File this under... turning over every rock:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/05/rangers-sign-kyle-barraclough-to-minor-league-deal.html

Water Boy said:

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91 wins may be all that is needed to win this division.

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It may be but I think Seattle has the best team right now. They don't have a potent offense but that pitching staff is damn good.

I think we need about 96 wins this year to win the division.

I'm a huge scherzer fan but, I didn't expect anything out of him when they made the trade. I don't expect anything this year but what the what about fore arm???

Chris Young said that Max Scherzer has been shut down from throwing for a few days as he still has the thumb/forearm issue. No timetable, but Young said that Scherzer won't throw again until any tightness/discomfort is gone. #Rangers

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) May 8, 2024

Their hitting is bad. It could just be the cooler damp NW weather early is helping the P.


Consider this:
AL ERA for SP:
4. Mariners: 3.34, 1.03 WHIP, 215.1 IP, 216 SO
7. Rangers: 3.71, 1.18 WHIP, 213.2, 204 SO

Mariners: 5 SP
1. Gilbert: 7GS, 1.69, 0.79
10. Miller: 7GS, 2.61, 0.92
20. Castillo: 8GS, 3.54, 1.14
27. Kirby: 8GS, 4.15, 1.04
Hancock: 7GS, 5.24, 1.31 37th

Rangers: 8 SP
8. Gray: 7GS, 2.50, 1.16
10. Eovaldi: 7GS, 2.61, 1.16
Dunning: 7GS, 4.10, 1.15 (27th if Q. Needs 1.2 IP)
Heaney: 7GS, 4.50, 1.11 (33rd if Q. Needs 3.0)
Lorenzen: 5GS, 4.66, 1.34 (10.0 IP from Q) 33rd

Bradford: 3GS, 1.40, 0.62
Leiter: 2GS, 12.91
Urena: 1GS

Seattle has not had a disruption in their rotation. I don't know that Bradford maintains his performance, but he was projected for the rotation.

Seattle has 5 P on the IL. Only 1 is a SP and I don't think he was necessarily projected in their 2024 rotation.

This will be interesting.

I'm looking for the phrase "as a precaution. "

Looks like we're going to have the same streaky offense as last year. 10+ runs or nothing. Such a weird team, but fun to watch.

I know he's just off injury himself, but I think it's time we give Antoine Kelly the call with Sborz going on the IL. He's been dominant since the start of last season.

gigem1223 said:

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I know he's just off injury himself, but I think it's time we give Antoine Kelly the call with Sborz going on the IL. He's been dominant since the start of last season.

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Wait, did Sborz come back and get reinjured?

Yes. Faced 2 hitters and had to leave yesterday. The shoulder he missed time for already seems prime suspect

fc2112 said:

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Quick stroll through the IL

https://www.espn.com/mlb/injuries

Texas has 22 guys on the IL, the most in MLB. But the Yankees and Astros both have 21, and most teams have more than 15.

We tend to focus on ourselves and think we're snake bit - but pretty much everyone has serious injury problems. Interestingly, Seattle has the fewest injuries in MLB right now. They are young, but you figure the avergaes will catch up with them too.

I guess we're gonna see a lot of AAA ball at the MLB level this season.

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I wonder how we compare from a "production on the IL" perspective. We have 5 SPs on there right now. An all star 3B and more.

Yankees have four starting pitchers and an All Star third baseman.

Houston has 7 starting pitchers.

Your point is valid, but that list is a bit skewed because it includes minor league guys not on the 40: Matt Duffy, Shane Green, and Luis Mieses, to name 3.

We have 12 on the 40 that are on the IL and that includes Mahle, whom we signed to put on the 40. We also grabbed Carson Coleman on Rule V knowing he was still coming back from TJ. Yankees got Brubaker in a trade to stash on the 60, as well, IIRC.

Matt Duffy just got released the the other day as well.

Yeah, I realize that list is not the best - but it was all I had that was all in one place.

I figured each team would have a similar number of guys not on the 40 and thus a team to team comparison would be valid.

Tksymm7 said:

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Matt Duffy just got released the the other day as well.

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I believe Danny Duffy got released.

Yeah my fault. I can't keep all of the Duffy's straight in my head lol.

Rotation ahead:
@ Colorado
5/10: Open @ Gomber
5/11: Gray @ Feltner
5/12: Heaney @ Hudson
v Cle
5/13: Open v Bibee
5/14: Lorenzen v Lively
5/15: Open v Carrasco


SP Option for Open:
Urena <- Went 90PC on Tues
Cole Winn: 8G, 6.10, 0.774 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 10 SO
Owen White: 1G, Inf ERA, 0.0 IP, 3H, 0 BB
Jack Leiter: 2GS, 12.91, 2.348 WHIP, 7.2 IP, 6 SO

I can see Leiter getting the 5/13 GS. Maybe Urena.

MLB has added a limit to Optioning a player during the season to 4 times. Leiter has used 1. If he gets sent down as part of the xtra spot for the DH, it doesn't count. However, if they don't send him down... he'll burn the 2nd of 4 Options during the season.

If Dunning and Sborz are both out for extended periods, we'll likely have to keep Leiter as the only in-house viable option.

Eovaldi won't be eligible to be back until after May 18, IIRC. That is if he is healthy.

I think Owen White might be back out there for the Friday GS. With the high altitude and thin air, someone will be sacrificed and it will likely be a complete mess.

I thought there was no option used for calling a guy up for a double header?

And if we're looking for human sacrifice, how about Adrian Sampson? Isn't that what 32 year old minor leaguers are for?

Unless they pull someone from Round Rock it about has to be Winn or White on the Fri 5/10 Open game (too soon for Urena). Winn started out great, but the last couple of outings or so haven't been as good. And White didn't record an out yesterday. We likely pick one of Winn/White to start knowing that both will be needed to get through the Friday game.

We really need some of our injured starters back asap. A well timed rainout would be helpful as well to get past this stretch

fc2112 said:

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I thought there was no option used for calling a guy up for a double header?

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I am not sure who the designated pitcher was (Leiter or White), but we may need to keep them up anyway given the current lack of starting pitchers.

Correct... if they send Leiter back as having only been called up for the DH... it doesn't count.

I was trying to say if they keep him up for another GS... when they send him down he would count.