcher Jeff Francis has decided not to exercise his opt-out clause with the Reds, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Francis told the club that he’d be willing to go to Triple-A and start.
- The Rays are a thorn in the side for people those who contend that teams with limited budgets can’t win, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Tampa Bay is bumping up their payroll this year in an effort to spark attendance and revenue at Tropicana Field.
- After spending just one day in major league camp, it looks like Xavier Nady may have a chance to crack the Nationals’ roster, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. One spot is up for grabs between Nady and Jason Michaels, who has an out clause. The out clause may actually work against him as the player that the Nats choose will likely be sent to the minors once Michael Morse returns.