The OFFICIAL Texas Rangers thread

[Kenny_Stang]

I like the Beltre deal, it will address the spotty defense we had at 3rd with Young, and moving Young to DH solves that issue as well.

As good as Vlad was early in the season, he was that bad late. The guy is just too old, and the grind of a 160 game season is too much. I'd rather have a Young as DH.

[Nash B.]

lmao. Seriously? He was nothing but a liability on the field.

No, not seriously.

[mustang_marc]

As good as Vlad was early in the season, he was that bad late. The guy is just too old, and the grind of a 160 game season is too much. I'd rather have a Young as DH.

He was bad late, but he still ended up with what, 30 HR and 100 RBI? He earned his $8-$9 million he got last year and I'd pay that same amount again to get that same production. Although with Beltre here, I don't know where you'd put him with MY going to DH. I don't trust him in the outfield...and I like Moreland's ability to work the count. I know 1B is a power position, but if Moreland bats .280, hits 20-25HR and drives in 85 RBI, I'll be satisfied. I'm a Chris Davis fan, but Moreland earned a shot to play 1B every day.

[Nash B.]

Even as bad as Guerrero hit toward the end of the season, he still came through big against the Yankees when they needed it.

[bucky]

Jesus Christ...6 years on a 32 yo 3rd baseman who has had his two best seasons in contract years. I would have rather thrown 7 years at Cliff Lee and signed Vladdy for 2. We are getting a little desperate here

[mustang_marc]

Beltre deal ready to be finished

Adrian Beltre is going to be the Rangers Opening Day third baseman.

The latest word on Tuesday night is that Beltre arrived in Texas this afternoon to have his physical in preparation for an expected announcement tomorrow night. His agent, Scott Boras, is also flying in to Texas on Tuesday.

Boras and the Rangers will likely hammer out any remaining obstacles on Wednesday in preparation for an official announcement.

But all indications are this is pretty much a done deal.

[tex]

The Beltre deal isn't an A+ deal, but it's not bad, because the dude LOVES to play the field, and with Young as the DH, the option to pull Beltre if he slacks is available. Being pulled will light his fire.

I also like the idea of having a DH that can play multiple IF positions, in the event of injury.

The Webb deal has plenty of upside: if he performs really well, it's more incentive for future pitchers to sign in Texas, because his success will be even more impressive due to the setting. If he flounders or performs marginally, the culprit may be just adjusting to the repaired shoulder, and his doc being a team doc may lead to getting him cheap for the following year, or having the inside scoop on cutting him loose early. If he's progressing physically but still learning his new pitching style, the Rangers may be able to resign him after an average year, for cheap, and have a (re)break out year in 2012.

Then the world ends, and baseball is lost to the cosmos, anyway.

[GTBrian23]

I like Beltre, havent seen a ton of him but from what I have I like! I think he could thrive here at a hitters park and will make the defense that much better. Not to mention it will put Young in a position to focus primarily on what he does best. Hitting

[mstng86]

AP Source: Beltre, Texas agree to $96M, 6-yr deal
By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
4 hours, 58 minutes ago


A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre(notes) and the AL champion Texas Rangers have reached a preliminary agreement on a $96 million, six-year contract.

The person spoke late Tuesday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement is pending a physical.

Texas will have the ability to void the final season of the contract under certain conditions.

Beltre became a free agent after turning down a $10 million player option to stay with Boston.

A two-time Gold Glove winner, Beltre hit .321 with 49 doubles, 28 homers and 102 RBIs in 154 games in his only season with the Red Sox. He was an All-Star for the first time in his 13-season career.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[BP]

His glove alone will be worth 5+ more wins over Young, not to mention help lower the team ERA. It'll give Elvis a chance to help cover 2nd more, which in turn will help Kinsler cover 1B more.

I also don't know how many double plays Young hit into but it seemed like at least one a game last year. Maybe having Beltre in front of Hamilton and Young batting 5th will help out there, or 6th depending on what Cruz is up to.

[bucky]

I am not neccesarily against the deal just the parameters of it and that he was a Scott Boras player. If i was going to throw 100 mil at a player i sure hoped it would have been a stud pitcher but those are few and far between.

Now i have no doubt he is a better fielder than Young is at 1st base. My only fear is that with a fat contract, Beltre will regress in a few years and really hamstring the Rangers financially.

I do believe the tandem of Young and Guerroro last year in the field during the WS cost us at least 1 game.

[Kenny_Stang]

I am not neccesarily against the deal just the parameters of it and that he was a Scott Boras player. If i was going to throw 100 mil at a player i sure hoped it would have been a stud pitcher but those are few and far between.

Now i have no doubt he is a better fielder than Young is at 1st base. My only fear is that with a fat contract, Beltre will regress in a few years and really hamstring the Rangers financially.

I do believe the tandem of Young and Guerroro last year in the field during the WS cost us at least 1 game.

Young/Beltre play 3rd base.

It's official:

http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110105&content_id=16393188&vkey=news_tex&c_id=tex

[Nash B.]

I am not neccesarily against the deal just the parameters of it and that he was a Scott Boras player. If i was going to throw 100 mil at a player i sure hoped it would have been a stud pitcher but those are few and far between.

Now i have no doubt he is a better fielder than Young is at 1st base. My only fear is that with a fat contract, Beltre will regress in a few years and really hamstring the Rangers financially.

I do believe the tandem of Young and Guerroro last year in the field during the WS cost us at least 1 game.

I don't think defense had anything to do with their losses in the World Series but Young dodging A-Rod's hit hurt them in Game 1 of the ALCS.

[0 GT 2]

Young to be Rangers' DH. The Rangers will not go after Vlad.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110105&content_id=16395876&vkey=news_tex&c_id=tex&partnerId=rss_tex

Young puts Rangers first with move to DH
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com | 01/05/11 6:50 PM EST
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ARLINGTON -- Michael Young is not giving up the idea of being a regular defensive player at some point in his career. But he comes back to one reason why he is willing to move to designated hitter in order to make room for free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre.

"I want to play with the Rangers," Young said on Wednesday after the club agreed to terms with Beltre on a six-year, $96 million contract. Beltre, a two-time Gold Glove winner, will be Texas' primary third baseman, a position Young played the past two seasons.

He was the Rangers' third baseman this past season when they went to the World Series for the first time in club history, before losing to the Giants in five games.



Young switching positions again
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1/4/11: MLB Network on where Rangers captain Michael Young will play if the team signs free-agent Adrian Beltre
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"We won last year," Young said. "It's tough to go to the World Series and lose. I want to go back there and win with this team. I love my teammates, there is no secret about that. We have a good thing going in the clubhouse. That plus the fact that I live here, my family is comfortable here and my sons were born here.

"This is where I want to play. This is where I want to make the biggest impact on my career."

The Rangers will accommodate that request. Young said that he has been told he will not be traded.

"That's been made pretty clear," said Young, who has a limited no-trade clause in his contract and can veto any trade after May when he becomes a 10-and-5 player -- one with a decade in the league and five seasons with his current team.

Manager Ron Washington, at a press conference introducing Beltre on Wednesday, said Young will be the Rangers' primary designated hitter. The Rangers will not re-sign Vladimir Guerrero. Washington said Young will also play all infield positions, including first base. That's the only infield position Young hasn't played regularly at the Major League level.

"He'll be my designated hitter and move around the infield on days when I want to give people a day off," Washington said. "We will give him a chance to play first base. Whenever we get a chance to get Michael Young in the lineup, we will."

Washington said Young will not be asked to play the outfield.

"We're fine in the outfield," Washington said.

Young, who made his Major League debut at the end of the 2000 season and started playing regularly in May 2001, has played 416 games at second base, 787 games at shortstop and 293 games at third base. He has never played first base.

The Rangers are expecting rookie Mitch Moreland, a left-handed hitter, to be their primary first baseman, but Young could complement him as a right-handed hitter.

"If I have to get the majority of my at-bats at designated hitter, then that's the way it has to be," Young said. "... I'm a baseball player. I'll move around a lot but I expect to be productive no matter where I will play.

"Obviously getting work at first base will be new but the other positions I've played before and I'll be comfortable with them."

Young was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 1997 Draft. He was traded to the Rangers in 2000 while he was still in the Minor Leagues and has been with the franchise ever since.

He is the Rangers' all-time leader in at-bats, hits and doubles and will likely pass Rafael Palmeiro for most runs scored and games played this season. He was the club's starting second baseman from 2001-03 before moving to shortstop in '04 and became the starting third baseman in '09 to make room for shortstop Elvis Andrus.

Young made it clear that he still believes he can be a productive defensive player but is willing to do this for the good of the team and play for a World Series championship team.

"I don't take these moves lightly," Young said. "I don't just take it on the chin. I sent out to accomplish certain goals, and if I have to make adjustments, I will. But that doesn't change my goals and what I want to accomplish."

T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[mustang_marc]

The Rangers lost Max Ramirez tonight. Red Sox claimed him off waivers.

BOSTON -- Thirteen months ago, the Red Sox thought they were about to trade for catching prospect Max Ramirez, only to have it fall through when Mike Lowell -- the player who was supposed to go to the Rangers -- failed his physical.

This time, there were no such technicalities that could get between Boston and Ramirez. On Wednesday, the Red Sox claimed Ramirez off waivers from the Rangers.

As for Ramirez, the Rangers had designated him for assignment on Jan. 3. Ramirez becomes the second former Texas catching prospect to come to Boston within the last year, joining Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

In fact, Saltalamacchia is expected to be the primary catcher for the Red Sox this season, teaming with captain Jason Varitek.

Ramirez will provide the organization with some additional depth behind the plate.

The 26-year-old from Venezuela played 28 games for the Rangers in 2010, hitting .217 with two homers and eight RBIs in 69 at-bats. It was his first stint in the Majors since '08, when he hit .217 with two homers and nine RBIs in 46 at-bats.

Ramirez is a veteran of 563 Minor League games, hitting .298 with 72 homers and 358 RBIs.