Series Thread: Rangers Travel to NY to Meet the Mets for 3 Games August 28-30

[DT LUNA]

I wonder if tomorrow's call ups will be guys that have been here before like Speas or Anderson and Huff, or if they will go in a different direction. They may simply add Amderson and Miller.

Anderson and Miller would signal giving up.

 

[saddles]

I am saddened to hear of the passing of Gil Brandt. He had one of the greatest minds in DFW sports history,.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Nor expecting anything. If we needed another starting pitcher then Clevinger might have been a possibility, but all we need are Moore and Lopez. They won't make it to us.

 

[saddles]

 

[Duane1952]

The guardians claim Giolito and Lopez.

 

[saddles]

The guardians claim Giolito and Lopez.

And Moore

 

[Senator_fan]

The guardians claim Giolito and Lopez.

They got Moore too.

 

[Senator_fan]

And Moore

That’s a lot of salary to take on with a 5.2% chance to make the playoffs.

 

[saddles]

That’s a lot of salary to take on with a 5.2% chance to make the playoffs.

Well, at least it kept one of the real contenders from getting an unfair advantage.

 

[Duane1952]

Didn’t know it was this high. They just said on the radio that the Rangers have 26 blown saves so far this year. Can’t imagine where the Rangers would be if you would cut that in half.

 

[saddles]

I haven't heard about Clevinger being claimed yet.

 

[saddles]

 

[Kelleyman]

I haven't heard about Clevinger being claimed yet.

No one did

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Didn’t know it was this high. They just said on the radio that the Rangers have 26 blown saves so far this year. Can’t imagine where the Rangers would be if you would cut that in half.

I wasn't sure what the number was but I knew it was high. If that doesn't send a signal to the front office for next year then nothing will.

 

[saddles]

Some interesting reading from Scott Lucas (I will break this up into multiple posts):

Expansion
Rosters expand to 28 tomorrow. Eligible choices from the 40-man roster are pitchers Cody Bradford, Zak Kent, Yerry Rodriguez, Alex Speas, Owen White, and Cole Winn (pitchers Grant Anderson and Jonathan Hernandez were optioned too recently to return). C Sam Huff, 1B/OF Dustin Harris, and IF Jonathan Ornelas are eligible batters.

 

[saddles]

More from above:

Just for fun, I gave myself the task of adding two non-40 players. Who isn't on the 40 now who could help the Rangers most down the stretch? (I'm ignoring having to designate others to make room. Let's just pretend we can raise the roster to 42.)

Pitcher
Choices are Matt Bush, Marc Church, Kyle Cody, Antoine Kelly, Ian Kennedy, Jake Latz, and Chase Lee.

Bush and Kennedy have plenty of MLB experience and would comfortably enter a high-pressure environment. However, both were released during 2023, not without reason. Would they be helpful? If the Rangers could answer that affirmatively, one of them would already be up, I think. Also, performing this exercise and landing on someone like Kennedy (no offense to him) is boring. Kyle Cody also has MLB experience and is in the midst of his best stretch in ages: a scoreless 15.1 innings with four walks and 11 strikeouts.

Antoine Kelly has pitched as well as any reliever in the system, especially during the past six weeks. He's still in AA though, which gives me pause, and I also have seen the least of him in person.

Lefty Jake Latz's recent stretch outshines Cody: just 12 scoreless innings but 18 strikeouts (a 38% rate) and four walks. He's been the team's primary high-leverage reliever lately, notching four saves in his last eight outings. On the downside, earlier in the season he mixed these kinds of recent performances with some really rough outings, and righties are hitting .309/.378/.489 against him.

Lee has a 32% strikeout rate, and the rest is acceptable, including good-enough control, an oppo line of .247/.336/.385, and a 3.25 ERA. At times he's invincible. Sometimes, not so much. I think I'd put him in the same bucket as Grant Anderson. He could really befuddle hitters at times, but in the longer run there's a limit to what he could accomplish.

If I could bring up a pitch as opposed to an entire pitcher, it would be Marc Church's slider. 23% of all his sliders and 51% of swings against them have been strikes. On plate appearances concluding with a slider, opponents are hitting .145/.232/.194 with a 42% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, the fastball, while speedy, is the polar opposite: more walks than strikeouts and a line of .351/.493/.543, plus a 47% hard-hit rate. Alarming.

Hmm. I have changed my mind half a dozen times than on this, and part of me wants to say "eh, just pick Bush." He is the safest pick, even though he's not at all his former self and would be best in lower-leverage situations. But that's no fun (no offense to him). I wish I had a better grasp on Kelly. At long last, I am going to choose the hot hand in the form of Jake Latz, who can't be a LOOGY under current rules but could hopefully succeed against lefty-heavy portions of opposing lineups. His fastball is a steady 95, reaching 98, and he's mixed in an effective change plus a slider and curve. Obviously, the Rangers lack a clear choice in this matter, because if the choice were clear that person would already be in Arlington.

 

[saddles]

Mote from above:

Position Player
Choices are OF Evan Carter, IF Cam Cauley (hear me out), 1B Blaine Crim, OF Sandro Fabian, 2/3 Justin Foscue, OF Elier Hernandez, and IF Davis Wendzel.

Sandro Fabian and Elier Hernandez are having terrific seasons in Round Rock, both hitting around .300 and slugging over .500. Fabian has more raw power but surprisingly fewer strikeouts. Hernandez gets the nod in defense and speed. They're best regarded as power-oriented bat-first role players.

Blaine Crim has the best exit velo data outside of Sam Huff. He's slightly more inclined to liners than flies, aiding a .292 average but robbing a little power, although he is slugging a hefty .505. He also has a superior plate approach, which would lead me to take him over Fabian or Hernandez even though he's restricted to first.

Davis Wendzel has appeal as a power-hitting middle infielder. He's as likely as anyone not named Sam Huff to aim the ball at the cheap seats. He's also improved his miss rate. He still hits a ton of high flies, so 36% of his plate appearances end in a strikeout or gimme out.

Justin Foscue is the former first-rounder, and his plate approach bests everyone. Unfortunately he's not hitting the ball that hard since late June (.238/.370/.366), doesn't offer much defensively, and while he's a clever runner, he's not who you'd turn to in time of need.

Cam Cauley? 20-years-old-in-high-A Cam Cauley? Yes. Because he can fly on the bases.

That leaves Carter. Over and over, whenever I would identify a positive trait about one of the players listed above, I would then say "but Carter does that just as well or at least well enough and brings defense," or "... and speed," or "... and approach." While I'm not sitting here thinking Carter is fully ready for MLB as of this minute, I do think he's the most complete package. Carter can pinch-run, he can replace a weaker defender, and he'd probably offer some credible plate appearances if needed. He's the one. An easier decision than the pitcher, thank goodness.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Mote from above:

Position Player
Choices are OF Evan Carter, IF Cam Cauley (hear me out), 1B Blaine Crim, OF Sandro Fabian, 2/3 Justin Foscue, OF Elier Hernandez, and IF Davis Wendzel.

Sandro Fabian and Elier Hernandez are having terrific seasons in Round Rock, both hitting around .300 and slugging over .500. Fabian has more raw power but surprisingly fewer strikeouts. Hernandez gets the nod in defense and speed. They're best regarded as power-oriented bat-first role players.

Blaine Crim has the best exit velo data outside of Sam Huff. He's slightly more inclined to liners than flies, aiding a .292 average but robbing a little power, although he is slugging a hefty .505. He also has a superior plate approach, which would lead me to take him over Fabian or Hernandez even though he's restricted to first.

Davis Wendzel has appeal as a power-hitting middle infielder. He's as likely as anyone not named Sam Huff to aim the ball at the cheap seats. He's also improved his miss rate. He still hits a ton of high flies, so 36% of his plate appearances end in a strikeout or gimme out.

Justin Foscue is the former first-rounder, and his plate approach bests everyone. Unfortunately he's not hitting the ball that hard since late June (.238/.370/.366), doesn't offer much defensively, and while he's a clever runner, he's not who you'd turn to in time of need.

Cam Cauley? 20-years-old-in-high-A Cam Cauley? Yes. Because he can fly on the bases.

That leaves Carter. Over and over, whenever I would identify a positive trait about one of the players listed above, I would then say "but Carter does that just as well or at least well enough and brings defense," or "... and speed," or "... and approach." While I'm not sitting here thinking Carter is fully ready for MLB as of this minute, I do think he's the most complete package. Carter can pinch-run, he can replace a weaker defender, and he'd probably offer some credible plate appearances if needed. He's the one. An easier decision than the pitcher, thank goodness.

I'd bring up Evan Carter. Maybe it's a risk but he could be the juice the offense desperately needs along with Jung's hopeful return.

 

[Duane1952]

When the rosters increase, how many pitchers are you allowed have on the roster.