The Officially Official Off Season Thread (2016)

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[jta4437]

I'm only guessing, but maybe it's b/c Ruggie hits RH and Jones is a lefty.

That's a bonus considering how LH heavy our OF is anyway

Plus, it's not a platoon situation anyway, DDJ is playing everyday he's healthy, we only need someone to play CF if he goes down for an extended period of time, Ruggiano make me feel better for 10-15 games than Jones

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

We need a Spring Training Thread... IMO

 

[DT LUNA]

We need a Spring Training Thread... IMO

Go.

 

[saddles]

Hello, Win Column! 5 Things To Look Forward To For Spring Training

Bascik seems to think that Mazara is up by the end of April.

He also thinks Gallo is the starting 1B when the 2017 season starts.

Bascik predicts that by the time Yu comes back that one of the Rangers other starters is on the DL. He thinks Tepesch should be added to the group that is fighting for the 5th rotation spot out of ST. They both think Chi Chi wins that spot.

Sandler says the Rangers like DeShields' defense in CF better than Ruggiano so Ruggy would not be a late inning defensive replacement if he is the only backup CF. Sandler likes James Jones because of his arm and speed. Bascik doesn't see James Jones making the team.

Bascik thinks keeping Odor in an selective/aggressive state of mind as the biggest project of new hitting coach Anthony Iapoce. Secondly he sees keeping DeShields from letting a HR change him again as the next biggest project.

They both think Derek Holland is the biggest project for Doug Brocail. Bascik says Martin Perez is the next biggest project after Holland.

When talking about Profar Bascik brought up the possibility of Profar taking Elvis' job at some point in the season if Elvis struggles again while Profar proves he is healthy.

 

[saddles]

We need a Spring Training Thread... IMO

That would be different than we did it last year, but either way is fine with me.

 

[handicappers]

Rangers fan wins season tickets after hitting HR

 

[Bmurph]

• Leonys Martin of the ‪‎Mariners‬ has issued the following statement on the indictment of his former agent, Bart Hernandez (Facebook link via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports): “I am obviously aware that Bart Hernandez was arrested yesterday by the United States government. The decision to arrest him was made by the government, not by me, and any questions about why he was arrested should be directed to the prosecutor in Florida. Out of respect for the judicial process, I will have no further comment on this matter, and I ask that the media respect my privacy and the privacy of my family. My total focus is on doing everything in my ability to contribute to a successful season for the Seattle Mariners.”

Sounds like Leonys may have severed ties just in time, but was there anything that involved the player that could be of interest to the authorities?

 

[Bmurph]

Here’s the latest from the Rangers’ camp…

• The Rangers have considered signing Shane Victorino, but only on a minor league deal, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link). Texas is known to be looking for veteran outfield help, with such names as Alejandro De Aza, David Murphy, Will Venable and (as ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported earlier today) Drew Stubbs also receiving some consideration. It’s been rather a quiet offseason for Victorino, who is returning to switch-hitting and looking for a one-year contract to rebuild his value after two injury-plagued seasons. Despite Victorino’s impressive career track record, a minor league contract could be his best option at this late juncture in the offseason; from the Rangers’ perspective, they only seem willing to address their outfield depth need in the form of minor league deals anyway.
• Adrian Beltre told reporters (including MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan) that he thought about undergoing surgery to repair the torn ligament in his left thumb last July. Beltre suffered the injury in May and spent most of June on the DL, though he was still in a great deal of pain even after returning. The veteran third baseman was able to tough it out the rest of the season, however, and only underwent surgery after Texas was out of the playoffs. As he prepares to enter his 19th MLB season, Beltre said he’s certainly aware of his age but overall, “my body feels pretty good….on the field, I don’t think I have any limitations.“
• Beltre and GM Jon Daniels both confirmed that there’s mutual interest in working out a contract extension to keep Beltre in Texas beyond the 2016 season. Despite Beltre’s age, Daniels called him “a unique guy” and said “you want to be cognizant of age — older players have more risk — but there are some guys ahead of the curve and he has proven to be one of those guys in more ways than one. Age is a factor, but it’s less of a factor than other guys.”
• In other Rangers news from the last two days, the team signed Jeremy Guthrieto a minor league deal and learned that Tanner Scheppers will miss at least five months due to surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.

Flyin Hawaiian on an MILB contract? Interesting anyway

 

[jta4437]

No one has responded in here since Sunday, might be a good time to shut this one down

 

[HammerDown]

Report: Cliff Lee drawing interest from 15 teams

The Brewers are "listening" on Jonathan Lucroy

 

[romeo212000]

When they stop asking for Gallo maybe they can have that conversation.