World Series Champions, Texas Rangers 2024 Spring Training Thread

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It is time to turn the page to a new season. We start Spring Training today. The one thing the lack of funds that kept the Rangers from spending the last few months has done is allow a few of the prospects and younger guys to get more of a chance this year than they might have otherwise. Guys like Bradford, Kelly, Foscue, Huff and even Crim may have bigger roles in 2024 than folks might have thought when last season came to a triumphant conclusion.

Our most anticipated prospect, Wyatt Langford, didn't really need a budget crisis to give him a chance to shine this spring, and this season. He will be one of the biggest stories of the spring. The question is, will he have a big enough spring to allow the Rangers to consider a trade for Leody Taveras.

The World Series MVP, Corey Seager, will miss just about all of Spring Training with a hernia. Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith should both log a lot of innings over the next few weeks.

The Rangers are very thin in the starting pitching department. They could still sign an Odorizzi-type swing man to help in that area. One thing they need to have happen is for a couple of upper level pitching prospects to do well this spring and show they are ready to serve as depth. Zak Kent, Owen White and Dane Acker are guys who could provide some hope in the depth department if they do well this spring.

One of the best things that could happen is to get through the spring with no major injuries.

Let's get this underway.

 

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Why is Leody considered so valuble? He should easily be traded. Lankford should easily replace Leody.

 

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Keith Law has a new Top 20 Rangers prospects lust out. He sees things a little differently than some do.

Langford
Carter
Walcott
Foscue
Porter
Rocker
Guitterez
Corniel
White
Stephan
Vargas
Teodo
Ortiz
Leiter
Harris
Bratt
Morrobel
Kelly
Ornelas
Zavala

He lits these guys as, "others of note:

Cauley
Church
Curry
Torres


He also had this to say:

2024 impact​

Carter is in the starting lineup on Opening Day. Foscue probably comes up if there’s an injury on the infield, but he’s blocked for the moment. White and Kelly should pitch in the majors, with White maybe a spot starter while Kelly could go right into the bullpen. I don’t think Langford sees the majors right away, but I’ll be surprised if he’s not up by the All-Star break.

The fallen​

Cole Winn was a first-rounder, and then a top-100 prospect, but the right-hander once known for his command has been a mess in two years in Triple A, and even a move to the bullpen didn’t help him last year. He went from walking 9 percent of batters in Double A in 2021 to walking 15 percent and then 14 percent in two years in Triple A. I’ve never heard a good explanation for how it happened; sometimes guys who lose the zone like this are hurt, but that’s never come up with Winn and he’s still pitching, making six starts for Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Sleeper​

You can probably guess it’s Vargas, whom I heard other teams were asking Texas for at the trade deadline.

 

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From Evan Grant:

Best competition: Wyatt Langford vs. Justin Foscue: The primary DH is likely between a pair of first-round SEC alums. Both are disciplined, powerful hitters. If Langford wins the spot, though, it could allow the Rangers more flexibility to rest outfielders, circulating Carter, Taveras and García through DH at-bats to keep them fresher. Two top-tier prospects going head-to-head for a roster spot? That’s good spring training drama.

Best longshot: The bullpen doesn’t really have a long man, which the Rangers need, especially if several starters are on limited pitch counts to start the year. RHP Zak Kent, limited to 40 innings last year by an oblique injury, might be the most refined of the advanced-level prospects. Now that he’s healthy again, his career 3.3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk rate makes him the top candidate for a Cody Bradford-like ascent. He throws strikes, doesn’t beat himself and has a sensational breaking ball.

Guy with most to prove: When the Rangers selected RHP Jack Leiter with the second overall pick in 2021, they expected he’d be in the starting rotation by 2024. Instead, the club shut him down for two months last summer due to command issues. He seemed to show progress in five late-season starts at Double-A and Triple-A; now he must show that the progress wasn’t just temporary. If he does demonstrate that, he could position himself as a contingency option in the event of a first-half rotation injury.

Surprising guy in danger: LHP Brock Burke seemed to creak under the weight of heavy work over the last two seasons. He ranks fifth in the majors in relief innings (142) over the last two seasons. He was unreliable down the stretch and in the postseason, allowing a 19.82 ERA and five homers over seven innings after Sept. 1. He likely makes the team, but he does have a minor league option remaining. Young lefties Antoine Kelly and Jake Latz have an opportunity to make it a conversation.

Tough luck guys: Over the winter, it was determined both catcher Sam Huff and RHP Yerry Rodriguez had extra fourth minor league options due to their active days as pros. It all but assures them both of opening the season in the minors.

 

[DT LUNA]

Taveras and García through DH at-bats to keep them fresher. Two top-tier prospects going head-to-head for a roster spot

Can not imagine Traveras at DH. He has yet been good /reliable with a bat.

 

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Can not imagine Traveras at DH. He has yet been good /reliable with a bat.

The media in this area really overrates Taveras. He is a pretty good MLB player. His presence in the lineup can definitely be improved upon. We have the guy to do just that. I think we are better with Langford in LF and the best of Foscue, Huff, Crim or Duran at DH, than we are with Taveras in CF and one of the other guys at DH.

 

[Duane1952]

Would like Zack Kent and Owen White have a good enough spring to make the team.

 

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It's baseball time in Surprise, Arizona!

 

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Would like Zack Kent and Owen White have a good enough spring to make the team.

I hope they look great, but I would hate to have them in the pen to start the season with how thin we are in the rotation. I would much rather see them putting up great numbers in AAA until we need a starter. Now, if we do actually get a couple of starters back in July, I might see things differently, but then we probably won't have room for them in the pen since Heaney and Bradford, and maybe Gray, move to the pen.

It would be great to see them forcing that decision to be made though.

 

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From Kennedi Landry:

Who are some of the top prospects invited to Major League camp?

Outfielder Wyatt Langford, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Rangers’ No. 2 prospect, headlines a star-studded group of prospects on their way to big league camp. He’ll be joined by these notable players as non-roster invitees in big league camp (listed in alphabetical order):

• Blaine Crim, 1B
• Liam Hicks, C
• Jack Leiter, RHP, No. 5
• Abimelec Ortiz, 1B, No. 14
• Daniel Robert, RHP
• Emiliano Teodo, RHP, No. 22
• Davis Wendzel, INF
• Grant Wolfram, LHP
• Aaron Zavala, OF, No. 11

Infielder Justin Foscue (No. 6), outfielder Owen White (No. 8) outfielder/first baseman Dustin Harris (No. 10), right-hander Marc Church (No. 19), left-hander Antoine Kelly (No. 26) and right-hander Cole Winn (No. 28) are on the 40-man roster and will be in big league camp, as well.

 

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Jared Sandler mentioned something this morning that I have been thinking about for several weeks. He mentioned that Scherzer, Mahle, and deGrom might not be their usual selves when they get back from injury.

That is why it shouldn't be a certainty who will go to the pen when they come back. I do think, with the decision makers, it is a certainty though.

 

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[scotsman#1948]

Jared Sandler mentioned something this morning that I have been thinking about for several weeks. He mentioned that Scherzer, Mahle, and deGrom might not be their usual selves when they get back from injury.

That is why it shouldn't be a certainty who will go to the pen when they come back. I do think, with the decision makers, it is a certainty though.

maybe we should just leave them on the 60 until the end of the season so that no one has to make a decision that's going to upset any fans

 

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maybe we should just leave them on the 60 until the end of the season so that no one has to make a decision that's going to upset any fans

Yeah, go ahead and do something else dumb like put Seager on the 60 and do the same thing. Throw it all away. What a joke.