Rangers Rumors

Podcast: Evan Grant On Rangers; Bradley Woodrum On TJ Surgery

By Cray Allred | March 3, 2016 at 12:56pm CDT

Today’s MLBTR podcast features two great guests. First, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hops on the show to fill us in on an upbeat Rangers camp. The topics include the signing of Ian Desmond, what Texas might do with its ample depth, whether there are any trades to explore this spring, and the extension situation with veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Next, host Jeff Todd is joined by Bradley Woodrum to discuss his recent statistical research into predicting the likelihood of Tommy John surgeries. You can find the post on his findings right here on MLBTR, and Brad’s podcast discussion is essential listening for those interested in understanding it fully. He provides an excellent look at the process, the results (including what they do and don’t tell us), and what still remains to be investigated.

Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and please leave a review! The podcast is also available via Stitcher at this link.

The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast runs weekly on Thursday afternoons.

AL Notes: Desmond, Rangers, Perez, Altuve, Rollins

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2016 at 2:32pm CDT

Ian Desmond’s path to the Rangers all began earlier in the offseason, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The club let him know that they would have interest on the off chance that Desmond couldn’t find a multi-year deal and was willing to move to the outfield, says Grant, and that indeed turned out to be the case. “Things can change,” GM Jon Daniels explained. “You have to be prepared. You never know when a domino might fall. If you have any interest in that player, you have to express that early on.” Daniels has also made clear that he doesn’t believe there will be any difficulty in sorting out playing time when Josh Hamilton is ready to return.

Here’s more from Texas and the rest of the American League:

Rangers co-owner Ray Davis discussed his organization today, and Grant has the story. Most notably, he said that the club can still add payroll for a mid-season addition after signing Desmond. As for that move, he explained: “It was a matter of need and Jon Daniels and Thad Levine finding a way to do things creatively. They came to us and proposed a creative deal. For me, this is a process where nobody other than the baseball people make the player decision. My only role is an economic one. They have a plan and decision they make long before they come to me.”
Royals catcher Salvador Perez is excited at his new deal and hopes he’ll spend the rest of his career in Kansas City, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. From the team’s perspective, despite a team-friendly contract already being in place, it made sense to swing another deal. “We went into Salvy’s previous deal with expectations that obviously he was going to be a terrific player,” said GM Dayton Moore. “We’ve always believed in him — as a talent, as a person, as a teammate. And he’s out-performed that contract. He’s an underpaid player in the game.” Noting the sacrifice that Gil Meche made when he left money upon departing the team, Moore explained that the motivation extended beyond pure baseball economics. “You focus on what’s right for Sal,” Moore said. “We’ve said from day one, that we want to create an organization that we’d want our own sons and family to be a part of. Well, Salvy’s family.”
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders whether other clubs will follow suit in rewarding underpaid players. He cites Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, Jose Altuve of the Astros, Chris Sale of the White Sox, Madison Bumgarner of the Giants, and Chris Archer of the Rays as others on team-friendly pacts. From my perspective, most of those players line up more as traditional second extension candidates, in that their teams may well see some value in doubling down on their investments in the way that has occurred in the past for Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman, and others.
As for Altuve, the Astros aren’t currently holding extension talks, according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. Like his friend Perez, Altuve has greatly outperformed his own contract, which would stand to pay him just $25MM if Houston exercises its two options. As Drellich notes, though, Altuve would still stand to hit the market at 29 years of age and probably has a better chance at longevity than does Perez.
White Sox skipper Robin Ventura says that he envisions Jimmy Rollins making the club out of camp, as Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune tweets. “I expect him to make the team, unless something happens physically where it wouldn’t work,” said Ventura.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/2/16

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2016 at 9:41am CDT

We’ll keep tabs on the day’s minor moves in this post …

First baseman Efren Navarro has signed with the Mariners on a minor league deal, as Shannon Drayer of Seattle’s 710AM ESPN reports on Twitter. He had been acquired by the Orioles from the Angels earlier this winter, but was ultimately cut loose by Baltimore. The 29-year-old reached the majors with Los Angeles in four of the last five years, though he saw only 280 total plate appearances. All told, he owns only a .246/.303/.324 slash in the majors. But Navarro has a lengthy track record at the Triple-A level, where he’s compiled a .316/.378/.449 batting line.
The Rangers have reached a minor league deal with righty Anthony Carter that would pay him $600K at the major league level, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports (Twitter links). Carter underwent shoulder surgery last summer, but is said to be healthy at present. The 29-year-old last saw competitive action in 2014 in Japan, where he turned in 45 1/3 frames of 3.95 ERA pitching with 6.6 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9.

Nate Schierholtz: Big In Japan, Back In MLB

By Zachary Links | March 1, 2016 at 10:00am CDT

After eight straight years in the majors, outfielder Nate Schierholtz found himself in an unfamiliar situation last spring. The veteran outfielder inked a minor league deal with the Rangers in February 2015 and, roughly seven weeks later, he opted out of the pact when he learned that he would not make the cut. When baseball’s game of musical chairs left Schierholtz without a quality MLB opportunity, the veteran decided to go out of his comfort zone and hemisphere by signing with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

“It was definitely an interesting experience and I learned a lot. I enjoyed living with the Japanese culture and learning some of their ways and values. The fans are very kind to the American foreign players and it was a great experience,” Schierholtz told MLBTR in Lakeland, Florida before the Tigers’ contest against the Pirates.

Schierholtz didn’t know much about the NPB before heading over there, but he quickly discovered that the Hiroshima Carp enjoy rockstar status in Japan.

“We were a very popular team, we sold out with 35,000 people every day that season. Our support was like no other team’s there, even during road games. It was neat to see fans stand up and cheer for three hours straight without sitting down. They had a couple of chants for every player too. Mine was ’Nate-O,’ because that’s what they called me. The whole stadium would chant ’Home Run Nate-O!’ every time I was at bat because that’s all they want to see from the American players,” the outfielder said.

Schierholtz, of course, isn’t a huge home run hitter, but he did oblige the fans’ request on ten occasions. In 248 plate appearances, Schierholtz slashed .250/.298/.435 while playing hard-nosed defense in the outfield. After re-establishing himself, the veteran had multiple non-guaranteed MLB opportunities for the 2016 season. This time around, he knew that his best bet was to sign early on in the offseason.

“I had a little bit of a different strategy from last offseason. I waited and waited and waited and I kind of got in a bad situation last Spring Training [with the Rangers] as far as opportunity goes, so I just wanted to sign with a team that wanted me there. I felt like [the Tigers’] track record of being a successful team really appealed to me. I think, at my age, my goal is to get back to the playoffs. I had so much fun back in San Francisco winning that World Series, that’s kind of what motivates me now.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To The Ian Desmond Signing

By Steve Adams | February 29, 2016 at 7:58pm CDT

Ian Desmond’s winter did not progress as expected, as he landed with the Rangers on a one-year, $8MM deal after turning down a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the Nationals. Even more surprising than the magnitude of the contract was the fact that he’ll be shifting off of the shortstop position in Texas. As Desmond begins preparing to move to left field, at least for the time being, here are some reactions to the signing:

Desmond seems determined to make the best of the situation, as Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports. He expressed frustration in the impact of the qualifying offer system on his market, but even as he said “it’s clear that something needs to change,” he made equally clear that he won’t let that get in the way of his new opportunity. “I’m extremely excited,” Desmond said. “I’m extremely grateful, also. … As for swallowing my pride and learning a new position, that’s not going to be a problem.”
From the Rangers’ perspective, too, the move represents — at least in some part — an effort to make the best of a trying situation, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. The injury issues surrounding Josh Hamilton left the team without a clear solution in left field, and now Desmond will be tasked with that job. GM Jon Daniels made clear that Elvis Andrus will be the team’s shortstop, and also that Desmond is slated for regular duty in left — meaning that Hamilton’s own role will be determined when he’s back in action. “This move is about 2016, about adding a winning piece and a winning man,” said Daniels. Meanwhile, Desmond added that he’s long thought about playing in the grass, and is most committed to the same ideals that Daniels described. “I made the decision when the offseason began I wanted to be part of something more than just our names on the back of our jerseys; I wanted to win,” he said. “I felt that if to do that, I needed to move positions, I would consider it.”
ESPN.com’s Keith Law rates the signing as a rare miss for the Texas front office, arguing that Desmond’s bat isn’t good enough to justify the sacrifice of the 19th overall pick in the upcoming draft. There are a variety of options on hand who might be expected to provide similar overall production, he reasons, citing several traditional outfielders as well as conceivable converts such as Jurickson Profar, Ike Davis, and Joey Gallo. Law does note that there’s some potential value in Desmond’s versatility, including that he could present a theoretical alternative to Andrus at short, as well as the clubhouse presence he brings.
Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs, meanwhile, sees the sense in the signing for Texas. By his reckoning, Desmond has a reasonable amount of upside, has shown the kind of athleticism and work ethic to believe he’ll turn into a solid outfielder, and could conceivably step in on the left side of the infield or move around the field if a need arises. For Desmond, argues Sullivan, the deal obviously represents a disappointment in light of the reported extension offer he rejected from the Nationals, but that was a justifiable decision at the time.
The Mets never strongly pursued Desmond, even before they added Asdrubal Cabrera, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). New York “didn’t see the value early,” Heyman writes. The Rays and other clubs were in on Desmond at the end, according to Heyman (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Orioles checked in on the free agent, but they never made a formal offer, he adds.
Other organizations did, however, show earlier interest, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The issue, per the report, may have been that Desmond and his representatives simply held out too long. It’s not entirely clear whether that approach was driven by hopes of getting a significant contract or disinterest in signing in a “super-utility” role, but Olney seems to suggest that some possible avenues to a bigger deal were not taken when they were available.
It’s not hard to understand why Desmond would have sought a contract and playing situation commensurate with his high overall level of performance, of course, but Olney notes that his new role in Texas may close the door on the possibility of a major future signing as a premium up-the-middle player. It will certainly be interesting to see whether he gets a chance to show his form elsewhere on the diamond. Scouts tell Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post (on Twitter) that Desmond has the athleticism to be an outfielder, but they also feel that he could have stayed at shortstop without issue.

Rangers Sign Ian Desmond

By Steve Adams | February 29, 2016 at 8:33am CDT

Ian Desmond’s drawn out free agency has come to a close, as the Rangers announced today that they’ve signed Desmond to a one-year contract that reportedly guarantees the longtime National $8MM for the 2016 campaign. Desmond, a client of Sports One Athlete Management, will reportedly serve as the everyday left fielder in Texas despite a lack of experience at the position, and the Rangers indeed announced him an an “infielder/outfielder” in their press release. Right-hander Tanner Scheppers has been placed on the 60-day disabled list in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Desmond.

Critics will be quick to point out that Desmond infamously turned down a seven-year, $107MM extension with the Nationals in the 2013-14 offseason. While Desmond undoubtedly has some financial regrets about doing so, the money he apparently left on the table isn’t quite as much as many would assume at first glance. For starters, that contract included his final two arbitration years with the Nats, during which time he earned $17.5MM anyway. Secondly, the contract was also said to include deferred money (as has been the case with virtually every significant Nationals contract offer in recent history due to their ongoing television rights fees battle), further deflating the value of the deal. While Desmond unquestionably comes out behind for the time being, he’ll hope for a big year in Texas and a significantly better result in free agency next offseason.

Throughout the offseason, there’s been talk that Desmond could draw interest from clubs at a position other than shortstop, though there were a number of obstacles that seemed to be standing between Desmond and an agreement with the Rangers. For starters, Texas has repeatedly been said to be averse to adding further payroll, as they’re already looking at what projects to be a club-record payroll north of $145MM. Beyond that, the Rangers will have to surrender the No. 19 overall pick in the 2016 draft in order to sign Desmond. However, if the Rangers make Desmond a qualifying offer next offseason and he turns it down to sign elsewhere, Texas can recoup a first-round pick.

The Rangers picked up the No. 30 overall selection in the draft when Yovani Gallardo signed with Baltimore, though, so they will still have a relatively high draft pick even after coughing up their top selection for Desmond. In turn, the Nationals will now gain the No. 29 overall selection as compensation for the loss of Desmond, who turned down a $15.8MM qualifying offer at the onset of free agency.

That decision, of course, will be scrutinized as well, though it’s easy enough to see why Desmond would bet on himself in free agency. He finished the season one home run shy of delivering his fourth consecutive 20-homer campaign, displaying rare power for a shortstop. And while Desmond’s overall batting line was dragged down by a dismal first half, he did rebound with a .262/.331/.446 second half, during which he homered a dozen times and stole eight bases. Desmond’s defense also came under fire in 2015, but an abnormally large number of his errors (nine) came within the first two weeks of the season, and his glovework settled down from that point forward. While he’s not an elite defender at short, consensus on Desmond has been that he could handle the position, and his bat has typically overshadowed any defensive questions.

It’s easy to say that Desmond “should” have accepted the qualifying offer with the benefit of hindsight, but looking at the matter from a more objective standpoint, it’s often difficult to tell which free agents will thrive in spite of a qualifying offer and which will be hamstrung by the associated draft pick compensation. For instance, at the time qualifying offers were extended, there was little questioning whether Desmond should accept or reject. Even coming off a down season, many expected that Desmond would still secure a solid multi-year pact; conversely, there was an enormous amount of discussion as to whether or not right-hander Ian Kennedy should accept. Kennedy, like Desmond, had a dreadful run early in the season before righting the ship, but most felt it was a mistake for him to test the open market. In the end, though, he landed a five-year, $70MM contract with an opt-out clause — a staggering contract and a firm reminder that predicting the manner in which a qualifying offer will impact a player is no easy feat.

Desmond, then, will end up as yet another data point in CBA negotiations when the MLBPA and the league address the qualifying offer system in the upcoming wave of collective bargaining negotiations. This offseason, the likes of Desmond, Dexter Fowler and Howie Kendrick were all undoubtedly impacted by the draft picks attached to their names in free agency. In previous winters, players like Nelson Cruz, Ervin Santana and Kyle Lohse have each seen their stock dragged down by the qualifying offer as well. There’s a common refrain calling for players to simply accept the qualifying offer, but players spend a minimum of six years (usually more) working toward free agency for the right to no longer be beholden to one-year contracts, and the intent of the qualifying offer was never to drive down the stock of players, but rather to provide teams with compensation for losing their best Major League assets. In that light, the adverse impact on players has indeed been a negative (albeit likely unintended) byproduct.

Earlier this month, we heard that the White Sox, Rays, and Rockies all reached out to Desmond’s camp in recent weeks. In January, the Padres were reportedly giving heavy consideration to signing Desmond before inking Alexei Ramirez. Now, as is often the case with free agents that linger on the market, Desmond will end up with a team that didn’t even appear to be a fit, on paper. However, with Josh Hamilton opening the season on the disabled list, the Rangers saw an opportunity to add a bat with some upside at a relatively low price and will take the chance on Desmond’s glove converting to the outfield at an acceptable level as they look to defend their AL West title.

FOX’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the agreement and the terms (links to Rosenthal on Twitter). MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported (also via Twitter) that Desmond had passed his physical.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Sign Drew Stubbs To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | February 28, 2016 at 8:23pm CDT

FEB. 28: Stubbs’ contract comes with a $1.5MM base salary in the Majors, reports Jon Heyman (via Twitter).

FEB. 27: The Rangers have officially announced the signing.

FEB. 26: Outfielder Drew Stubbs will sign a minor league deal with the Rangers, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The contract contains an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

The 31-year-old Stubbs finished out the 2015 season with the Rangers after having been released by the Rockies, though he went just 2-for-21 in 26 regular season plate appearances (plus another 1-for-4 in the postseason). Crasnick reported over the weekend that Texas was interested in a reunion with Stubbs, which makes sense considering the present uncertainty surrounding Josh Hamilton’s knee. Hamilton is currently slated to open the season on the disabled list.

While the 2015 season, as a whole, represented a poor year for Stubbs, he batted .289/.339/.482 as recently as 2014. The hitters’ haven that is Coors Field undoubtedly contributed to some of that robust production, but Stubbs has proven himself to have a nice blend of power and speed over the years. From 2010-14, Stubbs averaged 144 games, 15 homers and 27 stolen bases per season to go along with a .245/.314/.393 batting line.

West Notes: Rangers, Desmond, Choi, Pence, Marquez

By | February 27, 2016 at 8:10pm CDT

The Rangers have committed about $143MM to their payroll with just three players awaiting contracts, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Pitchers Alex Claudio, Nick Martinez, and Yohander Mendez are expected to sign split contracts soon. Presently, payroll is about $2MM to $3MM more than the club spent in 2015. In my opinion, there is reason to believe the Rangers will have plenty of in-season payroll flexibility since the team unexpectedly made the postseason last year and should contend again in 2016. However, Grant writes (in a separate article) that payroll is expected to remain flat.

Here’s more from out West:

The Rangers have held preliminary talks with Ian Desmond, per Grant. The content of those talks related to using Desmond as a super-utility player. The most pressing need is in left field, although having flexibility throughout the infield is always in demand.
Angels Rule 5 pick Ji-Man Choi could factor into the Angels’ left field competition, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry are expected to form a left field platoon. Choi has struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons, but he’s healthy entering Spring Training. Interestingly, Choi taught himself how to switch-hit during a 80 plate appearance 2016 season. He’s naturally a left-handed hitter.
Giants right fielder Hunter Pence is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, writes Chris Haft of MLB.com. The injury is thought to be minor. Pence spent most of 2015 on the disabled list for three unrelated upper body injuries. San Francisco has solid outfield depth including Angel Pagan, Denard Span, Gregor Blanco, Jarrett Parker, and Mac Williamson. Of course, Pagan and Span are hardly the poster children for good health. Several quality outfielders are still on the free agent market including Desmond, Austin Jackson, and Alex Rios.
Recent trade acquisition German Marquez is turning heads in Rockies camp, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Marquez, the prospect acquired in the Corey Dickerson trade, throws an easy 95 mph fastball as part of a three pitch repertoire. The 21-year-old former Ray is coming off a 3.56 ERA with 6.73 K/9, and 1.88 BB/9 in 123 High-A innings.

Rangers Reportedly Expressed Interest In Ian Desmond As Left Fielder

By Steve Adams | February 26, 2016 at 11:02pm CDT

11:02pm: Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Rangers have indeed reached out to Desmond’s camp on what he terms a “fact-finding mission,” but he hears that there have been no substantive negotiations to this point.

10:43pm: The Rangers have reached out to the representatives for Ian Desmond with the idea of deploying Desmond as a left fielder, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (links to Twitter).

Throughout the offseason, there’s been talk that Desmond could draw interest from clubs at a position other than shortstop, though there are a number of obstacles standing between Desmond and an agreement with the Rangers. For starters, Texas has repeatedly been said to be averse to adding further payroll, as they’re already looking at what projects to be a club-record payroll north of $145MM. Beyond that, the Rangers would have to surrender the No. 19 overall pick in the 2016 draft in order to sign Desmond. While that cost isn’t as steep as the draft-pick cost that would face some of Desmond’s other potential suitors (most notably, the Rays), it’s still a definite part of the club’s equation when weighing a run at Desmond. The Rangers picked up the No. 30 overall selection in the draft when Yovani Gallardo signed with Baltimore, though, so they would still have a first-round selection were they to forfeit their top pick for Desmond. That selection wouldn’t move up a spot, however, as the Nationals, who finished with a worse record than the Rangers, would gain a compensatory pick that would slot in ahead of the Rangers’ No. 30 selection.

Desmond endured perhaps his worst full season in the Majors last year, but he did rebound with a .262/.331/.446 second half, during which he homered a dozen times and stole eight bases. As it stands right now, Josh Hamilton is atop the Rangers’ depth chart in left field, but Hamilton is already slated to open the season on the disabled list and is unlikely to be relied upon as an everyday contributor even when fully healthy; given his recent injury history, Hamilton will probably require frequent rest in order to avoid the DL over the course of the season.

The Rangers did add Drew Stubbs on a minor league deal today, creating a bit more depth in their outfield mix, and top prospects such as Nomar Mazara and Lewis Brinson are inching closer to the Majors and could be ready by midseason. Hamilton, additionally, is slated to return to the club in early May, so Texas doesn’t appear to be in dire need of a left fielder — particularly not one that would figure to push the payroll up into the $160MM range for the upcoming season. Learning a new position on the job wouldn’t be an ideal outcome for either the Rangers or Desmond, but at this stage of the offseason, few clubs have definitive openings at shortstop, and the teams that do have such vacancies haven’t expressed significant interest in Desmond, so it’s possible that his eventual team isn’t one that stands out as a readily apparent suitor at the moment.

AL West Notes: Cano, Hamilton, Rangers, Astros

By Steve Adams | February 26, 2016 at 2:53pm CDT

Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano spoke to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and refuted a report from earlier this offseason which cited a source “close to Cano” that said his preference was to return to the Yankees because he was unhappy in Seattle. “I never said that,” Cano explained. “I don’t know where they find it. They always say the source or friend. … I will tell you guys, I’m happy to be here and happy to get my chance here to be able to play to the end of my career and have fun with the guys and a city that has treated me so nice.” Cano added that he feels “98 percent” after undergoing surgery to repair two hernias that plagued him over the final months of the 2015 season. Cano is swinging a bat without pain and is able to run as well. “There are days the doctor said you’ll wake up and feel some tightness,” said Cano. “That is part of the process.”

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