Monthly Archives: December 2018


Say goodbye to 2018. 20 comments

The last day of 2018. The season couldn’t have ended soon enough. In fact, it pretty much ended December 14 of 2017 when the Rangers, trying to bolster their rotation, traded for Matt Moore. So, enough of 2018. Enough of the season that derailed before it started. Enough of the […]


Rankings and projections. 4 comments

Not that this is any indication of actual results but it is an indication of how players are regarded: the first rankings of players for 2019 is out. This is done mostly for the fantasy baseball business. But before you scoff, realize this is a multi-billion-dollar industry, not unlike sport […]


The sounds of silence. 16 comments

The off-season is filled with rumors and silence. Mostly silence. When your team is trying to compete, that quiet can be a thrill, like the anticipation of good news, like when you were a kid and you were riding in a roller coaster that was slowly ascending that first hill, […]


Rumors. 8 comments

MLBTradeRumors.com has a couple Rangers notes. It’s a possible third baseman, one not on the list of free-agent third basemen because he has primarily played second the last three seasons, although he has played a decent amount at third. That would be Josh Harrison, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harrison […]


The state of the starter. 13 comments

The final look at the numbers that defined baseball in 2018, from Jason Stark. And they all tell the story about the future of pitching in baseball. It appears analytics are leading to the commoditization of pitching. The traditional role of the starting pitcher is becoming less important. It really […]


Who’s on third? 21 comments

Jon Daniels was asked who was going to play third now for the Rangers and said it wouldn’t be Joey Gallo, nor were they planning on turning over the position full time to newly acquired Patrick Wisdom. He suggested he will make a one-year deal for a free agent. Which […]


More Profar news. 22 comments

New bits and pieces energed on why Jurickson Profar was traded when he was traded. Jon Daniels and the front office approached Profar’s agent, Scott Boras, to try to gauge his client’s interest in a long-term extension. He was told there was zero interest. That forced the team’s hand. So, […]


The steal is gone. 16 comments

Delino DeShields led the Rangers in stolen bases in 2018. He had twenty. Next highest was Rougned Odor, with twelve. You look at those numbers and it hardly seems possible. Just twenty stolen bases? The Rangers played 162 games. That means DeShields, the speedster, the Rangers’ best threat on the […]


Profar traded. 36 comments

The Rangers sent utility infielder Jurickson Profar to the Athletics as part of a three-team trade between Texas, Oakland and Tampa Bay. Rollie Lacy also went to Tampa Bay. Lacy, you may recall, was the jewel of the Cole Hamels trade. Also acquired in that deal was Eddie Butler, who […]