Friday Newsletter time: Jon Daniels talks more about Texas Rangers spending money in offseason
The president of baseball operations joined the Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast last week.
Hundreds of you in the past week heard Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels talk in some detail about the Rangers being players this offseason, on the inaugural episode of the Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast.
If you didn’t hear it, here’s a link to it.
The assumption when a team says it has money to spend is that it will do so in free agency, and oftentimes that plays out. But teams can add significantly to the payroll via trades, something the Rangers have done over the past decade in deals for Prince Fielder and Cole Hamels.
But with 2022 another rebuilding year, the Rangers don’t have to go all-in this offseason. They are planning to add players who will excite the fan base, though.
“It is a good free-agent class, but it also appears to be a good free-agent class a year from now and two years from now,” Daniels said. “We want to take meaningful steps forward, but we don’t necessarily need to do all of our shopping in one free-agent class.”
Don’t roll your eyes. The Rangers know what’s coming from the minors and also know that they have players who can play multiple positions. It’s piecing the prospect timelines with the big-league team’s immediate and future needs.
That might reduce the number of big-name players the Rangers pursue immediately, but not how much they can spend.
“That allows us to really target who are the best fits overall,” Daniels said. “Because of that, there aren’t many players that we will be out on. From a position standpoint, I think it’s going to be more, does he fit for us financially, does he fit for us as a player we really want to acquire? We can really consider guys at just about any position.”
Arihara’s future
The Rangers aren’t entirely sure what to think about Kohei Arihara, who returned to the mound Wednesday and allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings in his first start since May.
He breezed through the Colorado Rockies’ lineup until surrendering a homer to Brendan Rodgers. That was the only base runner Arihara allowed while throwing 47 stress-free pitches, more than the Rangers were initially going to let him throw.
It was a very positive first step back for the right-hander, who left Japan in the offseason for a two-year, $6.2 million deal. The Rangers signed him because they needed veterans who could eat innings.
That didn’t work out because of an aneurysm in his shoulder that required surgery, but the Rangers are going to need a couple inning-eaters in 2022. They believe Dane Dunning will be one, and, as Daniels said above, they are going to have money to spend this offseason.
The rookies who have done so well in the past two weeks will likely be in and out of the rotation, but could be on innings limits as Dunning is this season. Glenn Otto, who starts tonight, cleared 100 innings on the season n his MLB debut last Friday and could reach 120.
That would put him in position for about 150 innings in 2022, but first he has to make the team next spring. A.J. Alexy, Jake Latz and Cole Winn won’t hit 100. First-rounder Jack Leiter threw 110 this year at Vanderbilt, but there’s no way he’s opening the season in the majors.
General manager Chris Young recently didn’t commit to Arihara as a lock for the 2022 rotation, saying Arihara first needs to get built up to 100 pitches or show the ability to be built up. That won’t happen until spring training.
The Rangers also aren’t sure how much the injury affected his early-season performance, though they suspect it had a significant impact even in his good outings.
If he pitches as he did Wednesday, it will be hard to not put him in the 2022 rotation.
Card of the Week
The induction ceremony for the National Baseball Hall of Fame is Wednesday, when the class of 2020 will receive it’s COVID-delayed due. No one was elected for enshrinement from the class of 2021.
The headliner from the 2020 class is New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who will be joined by outfielder Larry Walker, catcher Ted Simmons and former union chief Marvin Miller.
In honor of Jeter, the Card of the Week is his 1993 Topps rookie card, No. 98.
It’s not particular striking card, nor is it the most coveted of the Jeter rookies. The 1993 Topps Stadium Club rookie takes that honor, but this one is nice of have for the boy’s collection.
He’s learning more about baseball every day, and at some point soon he’s going to ask about Jeter and probably want his rookie card. Fortunately, I have him covered.
Doggy video!
Me when the plastic spoon in my Butterfinger and Oreo Blizzard snaps off. Enjoy. See you Monday.
