Latest On Potential Yu Darvish Extension
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and the agent for right-hander Yu Darvish have engaged in a couple of contract extension-related conversations – but not serious ones – Daniels told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Extension talks tend to heat up around spring training, which was the case last year between the Rangers and cornerstone third baseman Adrian Beltre. The two sides ultimately hammered out a deal in mid-April, thus preventing Beltre from testing the open market this winter. Darvish will become a free agent next offseason if he and Texas don’t reach an extension, but it seems the 30-year-old wants to remain with the organization. “I am really grateful to the Texas Rangers for giving me that contract,” Darvish said of the six-year, $56MM pact he signed to leave his native Japan in 2012. “They have taken care of me really well.”
Rangers To Sign James Loney
The Rangers have agreed to a minor-league deal with first baseman James Loney, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The veteran will make $1MM if he can break onto the MLB roster.
Loney, 32, played an even 100 games last year for the Mets, who acquired him in May from the Padres after losing Lucas Duda for a lengthy stretch. (San Diego had added Loney over the winter on a minor-league deal.) In his 366 MLB plate appearances in 2016, Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 and hit nine home runs.
Clearly, that wasn’t quite as much production as most teams would like to see out of the first base position. It was the second straight year in which Loney had checked in with below-average overall offensive results. He was much better over the 2013-14 campaigns, however, when he provided the Rays with 1,249 plate appearances of .294/.342/.404 batting.
There are some other limitations, too. Loney has long carried rather drastic platoon splits, though perhaps that makes him a relatively appealing option as a bench bat to face righties. And though he has long been considered a quality defender at first, Loney hasn’t rated quite as well with the glove in recent years — though he still draws average metrics.
For Texas, Loney could compete with prospect Joey Gallo and perhaps also veteran Josh Hamilton for a left-handed-hitting role in the team’s first base/DH mix. Both of those players could conceivably also spend time in the outfield, though neither would likely be a preferable option there and the Rangers aren’t much in need of southpaw-swinging corner outfielders anyway.
Rangers Notes: Ross, First Base, Andrus, Choo
Tyson Ross has already found a new home as a member of the Rangers, officially signing a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $6MM with another $3MM available via incentives earlier this week. With the matter of where he’ll be pitching in 2017 now answered, the question on the minds of many Rangers fans turns to when he’ll be pitching for the team in 2017. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that the Rangers and Ross are taking a conservative route in his rehab. One Rangers exec told Wilson that he’s not expecting Ross to pitch in the Majors until May or June. GM Jon Daniels suggested as much as well, Wilson adds. “We would rather err on a little extra time up front with the goal being to finish strong, pitching in big spots, meaningful games down the stretch and hopefully past 162,” said Daniels. Entering the season, then, the Rangers figure to have a competition for the fifth slot in the rotation, with A.J. Griffin, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Dillon Gee and Nick Martinez among the candidates. Top prospect Yohander Mendez will open the year in Triple-A, according to Wilson.
More on the Rangers…
- Texas has long been connected to various first base options on the market, most prominently Mike Napoli, and ESPN’s Jim Bowden writes that the Rangers are waiting to see which of Napoli or Chris Carter can be had on a one-year “pillow” type of contract. A one-year pact for Carter has looked likely for awhile after he was non-tendered by the Brewers, though the Rangers were said to at least be discussing a two-year deal with Napoli earlier this month. It’s possible that Mark Trumbo‘s new deal with the Orioles will help to accelerate the market for the remaining two right-handed 30-homer bats on the market.
- Wilson also writes that shortstop Elvis Andrus, who underwent sports hernia surgery two months ago, expects to be a bit limited early in Spring Training and will likely miss the World Baseball Classic due to his recovery process. However, Andrus expects to be up to full speed by the end of Spring Training and feels confident he’ll be in the Opening Day lineup. The 28-year-old Andrus said he first began feeling the effects of the injury last May. While he was comfortable at the plate, Andrus did note that the injury impacted him on the bases and in the field.
- Shin-Soo Choo tells MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan that he doesn’t feel he’s at the point in his career where he needs to be a designated hitter on a full-time basis. The 34-year-old had four separate stints on the disabled list in 2016 and played in just 48 games, but he says he’s fully healthy and ready for Spring Training. Choo is open to the idea of DHing two to three times per week, the outfielder said, but his preference is to remain in the field in the majority of his games. As Sullivan notes, spring performances from Josh Hamilton and Delino DeShields could impact Choo’s role. DeShields, specifically, could cut into Choo’s time in the outfield if he looks capable of returning to center field on a near-everyday basis. In that scenario, Carlos Gomez would slide over to right field, pushing Choo primarily into a DH role.
Rosenthal On Dodgers’ Search For Second Baseman
The Dodgers have expanded their search for a second baseman, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Los Angeles remains engaged on longstanding targets Brian Dozier, Ian Kinsler, and Logan Forsythe, but appears to be looking elsewhere in the event that those players can’t be had at a palatable rate.
Among the players that could potentially be fits, per Rosenthal, are switch-hitters Jurickson Profar of the Rangers, Cesar Hernandez of the Phillies, and Wilmer Difo of the Nationals, though he notes that of that trio, Profar is the only one on whom the Dodgers have definitively inquired. All are young and controllable somewhat controllable — Profar through 2019, Hernandez through 2020 and Difo all the way through 2022. Only Hernandez, though, has put up a full and productive major league season.
Beyond those possibilities, Rosenthal says that there’s still some potential for a reunion with Chase Utley. Still, the club would rather find a hitter who swings from the right side. That would also appear to leave little room for interest in the other top remaining second-base-capable free agents.
Dave Cameron of Fangraphs recently suggested that the best fit on paper might be Javier Baez, with young pitching going to the Cubs in exchange. But that doesn’t seem particularly likely, as Cameron notes and Rosenthal also echoes.
All things considered, Rosenthal explains, Dozier might still be the likeliest target for the Dodgers. Though the club seemingly broke off its talks with the Twins recently, Rosenthal says that the door remains open to a deal. It’s imaginable that Los Angeles could line up with the Rays on Forsythe, but the biggest issue there seems to be that Tampa Bay doesn’t have a ready replacement.
Rangers Designate Brady Dragmire
The Rangers have designated righty Brady Dragmire for assignment, the team announced. His roster spot was needed for the team’s signing of Tyson Ross.
Dragmire, 23, has already been designated once by Texas this winter — and several other times by other organizations. Now, he’ll likely continue his tour of the majors via the waiver wire, unless the Rangers can sneak him through.
As we’ve noted on each of those prior occasions, Dragmire hasn’t yet sniffed the big leagues and worked to only a 4.38 ERA over his 72 Double-A frames in 2016. Despite pedestrian K/BB numbers (5.1 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9), he also carried a 63.6 percent groundball rate that has obviously intrigued quite a few teams.
Rangers Sign Tyson Ross
JANUARY 19: The Rangers have announced the one-year deal with Ross, who can earn up to $3MM in incentives, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
JANUARY 13, 5:04pm: The deal guarantees Ross $6MM and also comes with available incentives, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.
3:42pm: The Rangers have agreed with free-agent starter Tyson Ross, as Jeff Wade of 105.3 The FAN in Dallas/Fort Worth first reported. Ross’ contract is a one-year deal, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (Twitter link). Salary terms are not yet reported.
[Related: Updated Texas Rangers Depth Chart]
Ross is set to turn 30 in April and is coming off a season in which shoulder troubles limited him to one lone appearance — that which he made on Opening Day. Ross attempted to rehab the injury all season without success, ultimately undergoing surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome.
The Padres, not wishing to pay him a repeat of last year’s $9.6MM salary, non-tendered Ross last month. Nearly two-third of the league showed some level of interest in Ross as a free agent, but in recent weeks it’s been reported that the Rangers and Cubd were his two likeliest landing spots, with the Nats also floating on the periphery of his market.
Because of the aforementioned TOS surgery, Ross isn’t a lock to be ready for Opening Day. Durability concerns have long accompanied Ross, but prior to the 2016 season he’d been a largely healthy and effective starter atop the San Diego rotation. From 2013-15, Ross tossed 516 2/3 innings for the Padres, logging to a 3.07 earned run average with 9.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 to go along with a superlative 58.2 percent ground-ball rate.
That level of upside is what led to the widespread interest in Ross and is what will likely lead the Rangers to plug him directly into their rotation once he’s healthy enough to take the hill. As it stands, A.J. Griffin is slotted in as the Rangers’ fifth starter behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez and fellow offseason signee Andrew Cashner. However, Griffin tossed 119 innings with a 5.07 ERA last year and seems the likeliest to be ousted from the starting five once Ross completes his rehab. (Alternatively, the Rangers could deploy a six-man unit as a means of keeping everyone in the rotation healthy, though that’s simply speculation.)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Could Rangers Be A Fit For Jay Bruce?
- Recent agreements by the Blue Jays (Jose Bautista) and Phillies (Michael Saunders) have caused the Mets‘ potential trade options for right fielder Jay Bruce to dwindle, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. (I’d also note the Orioles’ acquisition of Seth Smith in that list of deterrents to a Bruce swap.) The Giants and Rangers could be the only two remaining plausible landing spots for Bruce, Puma continues, noting that each team has had previous interest in Bruce. However, according to Puma, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has not yet shown a willingness to absorb any of Bruce’s $13MM salary in a trade, which only further exacerbates the difficulty of trading him in a market flooded with cheaper corner options. Puma speculates that the Mets may be forced to open the season with Bruce on the roster and look to move him early in the regular season, as they did with Ike Davis back in 2014.
Jake Diekman To Undergo Surgery, Miss Significant Portion Of 2017 Season
Rangers reliever Jake Diekman is expected to miss “at least half” of the 2017 season after undergoing surgery to “help alleviate ulcerative colitis,” according to Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). That’s certainly frightening news for the 29-year-old; MLBTR extends its best wishes to him for a full recovery.
News of the surgery is most unwelcome for both Diekman and the Rangers. It’s a significant blow to the Texas organization’s late-inning bullpen mix. While there’s solid depth overall, Diekman is clearly the team’s top relief southpaw. Alex Claudio now stands as Texas’s top setup lefty.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that can come with a variety of side effects, ranging from the unpleasant to the debilitating. Diekman has long battled the ailment, and it seems that a surgical course was finally deemed necessary. If you’re interested in learning more about the condition and Diekman’s charitable efforts involving it, click here.
Diekman had just agreed to a $2.55MM salary to avoid arbitration with the Rangers, and he’ll stand to receive all of that unless the team changes its mind before the start of the season. Odds are, Texas will take its chances on a return. The hope is, it seems, that Diekman will make it back in 2017, and he’s controllable for one more year through the arb process. Missing such a lengthy stretch will obviously dent his future arb earnings, it’s also important to point out.
Texas will no doubt miss Diekman’s presence for whatever stretch he is out. Last year, he worked 53 frames and posted a 3.40 ERA. Though he continues to struggle with command at times, Diekman is tough to square up. Relying mostly on a mid-nineties sinker, which he combines with a slider and little-used change, he typically produces plenty of groundballs and strikeouts. Diekman carries nearly a 50% grounder rate to go with 11.0 K/9 for his career.
Rangers Re-Sign Josh Hamilton
12:09pm: Hamilton intends to try his hand at first base, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets. Presumably, he could also factor in the corner outfield and DH mix. The organization has been rumored to be pursuing alternatives at first and DH, where Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar currently rate as the top options on the depth chart.
11:38am: Texas has announced the deal. Hamilton will earn at the league-minimum rate if he makes it to the majors, Heyman tweets. That’s not surprising, of course, as Hamilton’s free-agent deal ran through the 2017 season. Most of his $30MM salary will be paid for by the Angels, though the Rangers did also take on a total of $6MM (for the 2015-17 seasons) when they acquired Hamilton.
11:18am: The Rangers have wrapped up an agreement to re-sign one-time star slugger Josh Hamilton, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). A deal has been expected since late in 2016.
Hamilton’s minor-league pact will give him the right to opt out on April 1 if he has not yet been added to the MLB roster. He’ll obviously hope to earn a spot in the major-league mix during spring camp, but it’s not known whether he’d look to pursue an opportunity elsewhere if Texas doesn’t offer him a big league job to open the year.
There remain many questions facing the 35-year-old Hamilton, who was expected to play a significant role for the Rangers last year but ended up requiring consecutive knee surgeries. The veteran outfielder made a brief and largely uninspiring appearance with Texas in 2015, after he was acquired from the Angels, but hasn’t put together a full season since 2013.
While Hamilton didn’t maintain his All-Star-level production upon leaving the Rangers to join the Angels in 2013, he did manage to put up a .255/.316/.426 batting line — good for a 110 OPS+ — during his two years in Los Angeles. If he can return to that sort of hitting, he’d likely be a solid piece for the Rangers, though talent has never been the lone issue. Hamilton, after all, has long dealt with balky knees and battled substance abuse, and he’ll need to maintain his overall health in order to be a productive member of the organization.
Rangers Sign Dillon Gee
The Rangers have announced the signing of righty Dillon Gee to a minor-league deal. He can earn $2MM if he’s in the majors, with a $1MM incentive package, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).
Gee is still recovering from thoracic outlet surgery — as is fellow recent signee Tyson Ross. Last year, Gee joined the Royals on a minor-league pact and ended up making 33 major-league appearances, 14 of them as a starter. But even before the surgery, he had struggled. Gee worked to a 4.68 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 over his 125 frames with Kansas City.
Just what Texas can expect from the 30-year-old, given his health concerns and recent performance dip, remains to be seen, but he ought to battle for a roster spot in camp. Assuming Ross isn’t quite ready for the start of the season, Gee could compete with pitchers such as A.J. Griffin, Chi Chi Gonzalez, and Nick Martinez for opportunities.