Rangers trade

[crzyjournalist03]

The Rangers have traded Frank Fransisco to the Blue Jays for C/1B Mike Napoli.

I think this is the perfect fit for the last spot in the projected lineup. He'll fill in for Moreland at first against some lefties and catch some too since neither Treanor nor Torrealba have a history of lasting an entire year. He'll probably get some ABs at DH whenever Michael Young plays the infield.

The Angels just traded him to the Blue Jays four days ago...I doubt they wanted to see him end up on the Rangers.

[coach]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
The Rangers have traded Frank Fransisco to the Blue Jays for C/1B Mike Napoli.

I think this is the perfect fit for the last spot in the projected lineup. He'll fill in for Moreland at first against some lefties and catch some too since neither Treanor nor Torrealba have a history of lasting an entire year. He'll probably get some ABs at DH whenever Michael Young plays the infield.

The Angels just traded him to the Blue Jays four days ago...I doubt they wanted to see him end up on the Rangers.

love the trade

[Phil C]

What about the pitching? :(

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by Phil C
What about the pitching? :(

Fransisco was injured during the late season run by the Rangers, and didn't even pitch for the team in the playoffs, and they made the World Series without him.

Young guys like Alexi Ogando and Michael Kirkman will be expected to step up, and the team also has already signed veteran Arthur Rhodes to be a set-up man.

I liked Fransisco, but he wanted to close and would most likely have left the team after this year anyway as a free agent. I think Napoli offers more to the team this year than Fransisco would have, and Napoli might be more likely to be around longer than Fransisco would have as well.

[YTBulldogs]

I think Moreland will now be traded for a starting pitcher.

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by YTBulldogs
I think Moreland will now be traded for a starting pitcher.

It's possible, but I'd say it's highly unlikely. Napoli is more of a utility-type guy who will platoon with Moreland, but also play some catcher and DH.

Trading Moreland would leave the team without a long-term answer at first base. It's possible that Napoli could become a far better defender, but he'd never played first at all until last year.

Napoli is the piece that the Rangers were looking to fill with Manny/Vlad/etc as the final bench bat with pinch-hitting abilities.

[YTBulldogs]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
It's possible, but I'd say it's highly unlikely. Napoli is more of a utility-type guy who will platoon with Moreland, but also play some catcher and DH.

Trading Moreland would leave the team without a long-term answer at first base. It's possible that Napoli could become a far better defender, but he'd never played first at all until last year.

Napoli is the piece that the Rangers were looking to fill with Manny/Vlad/etc as the final bench bat with pinch-hitting abilities.

They need some help in the rotation and it's clear, only Moreland draws interest amongst other MLB teams to land a top caliber pitcher in return. Nolan will always favor a arm over a stick. And, this team needs to recoup in the arm department somehow and quick.

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by YTBulldogs
They need some help in the rotation and it's clear, only Moreland draws interest amongst other MLB teams to land a top caliber pitcher in return. Nolan will always favor a arm over a stick. And, this team needs to recoup in the arm department somehow and quick.

The Rangers went 6-9 in Cliff Lee's starts for them last year.

C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis are still here. Brandon Webb replaces Rich Harden/Scott Feldman in the rotation. That's an upgrade. Tommy Hunter is back, and despite his postseason struggles, he was very, very good during the regular season and now has another year of experience. The fifth spot will either go to Derek Holland, who got a ton of great experience and development in the postseason, Michael Kirkman, another valuable young arm who showed a ton of promise, Alexi Ogando or Neftali Feliz, who were both brilliant in relief last year and have starting experience, and you still have Scott Feldman, who there's always a chance could rebound, or Eric Hurley, who was once arguably the team's top pitching prospect before he missed last season with injury.

The Rangers have a much more solid rotation than most people think, and they've got a better rotation right now than they had at this time last year. The Rangers had already built a significant lead on the AL West when they acquired Cliff Lee, and if need be, they still have the firepower on the farm to go get another star pitcher whenever one becomes available midseason.

[Rabid Cougar]

Napoli hit 10 gillion homeruns against the Rangers in Arlington. Just like Vlad.

[bigwood33]

Originally posted by YTBulldogs
I think Moreland will now be traded for a starting pitcher.
Won't happen. He won't bring a front line starter so there is no reason to dump him. I imagine he will platoon with Napoli.

[orange machine]

Good move for the Rangers. So where does this put young?

[Saggy Aggie]

I think this is a solid pickup for the Rangers. I'm still more interested in seeing how Webb will return from his 2 year injury mess after 3 consecutive top 2 finishes in the NL Cy Yound race (won it once, I think)

[GreenMonster]

I still think the Rangers need to turn Josh Hamilton into a first baseman and move Moreland to the outfield. If you never saw Moreland play in the outfield you just can't understand how good he is out there and Hamilton's bat (top 2 in MLB along with Pujols) is more important than his glove, especially after you factor in his reckless, all out play in the outfield that keeps him on the DL. I understand that Hamilton is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, but it's hard as hell to win one of those Gold Gloves from the bench or a rehab assignment in Frisco. Moreland is a very capable outfielder with a big time arm and the ability to be an everyday player out there. I say keep your offensive juggernaut on the field and allow a young guy with a lot of upside a chance to play somewhere that he is comfortable and soon his bat will come alive. Just my $0.02.

[orange machine]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
I still think the Rangers need to turn Josh Hamilton into a first baseman and move Moreland to the outfield. If you never saw Moreland play in the outfield you just can't understand how good he is out there and Hamilton's bat (top 2 in MLB along with Pujols) is more important than his glove, especially after you factor in his reckless, all out play in the outfield that keeps him on the DL. I understand that Hamilton is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, but it's hard as hell to win one of those Gold Gloves from the bench or a rehab assignment in Frisco. Moreland is a very capable outfielder with a big time arm and the ability to be an everyday player out there. I say keep your offensive juggernaut on the field and allow a young guy with a lot of upside a chance to play somewhere that he is comfortable and soon his bat will come alive. Just my $0.02.
If that's the Case why not just put Napoli at 1st Moreland to the outfield and Hamilton as the DH?

[bigwood33]

Originally posted by orange machine
If that's the Case why not just put Napoli at 1st Moreland to the outfield and Hamilton as the DH?
You can't put a player of Hamilton's caliber at DH. That would guarantee that he would leave when he became a free agent in a couple of years.

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
I still think the Rangers need to turn Josh Hamilton into a first baseman and move Moreland to the outfield. If you never saw Moreland play in the outfield you just can't understand how good he is out there and Hamilton's bat (top 2 in MLB along with Pujols) is more important than his glove, especially after you factor in his reckless, all out play in the outfield that keeps him on the DL. I understand that Hamilton is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, but it's hard as hell to win one of those Gold Gloves from the bench or a rehab assignment in Frisco. Moreland is a very capable outfielder with a big time arm and the ability to be an everyday player out there. I say keep your offensive juggernaut on the field and allow a young guy with a lot of upside a chance to play somewhere that he is comfortable and soon his bat will come alive. Just my $0.02.

The only problem is that with the types of injuries that Hamilton has come down with over the last couple of years, first base could actually be a worse position for him. The rib cage strains and back problems don't go away when you're having to stretch to dig balls out of the dirt.

[YTBulldogs]

Originally posted by Saggy Aggie
I think this is a solid pickup for the Rangers. I'm still more interested in seeing how Webb will return from his 2 year injury mess after 3 consecutive top 2 finishes in the NL Cy Yound race (won it once, I think)

I just hope that sinker sinks in Texas like it did before he got hurt in Zona. If not, yikes!!!! He is for sure a off speed pitcher. I like him, hope his stuff still works. I'm sure Nolan tested this out before signing.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by orange machine
If that's the Case why not just put Napoli at 1st Moreland to the outfield and Hamilton as the DH? and waste Michael Young?? You know their big offseason signee is a third baseman right?? And the plan was to move Michael to DH? As for Hamilton, all of his injuries are from contact whether that contact be with a wall, the ground, or another player. First base will limit the number of chances for him to have a contact injury.

[coach]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
The only problem is that with the types of injuries that Hamilton has come down with over the last couple of years, first base could actually be a worse position for him. The rib cage strains and back problems don't go away when you're having to stretch to dig balls out of the dirt.

not to mention he is a top 5 outfielder in the league...and he has the best arm in the al....possibly all of baseball