The New Texas Rangers Analyst

Head over to the new Texas Rangers Analyst site now!

I thought I'd take the time to introduce what the new site and newsletter will be about. Sign up for the newsletter by emailing me at andy@texasrangersanalyst.com to recieve updates through your email rather than checking the site all the time. I've decided that I'm going to make the site available immediately so that you can see the stages it goes through as I add new topics and features. As of the moment, I only have the copies of the player profiles I did on my blog, and I'll have many more to come over the course of the offseason and beyond.  The site has a quick outline of my plans for it, so check it out.

-Andy

Rangers Rosters Update - August 12, 2008

Roster moves for August 9-12 in alphabetical order:

Adam Cobb: Promoted from AZL Rangers to Bakersfield
Thomas Diamond: Placed on 7-day DL at Frisco
Kazuo Fukumori: Placed on 7-day DL at Oklahoma
Brennan Garr: Placed on 7-day DL at Frisco
Jacob Kaase: Demoted from Bakersfield to Spokane
Derek Lee: Placed on 7-day DL at Oklahoma
Doug Mathis: Activated from 15-day DL at Texas and demoted to Oklahoma
Brandon McCarthy: Activated from 60-day DL at Texas and demoted to Oklahoma
Kevin Millwood: Began rehab assignment at Frisco
Tyler Tufts: Activated from 7-day DL at Bakersfield

Cobb was promoted to Bakersfield as the result of a strong performance for the AZL Rangers.  Don't get too excited.  He's already 22.  Diamond has dealt with ankle problems this year after his return from Tommy John surgery.  He's out for the year, and will have surgery.  Fukumori's contract has a clause that guarantees his 2009 salary if he does not spend 30 days on a disabled list, either in the majors or minors.  Someone look up to see if he spent a week on a disabled list earlier in the season.  Garr dealt with shoulder issues early in the season, but as of this point, I don't know why he's on the DL.  I just put up a profile of him at TRA, so maybe there's some sort of jinx.  Kaase has been treated horribly this season, as he's jumped around teams since the beginning.  He's hit .290 in 93 at-bats in Bakersfield, but I guess that's only good enough for a demotion to Spokane.  Lee is only a minor league fill-in as injuries decimated the Rangers at the major league level, ruining minor league depth.  Mathis was activated from his rehab earlier than necessary, an interesting move by the Rangers.  Since they purchased his contract earlier in the season, he's using up his first option as we speak.  They must plan on recalling him after 19 days of the option on September 1.  McCarthy used all his rehab time, and still needs more time to come back from arm troubles.  He'll continue to pitch in the rotation at Oklahoma and will likely see a September recall to Arlington.  Millwood has begun the road back to Arlington with a rehab appearance for Frisco.  He was unspectacular there on Sunday, and that might have an effect on his recall to Texas.  Tufts has rejoined Bakersfield after a rehab stint with the AZL Rangers.  He'll finish off the season in the bullpen as the Blaze push for a playoff spot.

Derek Holland will reportedly move up to Frisco to start tomorrow, but no roster move has been currently made.  I'll check back in with the move when it is made.

Rangers Rosters Update - August 8, 2008

Roster moves for August 5-8 in alphabetical order:

Joaquin Benoit: Activated from 15-day DL at Texas
Jason Ellison: Promoted from Oklahoma to Texas
Craig Gentry: Promoted from Frisco to Oklahoma
David Murphy: Placed on 15-day DL at Texas
AJ Murray: Transferred to 60-day DL at Texas
Ryan Roberts: Outrighted contract to Oklahoma
Tim Rodriguez: Activated from 7-day DL at Bakersfield
Matt Thompson: Activated to roster for AZL Rangers
Chad Tracy: Promoted from Bakersfield to Frisco
CJ Wilson: Placed on 15-day DL at Texas

There's been a lot of activity due to injuries over the last few days and I'll try and wrap it up right here.  Benoit finally seems to have his control back after a bout with injuries and was activated in CJ Wilson's place.  Ellison is going to fill the traditional fourth or fifth outfielder role, depending on what you say Milton Bradley is defensively.  He won't play often, other than to be a possible late-game pinch runner.  His hitting was not good at Oklahoma.  His contract did have to be purchased, so he's an addition to the 40-man roster.  Gentry was the one called on to fill Ellison's spot at Oklahoma.  He's been on the DL for a good portion of the last few months, but has been hitting well in his return.  He'll play center for the Redhawks, something that he couldn't do with Julio Borbon in Frisco.  Murphy was hurt colliding with our old friend Pudge Rodriguez at home plate on Wednesday night.  He hurt his PCL, and it looks like it'll be close to six weeks before he'll be back.  Murray has been injury-prone over the years, and this year is no different.  He was moved to make room on the 40-man roster when Jason Ellison was called up.  However, it's more likely he was transferred due to the impending return of Brandon McCarthy to the 40-man roster.  Roberts barely played in his cameo in Arlington, and was optioned quickly.  However, he was eating up a roster spot and cleared waivers easily.  He'll play out his contract for Oklahoma and leave as a minor league free agent at the end of the season.  Rodriguez was activated from the DL at Bakersfield as playing time has opened up in their outfield.  Thompson pitched poorly in his first pro outing, but we hope it is just jitters.  He signed for a reported $600K, more than any other Ranger draftee at the moment, so we should figure he'll succeed soon enough.  Tracy has been tearing the cover off the ball at Bakersfield, so he was called on to take the outfield spot left by Gentry's promotion to Oklahoma.  Tracy was the Rangers' second pick two years ago, so there's hope he'll really coming into his own now.  His promotion is what freed up the spot for Tim Rodriguez in Bakersfield.  Wilson's injury and demeanor has been discussed thoroughly, so all I'll say is that he's hurt, and I don't see him coming back this year.

Rangers Rosters Update - August 4, 2008

Roster moves for August 4 in alphabetical order:

Neil Ramirez: Activated from 7-day DL at Spokane

Ramirez was activated in time for his start at Spokane Sunday night.  He will be trying to build up innings between now and the end of the season.  The corresponding roster move is still unknown to me at this time.

Rangers Rosters Update - August 3, 2008

Roster moves from August 1 to August 3 in alphabetical order:

John Bannister: Promoted from Bakersfield to Frisco
Joaquin Benoit: Rehab transferred from Frisco to Oklahoma
Nelson Cruz: Placed on 7-day DL at Oklahoma
Kason Gabbard: Transferred to 60-day DL at Texas
Craig Gentry: Activated from 7-day DL at Frisco
Ben Harrison: Promoted from Frisco to Oklahoma 
Tommy Hunter: Promoted from Oklahoma to Texas
Eric Hurley: Placed on 15-day DL at Texas
Kasey Kiker: Activated from 7-day DL at Bakersfield
Doug Mathis: Rehab begun at AZL Rangers
Travis Metcalf: Promoted from Oklahoma to Texas
Manny Pina: Promoted from Bakersfield to Frisco
Alberto Puello: Promoted from AZL Rangers to Bakersfield
Ryan Roberts: Demoted from Texas to Oklahoma
Michael Schlact: Placed on 7-day DL at Frisco
Tyler Tufts: Placed on 7-day DL at Bakersfield; Rehabbing at AZL Rangers

Bannister filled the spot of Michael Schlact when he hit the DL.  Since a switch to a relief role, Bannister has excelled and will continue in that role for Frisco.  Benoit has started to regain his control and has moved to Oklahoma for more advanced competition.  He excelled in his first rehab outing for Oklahoma last night.  Cruz hits the DL at wrong time.  He was continuing to push for a spot in Arlington, but his quad injury will likely squash any chances of that happening soon.  Gabbard's move was just procedural to create a spot for Tommy Hunter on the 40-man roster.  He is out for the year after surgery for bone chips in his pitching elbow.  Gentry was just activated today and will likely resume the right field spot he occupied after Julio Borbon's promotion to Frisco.  Harrison was promoted to Oklahoma to make room for Gentry's activation.  He was also promoted to take Nelson Cruz's spot on the Oklahoma roster, where the Redhawks were down to two full-time outfielders.  Hunter was a somewhat surprising call-up over the weekend.  He was protected from the Rule V draft until after 2010, so this early move must mean they don't plan on burning an option this year.  Hurley hit the DL again just a couple of innings after returning from it.  Kiker was activated and place in a relief role for Bakersfield.  Some scouts saw Kiker as a future Billy Wagner when the Rangers drafted him in 2006, however Kiker is still seen as a starter by the Rangers.  He's simply returning from arm fatigue, and they want to ease him back into pitching.  Mathis has begun the competitive road back to pitching with a stint with the baby Rangers.  He started last night, and will probably face a similar road to Brandon McCarthy.  Metcalf was promoted just in time, as Ramon Vazquez hurt his shoulder a couple of nights ago.  Metcalf is still known as all-glove no-hit, so don't expect him to lock down the third base job.  Pina was part of the catching shuffle that was orchestrated with Max Ramirez' injury.  Pina is another all-glove candidate who had a one-game cameo with Frisco earlier.  Puello was the other lower-level product of the catching shuffle, making the jump all the way from the AZL to the Cal League.  He's just one of the many making that jump lately.  Roberts didn't make an impact in his short time in the majors, and was demoted, since he has two options remaining.  Schlact has struggled mightily in his last number of starts, and the Rangers decided to pull him back from competitive pitching for the time being.  Tufts is a roster casualty if there ever was one.  He was put on the DL at Bakersfield to clear roster space, while at the same time pitching back in the AZL.  This means he doesn't count against the roster maximum for the AZL team.