tOfficially Official 2016 Spring training thread

[donaldson79]

Glad to see Banny get an extension.

Also, thoughts for 3B coach Tony Beasley. Diagnosed with (treatable) rectal cancer.

I'm with ya! And surely Beasley is in line as well. Can't do everything at once perhaps.

To me, Tony did a great job for us last season. I gave him some credit for how aggressive DeShields was last season.

 

[donaldson79]

This is from the article discussing Beasley's illness and it sounds like they caught it early. Let's sure hope so.

But regarding his value to the team, this is interesting..............Working with Jayce Tingler, Beasley was instrumental last year in increased efficiency in the Rangers' running game. The Rangers were credited with a net gain of 142 bases last year via baserunning, according to Baseball Information Systems analysis. It was by far the best in baseball and represented a jump of 118 bases over 2014.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

I checked the numbers on baseball-reference and misread it. But according to it and sportrac he has a $1.5 option for 2017 only. I'm assuming it's a team option. If it's his, it'll be a easy decision regardless of what happens, barring injury, in 2016.

But in my mind he has been inconsistent throughout his career. In 2011, I thought he might challenge to be a # 1 starter, and certainly a solid #2. On this staff, if/when Yu gets healthy he'll be #3 and there's certainly no sin in being considered this behind Hamels and Darvish. Fact, might be some pretty good company.

I just think some local fans and a lot of local media members have been unfair when it comes to Derek. This will be Holland's 4th season as a full time starter if you don't count the very shortened injury plagued seasons. In their 4th seasons as full time starters both Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee had bad years.

 

[saddles]

I checked the numbers on baseball-reference and misread it. But according to it and sportrac he has a $1.5 option for 2017 only. I'm assuming it's a team option. If it's his, it'll be a easy decision regardless of what happens, barring injury, in 2016.

But in my mind he has been inconsistent throughout his career. In 2011, I thought he might challenge to be a # 1 starter, and certainly a solid #2. On this staff, if/when Yu gets healthy he'll be #3 and there's certainly no sin in being considered this behind Hamels and Darvish. Fact, might be some pretty good company.

I am seeing an option for 2017 of $11 million and one for 2018 of $11.5 million.

 

[donaldson79]

I am seeing an option for 2017 of $11 million and one for 2018 of $11.5 million.

Really? Where'd you get that? I need to start referencing your sources. ha

I thought an option of $1.5 mil seemed absurdly low.

 

[saddles]

One more thing to note about Derek Holland and his poor numbers in 2012 is that in May on a trip to Seattle him and several teammates developed a stomach problem after eating in a restaurant. Derek lost 15 pounds and went on the DL. Even after he came back from the DL he was not at full strength after losing that much weight. Once he got back to full strength he put up an ERA of 3.86 over his last 10 starts. Before he made that trip to Seattle his ERA was at 4.05 which was not bad for a kid in only his second full season as a starter.

 

[saddles]

Really? Where'd you get that? I need to start referencing your sources. ha

I thought an option of $1.5 mil seemed absurdly low.

It was at baseballreference.com. The $1.5 million is the buyout amount for the 2017 season. The buyout for 2018 is $1 million.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

MLB agent Bart Hernandez arrested for human trafficking

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Saddles I think we can all pretty much agree that Holland has talent. It's the lack of consistency that has us frustrated. Yes there have been injuries and issues, but it's not a knock against him to say that it's been a disappointing couple of seasons recently when he has been out there.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Saddles I think we can all pretty much agree that Holland has talent. It's the lack of consistency that has us frustrated. Yes there have been injuries and issues, but it's not a knock against him to say that it's been a disappointing couple of seasons recently when he has been out there.

Were you disappointed in 2014 when he was out there and put up an ERA of 1.46?

I believe the biggest inconsistency regarding Derek is how folks judge him compared to how they judge other pitchers.

The inconsistencies in his performance after the 2010 season have almost all been due to illness or injuries. That much can be very well verified.

 

[saddles]

The Surprise Five: Thoughts from first day of Rangers camp

Yu Darvish continues to look good, with the media. He has held lengthy sessions around his locker with the Japanese reporters the past two days, something he absolutely never did in the past, and he and I tried in English to sort through his throwing program.

Maybe the year without baseball has transformed Darvish, who early this month admitted to that he fell into a trap of taking himself too seriously. Maybe it was the birth of another child. Whatever it is, hopefully he keeps it up. He has things to say and things people want to hear.

On the baseball side, Darvish threw off a flat mound, which is different from flat ground but not quite a half mound. He is continuing to progress from Tommy John surgery with mid-May to early June as the target for his return.


Nomar Mazara was in camp for the first time, the last of the Rangers holy trinity of prospects to arrive. He hit in the same group with fellow outfielder/stud prospect Lewis Brinson, while top prospect Joey Gallo batted in the previous group.

Mazara is just an impressive person. The size is fairly obviously, but his ability to communicate in English, as a Spanish speaker, and his maturity at — hello — at 20 is enviable. Mazara doesn’t turn 21 until April 26.

 

[donaldson79]

True enough........If memory serves, Welch was a pretty wild and crazy kind of guy. Not a bad guy, again if I'm remembering him right, but he traveled to his own beat. Free-spirit type.

Henderson and Phillips were both pretty good guys.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Were you disappointed in 2014 when he was out there and put up an ERA of 1.46?

He looked great in those 6 games.