Tuesday Newsletter time: Some may not watch the games, but plenty of eyes will be on Rangers-Diamondbacks series
Two of baseball's worst teams have plenty of talent to offer contending teams before the trade deadline
The two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday at Globe Life Field is hardly a potential World Series preview, but that doesn’t mean eyes won’t be on the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Rangers have lost 12 straight and are a mere percentage points ahead of the last-place Baltimore Orioles in the American League. Arizona is the worst team in the major leagues.
They are selling off ahead of the trade deadline Friday. While the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins have been more active and have more rumors swirling around them, the Rangers and Dbacks will make some noise the next few days.
The Rangers are expected to trade right-handers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, and could deal away right fielder Joey Gallo. Arizona is rumored to be unloading veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar and willing to listen on a host of veteran players.
Both teams might have to wait to see who the Twins unload. Right-hander Jose Berrios, center fielder Byron Buxton, reliever Taylor Rogers and outfielder Max Kepler are all thought to be available.
Who goes where? Good question. Many teams are looking to upgrade, and time is ticking away until the 3 p.m. deadline Friday.
Climbing the rankings
The fine, fine people at Baseball America released their updated rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball, and the Rangers landed three on the list.
Two of them are holdovers, and two of them are in the top 50. One of them, though, isn’t technically in the organization.
Double A Frisco teammates Josh Jung and Cole Winn are holdovers from previous rankings. Jung checks in at 43rd overall, which is down eight spots in part because of the foot injury that cost him the first six weeks of the season, and Winn is up 10 spots to 89th.
The highest ranked prospect is right-hander Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, at No. 37. The Rangers have until Sunday to sign him, and all other remaining unsigned draftees.
It was only last season when the Rangers had no one in the top 100. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sam Huff or Justin Foscue, who has homered in eight straight games at High A Hickory, in the top 100 in the next 12 months.
It will also be interesting to see where the Rangers’ farm system ranks next season. The Rangers came in at 24th this year, but club officials believed they would have ranked higher had there been a 2020 minor-league season.
A case for turf
One thing that Rangers owner Ray Davis doesn’t care for is when a reporter refers to the playing surface at Globe Life Field as turf or fake stuff even though that’s what it is. It’s not grass.
And, after watching the three games in Houston, Rangers fans should be glad it’s not grass.
The field at Minute Maid Park looked awful. There were multiple bare patches in the outfield, and they were affecting how true balls were rolling. It wasn’t true at all in multiple instances.
The Astros have always used grass in the retractable-roof park, which wasn’t dug nearly as deep as Globe Life Field. The Diamondbacks dealt with similar issues facing the Astros for years in their retractable-roof ballpark, and in 2018 switched to the same synthetic grass that the Rangers have.
The Astros might want to make the switch, too.
Doggy video!
A serious lack of court awareness here. Poor fella. Enjoy. See you Wednesday.
