SB Nation Dallas - 2011 MLB Free Agency: Rangers Chose Darvish Over Fielder, Who Signed With Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2012-02-07T13:37:55-06:00http://dallas.sbnation.com/rss/stream/22998822012-02-07T13:37:55-06:002012-02-07T13:37:55-06:00Free Agent Rumors: Roy Oswalt A Good Fit For The Rangers
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> are still in the process of shoring up their roster for the upcoming 2012 season. After losing <span>C.J. Wilson</span> to the Los Angeles <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a></span> and acquiring Japanese star <span>Yu Darvish</span> following a bidding war, the team still has some question marks in their rotation. These questions could be solved with the addition of a free-agent pitcher like <span>Roy Oswalt</span>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_reiter/02/03/updated.reiter.50/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a3">Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated recently graded the remaining free agents</a> still on the market and evaluated which teams would be the best fit. He not only ranked Oswalt No. 1 overall of the remaining free agents, but paired the hurler up with the Rangers as making the most sense for a destination team. Here's Reiter's take:</p>
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<p>After making $16 million in 2011 to be one of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>' "four aces" -- and then only throwing 139 innings due to injury -- Oswalt is reportedly holding out for a one-year, $10 million dollar deal. He might get it, as he is easily the most talented free agent remaining. While the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> have a chance, his favored suitors appear to be last year's World Series participants, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> -- where he'd rejoin Berkman, his old <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> teammate -- and the Rangers. Even though it seems to have a fully stocked rotation (<span>Colby Lewis</span>, <span>Derek Holland</span>, Yu Darvish, <span>Matt Harrison</span> and <span>Neftali Feliz</span>), Texas might make the most sense, as Oswalt would provide excellent depth should Feliz struggle in his transition from the bullpen, or Darvish in his from Japan.</p>
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<p>Oswalt would certainly be a spectacular tool to ease Feliz into his starter role, as well as acting as a mentor for the young pitching staff.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/texas-rangers">Texas Rangers</a>, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lonestarball.com/">Lone Star Ball</a>.</i></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/2/7/2782773/roy-oswalt-rumors-free-agent-rangersBill Hanstock2012-01-27T11:57:25-06:002012-01-27T11:57:25-06:00Rangers' Offer To Prince Fielder Wasn't 'In The Ballpark'
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<p><span>Prince Fielder</span> inked one of the richest contract in baseball history this past week, signing a nine year deal with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> that will pay him $214 million dollars. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>, who tried to sign him, apparently weren't ever close to signing him, as Rangers general manager Jon Daniels admitted that <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers/post/_/id/4877687/gm-prince-fielder-would-make-lineup-silly">Texas' offer "wasn't in the ballpark."</a></p>↵<blockquote>↵<p><a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers/post/_/id/4877687/gm-prince-fielder-would-make-lineup-silly"></a> "What he got from Detroit, we weren't in the ballpark. We were multiple years off," Daniels said. "When you're looking at Detroit, he got the most money from a very good team. Had that option not been there, might he have considered taking less from us to be in a championship environment? I don't know the answer. I know we liked him, we liked the fit."</p>↵</blockquote>↵<p>It's certainly fair to wonder what exactly Daniels offered to Fielder. That they were multiple years apart makes me believe that Texas offered no more than a six year contract to Fielder. The average annual value of Fielder's contract is just south of $24 million -- and I'd be willing to bet that Texas <i>was</i> in that ballpark. </p>↵<p>Still, given they were multiple years off, Fielder certainly made the right decision for himself. </p>↵
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/27/2752642/rangers-offer-to-prince-fielder-wasnt-in-the-ballparkJP Starkey2012-01-25T22:00:25-06:002012-01-25T22:00:25-06:00Roy Oswalt To Rangers?
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<p>Beat writer Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/JoeStrauss/status/162370410741112834">rumor</a> for you if you're awake:</p>↵<blockquote>↵<p>Hearing that Cards made bid approaching $5M on Oswalt weeks ago but not likely happening. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> probably win, at $2-3M more w/perks.</p>↵</blockquote>↵<p>That's. . . interesting. . .</p>↵<p>$7-8 million for Roy Oswalt is not too much of a reach. Even old and injured, he's a man who's been worth that much on the mound for pretty much his whole career. That's a deal unlikely to screw the Rangers up in any meaningful way financially.</p>↵<p>The problem is more how he fits in with the Rangers. In 2010 -- against a weaker league -- <span>Roy Oswalt's</span> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> performance would have been the worst starter in the Texas rotation by a good margin. And unlike most of that rotation, Oswalt is on the wrong side of 30, and just suffered a major bulging disk injury this past season. His odds of actually improving Texas pitching seem slim at best.</p>↵<p>The idea could be just to add as much depth to the roster as possible, which is not a bad plan; but if it comes at the expense of a <span>Matt Harrison</span> or <span>Neftali Feliz</span> getting to start, it seems questionable. Or, the idea could be to deal a young pitcher. Adam Morris had <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lonestarball.com/2012/1/25/2732263/roy-oswalt-and-matt-harrison">a tremendous piece on this very idea</a> earlier today at Lone Star Ball, and suggests the Rangers might see Harrison's most recent season as the best he has to offer, and could be trying to sell high. Given a good haul, it would make some sense to strengthen a franchise that has a glut of young pitching talent and put in a good-enough stop gap for the coming season.</p>↵<p>The coming season is kind of important, though, and that would probably need to be one heck of a trade to be worth losing a young arm that's already had a Top of the Rotation-caliber performance in his mid-20s while also making the current roster weaker. This just does not seem to make a lick of sense.</p>↵<p>Then again, who am I to question the Rangers' front office? They're the ones that have won every AL pennant in the 2010s while maintaining a tremendously deep franchise; if I doubt them, I'm probably the one that's wrong. There might be something here we get and they don't.</p>↵<p>Or there might not be.</p>↵<p>Or this might just be one beat writer's unsubstantiated rumor.</p>↵
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/25/2735548/roy-oswalt-to-rangersRobbie Griffin2012-01-24T14:46:03-06:002012-01-24T14:46:03-06:00Prince Fielder Rumors: Slugger Close To Signing Nine-Year Deal With Tigers, According To Report
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<p>It seems as though the other shoe has finally dropped as it pertains to the free agency of <span>Prince Fielder</span>. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/JonHeymanCBS/status/161901475327512577">According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports</a>, Fielder is on the verge of signing a nine-year, $214 million contract with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://tracking.si.com/2012/01/24/report-prince-fielder-nearing-nine-year-deal-with-detroit-tigers/">SI.com is tracking the complete developments of the Fielder deal</a> as it unfolds with the Tigers. Detroit comes seemingly out of left field as a suitor for the slugging free agent, who put up a slash line of .299/.415/.566 with 38 home runs and 120 RBI for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Milwaukee Brewers</a> in 2011.</p>
<p>The Brewers were believed to be a front-runner for Fielder in the early going, but their signing of free-agent pitcher <span>Yu Darvish</span>, combined with the short-term need to extend <span>Josh Hamilton</span>, effectively removed them from the hunt. This move certainly has a deep impact on the American League's Central Division and makes the Tigers an immediate threat to make another run at the postseason.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a>, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lonestarball.com/">Lone Star Ball</a>. For updates and perspective on the Detroit Tigers, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blessyouboys.com/">Bless You Boys</a>.</i></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/24/2730620/prince-fielder-rumors-tigers-nine-year-deal-free-agentBill Hanstock2012-01-24T11:31:51-06:002012-01-24T11:31:51-06:00Rangers 'Likely Out' Of Prince Fielder Sweepstakes
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<p>Ever since <span>Prince Fielder</span> met with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> officials in mid-January, the Rangers have been strongly linked to rumors surrounding the hefty first baseman. Unfortunately for the Rangers, it looks as though they are out of the Fielder sweepstakes, at least <a target="_blank" href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2012/01/prince-fielder-close-to-making-free-agent-decision/1">according to Bob Nightengale</a>.</p>
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<p>The Texas Rangers believe they are out out of the bidding for free-agent slugger Prince Fielder, according to a person with knowledge of the talks, but not authorized to speak publicly because of the ongoing negotiations. </p>
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<p>It's premature to count the Rangers out until a contract is signed with another team, but, it doesn't seem likely that the Rangers can commit financially for 2012 to Fielder. <span>Michael Young's</span> contract doesn't come off the books until 2013, and <span>Josh Hamilton's</span> contract doesn't expire until the end of the 2012 season. Young is set to make $16 million in each of the next two seasons, while Hamilton will earn $13.75 million in 2012.</p>
<p>Texas already made a big splash this winter as well, spending over $50 million dollars simply to talk to <span>Yu Darvish</span>, before inking him to a six-year, $56 million dollar contract.</p>
<p>Some <a href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/21/2723791/rangers-co-chair-prefers-josh-hamilton-prince-fielder" target="_blank">Rangers executives believe </a>that signing Hamilton to a long-term extension is preferable to signing Fielder, which is something that could also serve as an impediment to Fielder negotiations. </p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/24/2730098/rangers-likely-out-of-prince-fielder-sweepstakesJP Starkey2012-01-21T14:20:46-06:002012-01-21T14:20:46-06:00Rangers Co-Chair Prefers Hamilton To Fielder, Is Wrong
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<p>Texas' co-chairman, Bob Simpson, would rather sign <span>Josh Hamilton</span><a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7486862/texas-rangers-co-chairman-favors-keeping-josh-hamilton-signing-prince-fielder"> to a long-term contract extension</a> rather than sign <span>Prince Fielder</span> this offseason and let Hamilton walk after 2012.</p>
<p>If this is what is preventing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> from signing Fielder, then they are making a mistake. </p>
<p>Josh Hamilton is a very, very good baseball player. Nobody is doubting that. There are a few problems when it comes to re-signing Hamilton. First and foremost, he's already on the wrong side of 30 -- and he's injury prone. Hamilton isn't suddenly going to become more durable the longer his career goes on, and his injury proneness is what it is at this point. </p>
<p>Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, he simply isn't going to be worth the money he collects from his next contract.</p>
<p>Hamilton is a very good baseball player as I said before, and he seems like a great guy. He's very easy to root for, and his comeback story is pretty remarkable. </p>
<p>Still, Hamilton is <i>not</i> an 8.5 WAR player like he was in 2010 when he won the American League MVP award. That year, Hamilton's BABIP was an unsustainable .390, and it dropped all the way down to .317 in '11 -- which is about right. In 2011, Hamilton posted a 4.2 WAR, which is much more the ballpark he's in rather than 8.5. </p>
<p>And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Hamilton is a very good baseball player. He is not, however, going to be worth a Jayson Werth-esque contract next offseason, headed into his age 32 season. He simply isn't. Sure, he might put up another ridiculous 7-8 WAR season a year or two into that contract, but over the life of it, he is not going to live up to the monetary expectations. He's going to decline at some point, and he's going to continue to get injured.</p>
<p>Signing Prince Fielder to a long term deal certainly makes more sense -- and that way, you'd get to enjoy 2012 with <i>both</i> Hamilton and Fielder in the same lineup. Fielder turns 28 this year and is entering his prime, and there is no reason to think that he won't be highly productive for the next five or six years. </p>
<p>It's pretty easy to see that signing Fielder rather than giving Hamilton an extension not only gives the Rangers the best chance to return to the World Series in 2012, but it is easily the safer longterm play for Texas.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/21/2723791/rangers-co-chair-prefers-josh-hamilton-prince-fielderJP Starkey2012-01-18T19:51:27-06:002012-01-18T19:51:27-06:00Darvish Deal Pretty Nifty
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<p>The Rangers' final deal with Yu Darvish looks pretty good, and stands as a symbol of where the team is trying to go now and in the future.</p> <p>Were you expecting a pun?</p>
<p>Unless you're a pessimist, Yu Darvish becoming a Texas Ranger has been all but a formality. Questions centered around how much the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> would have to pay him to make it a done deal, and whether or not it would look very good on paper.</p>
<p>It took until nearly the deadline (sorry for your nerves, pessimists), <a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/1/18/2716955/yu-darvish-texas-rangers-contract/in/2374644">but the results are in</a>. The long and short of it is six years reportedly just under $60 million, with awards-based bonuses and an awards-based opt out clause for year six.</p>
<p>Which is awesome. Darvish is a 25 year old who dominated a quality professional league, and was considered by some experts the best pitching talent on the market. The Rangers will be putting "just" $10 million a year towards a talented young pitcher who is likely entering his prime as his career in Arlington begins.</p>
<p>To put expectations to dollars, FanGraphs.com has $10 million as being roughly the going rate for a mediocre player on the free agent market (approximately 2.2 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/library/index.php/misc/war/">Wins Above Replacement</a>, if you will). So while our expectations of what Darvish can produce with his hilarious strikeout rates, awesome ground ball tendencies, and seven ridiculous pitches might be higher than average, average is what it would take for his contract to work out just fine.</p>
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<p>. . . if the market doesn't inflate, which it will. Just over the past six years, the cost of a marginal win on the market has inflated from $3 million to $4.5 million. At that rate, if Darvish is merely solid over the length of the contract, it will have likely been a slight success for the Rangers.</p>
<p>In other words, Darvish can crash and burn and it won't be the worst thing in the world. He could crash and burn, we've seen it happen, but he also has the ceiling to be something special. If he's special, the contract is a steal. If he's anything between, it's just fine.</p>
<p>Of course, there is the little aspect of his $51.7 million posting fee. That could be included in the contract, making it $20 million a year. Now we're talking about him needing to be a Top of the Rotation starter and All-Star-caliber pitcher to make the contract look worthwhile; a replacement for <span>C.J. Wilson</span>, if you feel like going there. The good news is, he might just be, <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers/post/_/id/4876736/projecting-how-yu-darvish-will-do-in-texas">as Richard Durrett shared</a>. At the very top of that article, you can Darvish's projected line in Dan Szymoborski's ZiPS projection system for the next five years (ZiPS also liked one Colby Preston Lewis out of Japan), and it projects him as a little better than the level of a $20 million player on the current market. Four wins above replacement is roughly what it takes to be at an All-Star level come the end of the season, and also about the level of a top of the rotation starter. That ZiPS projection has Darvish ranging from 4.3-4.7 wins a year over the next five. That's just over $20 million of annual value on the free agent market, without even considering inflation again.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/1/18/2716831/yu-darvish-contract-texas-rangers/in/2374644">Oh, and Marc Normandin cites another projection system being even higher on the lad.</a></p>
<p>If Bob Simpson and company opened up spending for the posting fee on top of payroll, however, than that $51.7 is not coming at the expense of other players. Regardless of whether or not we include that fee in our evaluation of the whole signing, the deal done between now and then is nothing short of remarkable for the Rangers, and should have fans excited about how their front office does business.</p>
<p>Darvish could fall short of earning his money, we all know that. Above, you also have good reason to believe he should probably be expected to earn it and then some. Texas went in to the market and, rather than going bananas after the top names to try and make a splash scaring other people in their division, looked for moves that improve them now without mortgaging their future. The same can be seen in the dealings with <span>Prince Fielder</span>: the Rangers may yet be players in his market, but they are unwilling to bend to the demands of Scott Boras to improve a need for 2012. Their sights are set beyond 2012. It is a strategy that has delivered back-to-back pennants while maintaining a strong farm system and future financial flexibility. It is a strategy that might not get the instant gratification some other franchises are looking for right now, but has a much brighter outlook for the future.</p>
<p>Not that you can't be excited about Mr. Darvish right now. Yu never know what heights he could hit right away.</p>
<p>I couldn't resist a whole article. I'm done now, promise.</p>
<p>P.S. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/MikeNapoli25/status/159772125798998016">This is pretty awesome</a>.</p>
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https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/18/2717395/darvish-fits-rangers-plansRobbie Griffin2012-01-18T16:28:47-06:002012-01-18T16:28:47-06:00Yu Darvish To Texas Rangers Finalized, Japanese Pitcher Agrees To Six-Year, $60 Million Contract, Reports Say
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> will hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon to inform the general public that they have signed their man, Yu Darvish, just before the the 4 p.m. CT deadline that was set to sign the star Japanese pitcher.</p>
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<p>The six-year deal is worth approximately $60 million. Deal is done. Darvish a Ranger. - <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/evan_p_grant">@Evan_P_Grant</a> via Twitter</p>
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<p>Also from Grant, <a target="_blank" href="http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/01/yu-darvish-gets-six-year-60-mi.html">the Darvish deal eclipses</a> the previous "posting" record for a Japanese player. <span>Daisuke Matsuzaka</span> received a $52-million six year contract from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> in 2007 after the Red Sox already paid $51.1 million to his Japanese club just to negotiate a deal.</p>
<p>Darvish will be placed into a pitching rotation in desperate need of an ace. With <span>C.J. Wilson</span> leaving for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, Darvish will be fit into the rotation alongside <span>Colby Lewis</span>, <span>Matt Harrison</span>, and <span>Derek Holland</span>. The Rangers will decide in the off-season on whether to keep <span>Neftali Feliz</span> and <span>Alexi Ogando</span> in the bullpen or add them to the rotation as well.</p>
<p><b><i>For more on Matt Harrison and the Texas Rangers check out <a href="http://www.lonestarball.com/">Lone Star Ball</a>. For more news and analysis on the MLB off season head on over to <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/">SB Nation's Major League Baseball Hub</a>. </i></b></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/texas-rangers/2012/1/18/2717070/yu-darvish-texas-rangers-contract-signsEddie Maisonet