And now for your reading pleasure...we have a picture free post.
Let me get this straight. The Rangers failed to re-sign Pudge Rodriguez. I'll miss Pudge, but the Nationals overpaid in my opinion. Saltalamacchia is injured and is going to be a question mark. Taylor Teagarden is very unproven. They don't want to give Jason Kendall or Rod Barajas a two year deal so those two are likely signing somewhere else. I wasn't really on board with Kendall, but Barajas would have been ok. So the best backup option was Max Ramirez. So, let's trade him to Boston for Mike Lowell. Weird thinking if you ask me. All that said, I like Lowell and think he can help the Rangers. It helps that Boston is picking up most of the $12 million Lowell is due for 2010.
Let's not forget that the Rangers traded opening-day starter Kevin Millwood to Baltimore for Chris Ray and the proverbial PTBNL. According to MLB.com, that player could be the 3rd pick in today's Rule 5 Draft so I'm interested in that. I'm not overly interested in Chris Ray. He missed all of 2008 after Tommy John surgery and probably was rushed back into service by the Orioles. He managed to go 0-4 with a 7.47 ERA in 2009. Now, the Rangers will be picking up about $3 million of Millwood's salary which would save them about $7 million. It appears they are waiting on the results of a physical to finalize a deal with Rich Harden for $7.5 million in 2010 with an $11.5 million option for 2011. Maybe Rich can stay healthy and make the Rangers want to exercise that option and give him a $4 million raise. Big (or formerly big) free agent pitchers don't usually thrive in Texas.
So far, the biggest Rangers free agents haven't signed anywhere. Hank Blalock, Marlon Byrd, Eddie Guardado and Joaquin Benoit are still free.
I'll be watching with interest to see if the Rangers get the Orioles pick in the Rule 5 Draft. As for any more deals by the Rangers...I won't be surprised, but I may need to sit down. I'm dizzy.
Yeah the Rangers are moving a lot of pieces around the chess board. At least they are trying to reshape things a bit.
ReplyDeleteI did not know the Millwood/Ray trade included a PTBNL as well. I haven't seen that anywhere. If it is any type of prospect at all it makes the Millwood trade bad for the Orioles. The Orioles aren't going to compete in 2010 so there's no point in giving up anything besides money and Ray.
Well the Lowell deal has been years in the making. Lest we forget that before he was robbing the Braves farm system blind in the Tex trade, John Daniels was afraid to trade Blalock and Danks (about to both be former Rangers)to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the Lowell move means about management's opinion on Chris Davis and Justin Smoak.
Lot of moves. Hope they work out. I'm with Ken, I missed the PTBNL. Where did you see that?
ReplyDeleteSo we went from catcher overload in 2008 to wondering who besides Teagarden will be on the roster in 2010? What the heck has happened? Pudge should have stayed. He should have plenty of $ by now, and the Rangers seem to be a alot closer to winning a pennant than the Nationals. Oh well, hopefully Salty can get himself back in working order.
ReplyDeleteThat PTBNL that was to be the Orioles Rule 5 Draft Pick was mentioned in several places on MLB.com. It ended up being Benjamin Snyder, a left handed pitcher who primarily pitched in relief at the AA level.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, two years ago, I wouldn't have known what PTBNL stood for.
ReplyDelete