Team Spotlight: Texas Rangers

Heltonfan · 12-05-2007, 01:59 PM

The Rangers are an extraordinarily boring team stuck in an impossible division. It’s quite fitting that they happen to be the "Mr. Irrelevant" of my team spotlight series.

Summary Statistics
Rotation: -36
Bullpen: 0
Lineup: -38
Bench: -5
Defense: -5
W-L record: 74-88

Rotation

Millwood 4.06
Loe 4.29
McCarthy 4.32
Padilla 4.67
Rheinecker 4.77

Boy, that Vicente Padilla signing sure blew up in the Rangers’ faces, didn’t it? On the bright side, they came out ahead in last winter’s McCarthy/Danks trade. McCarthy isn’t anything special, but he’s a good bet to be league-averageish for the next few years.

The Rangers’ sixth and seventh options are Robinson Tejeda (4.85) and Edinson Volquez (4.91). That’s not too bad.

Obviously, a rotation with nobody under 4.00 is a major weakness.

Bullpen

Otsuka 3.15
Benoit 3.10
Wilson 3.43
Francisco 3.66
Wood 4.23
Feldman 4.47
Eyre 4.50

It speaks volumes about the quality of pitching in the AL that this is only a league-average bullpen. In the NL, only the Diamondbacks and maybe the Padres have four relievers of that quality.

Joaquin Benoit recently signed a two-year contract, buying out what would have been his first year of free agency. He’ll be making $3.5 million in 2009; on the open market, he could probably get double that. Makes you wonder what he and his agent were thinking.

Lineup

C: Laird 1.49 (.236, 5)
1B: Saltalamacchia 0.48 (.259, -4)
2B: Kinsler 2.50 (.273, -3)
SS: Young 2.98 (.275, -5)
3B: Blalock 1.71 (.265, -4)
LF: Catalanotto 0.86 (.261, -6)
CF: Byrd 2.23 (.258, 2)
RF: Cruz 1.64 (.255, 5)
DH: Botts 1.24 (.270)

Marlon Byrd appears to be on the Gary Matthews Jr. career path. If he can hang on to his everyday job for another two years – and, given the lack of talent surrounding him, I think he can – he’ll be in line for a very nice payday.

Michael Young is a fine player. But the contract extension he was given last winter ($80 million from 2009-2013) is an abomination. The Rangers are basically building their team around Young, and when you’re building your team around a guy who’s only one win above average, you’re not going anywhere. But, sadly enough, he actually is their best player. When I said that this was an extraordinarily boring team, this is what I had in mind.

Bench

Stewart .220
Vazquez .221
Murphy .246
Guzman .229

If I Were in Charge, I Would: Go after Fukudome and Milton Bradley. Not because the Rangers have any chance to contend next year (they don’t), but because those guys are likely to be bargains, and there’s no reason not to add assets, particularly at positions of need.

12-05-2007, 01:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Heltonfan Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 846	Team Spotlight: Texas Rangers The Rangers are an extraordinarily boring team stuck in an impossible division. It’s quite fitting that they happen to be the "Mr. Irrelevant" of my team spotlight series. Summary Statistics Rotation: -36 Bullpen: 0 Lineup: -38 Bench: -5 Defense: -5 W-L record: 74-88 Rotation Millwood 4.06 Loe 4.29 McCarthy 4.32 Padilla 4.67 Rheinecker 4.77 Boy, that Vicente Padilla signing sure blew up in the Rangers’ faces, didn’t it? On the bright side, they came out ahead in last winter’s McCarthy/Danks trade. McCarthy isn’t anything special, but he’s a good bet to be league-averageish for the next few years. The Rangers’ sixth and seventh options are Robinson Tejeda (4.85) and Edinson Volquez (4.91). That’s not too bad. Obviously, a rotation with nobody under 4.00 is a major weakness. Bullpen Otsuka 3.15 Benoit 3.10 Wilson 3.43 Francisco 3.66 Wood 4.23 Feldman 4.47 Eyre 4.50 It speaks volumes about the quality of pitching in the AL that this is only a league-average bullpen. In the NL, only the Diamondbacks and maybe the Padres have four relievers of that quality. Joaquin Benoit recently signed a two-year contract, buying out what would have been his first year of free agency. He’ll be making $3.5 million in 2009; on the open market, he could probably get double that. Makes you wonder what he and his agent were thinking. Lineup C: Laird 1.49 (.236, 5) 1B: Saltalamacchia 0.48 (.259, -4) 2B: Kinsler 2.50 (.273, -3) SS: Young 2.98 (.275, -5) 3B: Blalock 1.71 (.265, -4) LF: Catalanotto 0.86 (.261, -6) CF: Byrd 2.23 (.258, 2) RF: Cruz 1.64 (.255, 5) DH: Botts 1.24 (.270) Marlon Byrd appears to be on the Gary Matthews Jr. career path. If he can hang on to his everyday job for another two years – and, given the lack of talent surrounding him, I think he can – he’ll be in line for a very nice payday. Michael Young is a fine player. But the contract extension he was given last winter ($80 million from 2009-2013) is an abomination. The Rangers are basically building their team around Young, and when you’re building your team around a guy who’s only one win above average, you’re not going anywhere. But, sadly enough, he actually is their best player. When I said that this was an extraordinarily boring team, this is what I had in mind. Bench Stewart .220 Vazquez .221 Murphy .246 Guzman .229 If I Were in Charge, I Would: Go after Fukudome and Milton Bradley. Not because the Rangers have any chance to contend next year (they don’t), but because those guys are likely to be bargains, and there’s no reason not to add assets, particularly at positions of need.