The OFFICIAL Texas Rangers thread

[BP]

I like the Napoli pickup. Watch all the film you want but there is nothing as good as having a catcher from your #1 rival to give you an edge over them. He knows all of their pitchers inside and out as well as what kind of scouting reports they have on your players.

[mstng86]

Fairly ok numbers from him last year. .238 26hr 68 rbi, yikes 137k's. They must be looking to shore up a solid backup at catcher and first.


Adios Franky, we hardly knew you last year.

[Kenny_Stang]

Napoli traded to the Rangers for Frankie Francisco

The Blue Jays will reportedly send Mike Napoli to the Rangers for Frankie Francisco, according to a tweet just posted by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

[Slowhand]

http://trsullivan.mlblogs.com/archiv...r_ramirez.html

The Rangers are pursuing free agent outfielder/designated hitter Manny Ramirez. He would be the big right-handed bat at DH and off the bench. It would likely mean far more playing time for Michael Young at first base and would cut into Mitch Moreland's playing time. But the Rangers are definitely interested in Ramirez

The Angels and Rays are also considering Ramirez, and there are reports that the Angels are going to sign him. However, Ramirez has expressed an interest in playing for the Rangers and that interest appears to be mutual.

Are they really that deseperate? Jesus.

[mustang_marc]

Rangers going after Manny...

http://trsullivan.mlblogs.com/archives/2011/01/rangers_going_after_ramirez.html

The Rangers are pursuing free agent outfielder/designated hitter Manny Ramirez. He would be the big right-handed bat at DH and off the bench. It would likely mean far more playing time for Michael Young at first base and would cut into Mitch Moreland's playing time. But the Rangers are definitely interested in Ramirez

The Angels and Rays are also considering Ramirez, and there are reports that the Angels are going to sign him. However, Ramirez has expressed an interest in playing for the Rangers and that interest appears to be mutual.

[mustang_marc]

Warsh got Manager of the Year

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110120&content_id=16474192&vkey=news_tex&c_id=tex&partnerId=rss_tex

BOSTON -- The Rangers may not have won it all last year, but for manager Ron Washington, helping deliver the franchise its first American League pennant was a feat that didn't go unnoticed by the Boston Baseball Writers' Association of America, which recognized the Texas skipper as the 2010 Manager of the Year.

Washington was presented the award at the Boston BBWAA's 72nd annual dinner Thursday night at the Westin Copley Place.

"[The award] means everything," Washington said. "They could have chosen many guys and they chose Ron Washington, and that just says the Texas Rangers are on the map."

The '10 campaign didn't begin as hoped in Texas. After an April in which Texas went just 11-12, Washington's talented but young club seemed to be underachieving. But that also meant it was flying under the radar.

It wasn't until the Rangers ripped off an 11-game winning streak in mid-June that people started to take notice. That run spurred Texas on to the AL West title and its first postseason berth since 1999.

That was just the beginning, as the Rangers proceeded to knock off the powerhouse Rays and defending champion Yankees in the AL Championship Series before falling to the Giants in five games in the World Series.

Add it all up and Arlington has been indelibly stamped on the baseball map, as the Manager of the Year so acutely pointed out.

Success, however, breeds expectation, which is something Washington and his club are ready to meet head on in 2011.

"I think you want to be in that position, you want to be the team hunted," Washington said. "Expectations have risen in Texas, and they've risen in Texas under my watch for the last four years.

"We finally accomplished something and we're looking forward to the challenge, and we're certainly looking forward to defending the American League championship."

[Lone Sailor]

I can't believe Hamilton is only asking for $12 million after that Prince Fielder contract.

Also the Yankees signed Soriano as a setup man for Riviera. It must be nice to be able to pay $35 million dollars for a freakin setup man.

Hell the Rangers are only offering him like $8mil. I think they want to make sure he can continue to be productive before giving him the long high end contract, which should be why they only want to do 1 year.

[BP]

I can't believe Hamilton is only asking for $12 million after that Prince Fielder contract.

Also the Yankees signed Soriano as a setup man for Riviera. It must be nice to be able to pay $35 million dollars for a freakin setup man.

[Lone Sailor]

I heard it on the radio last night, but it really wasn't news to me as I didn't think they wouldn't come to terms before the deadline.

[mstng86]

Hadn't heard this.

Francisco is really a liability IMO. Not sure we need to really covet him in anyway.

[Kenny_Stang]

Glad they got those two taken care of, they still have Hamilton, Frankie Francisco, and O'Day to wrap up. Also there was some speculation of them trying to work out a multi-year deal with Andrus who will be arbitration eligible next year.

[bcoop]

Rangers signed CJ and Nellie both to 1 year contracts yesterday, to avoid arbitration. Surprised nobody else has mentioned it yet.

[BP]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110107&content_id=16405048&vkey=news_tex&c_id=tex

Holland, Moreland, Sundberg and Grieve are all scheduled to be at Academy on Bryant Irvin tonight for a meet and great. They haven't really advertised it so it shouldn't be too crowded. Lots of other stops as well.

[GTBrian23]

Looks like the Rangers a looking for a backup DH?? in case Young has to fill in somewhere in the infield I am assuming. Thome seems like a class act but not sure about this, is is getting way up there in age. Not that he would be playing everyday



The Texas Rangers are in serious pursuit of Jim Thome, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

According to sources, the Minnesota Twins are also interested in the free agent slugger.

Thome spent last season in Minnesota after signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract in February. He spent most of his time with the Twins as the designated hitter, hitting .283 with 25 homers and 59 RBIs in 276 at-bats.

Thome has played for five teams in his 19-year MLB career. The lefty became a star in Cleveland, helping the Indians supplant the Twins as the AL Central's top team in the mid-1990s.

After three years in Philadelphia, Thome returned to the division with the Chicago White Sox in 2006.

His solo homer in Game 163 in 2008 propelled the White Sox into the playoffs and sent the Twins home early for the winter. He was traded to the Dodgers late in 2009, but wanted to return to the White Sox in his home state of Illinois to finish his career.

The White Sox decided to go in another direction at designated hitter, so Thome wound up taking a deal with the Twins.

[mustang_marc]

Kind of glad that didn't get done either. Aside from Lee, growing our own is just as good as anything out there on the market. Holland has shown glimpses of being really good...and I'd like to see him mature this year in a Rangers uniform. We are dealing from a position of strength (strong farm) and we don't need to deplete that. We were in 1st place last year with our home grown stuff...and that's the way to keep payroll in check.