A lot has been made, and will be made until the Chuck Greenberg group formally gets the keys to the barn about how much our salary will be. My friend Maury Brown over at bizofbaseball.com posted the latest in his salary series, this time covering the Texas Rangers. I decided to cover that story here too with my own commentary.
Now that Scott Feldman came to terms last night, all of our arbitration eligible players are under contract, continuing a streak the team has in avoiding things like this. Here are the currently under contract players for 2010, and the values of their salaries.

• Michael Young – $16,000,000
• Rich Harden – $6,500,000
• Vladimir Guerrero – $6,500,000
• Ian Kinsler – $4,000,000
• Frank Francisco – $3,265,000
• Josh Hamilton – $3,250,000
• C.J. Wilson – $3,100,000
• Darren Oliver – $3,000,000
• Scott Feldman – $2,425,000
• Colby Lewis – $1,750,000
• Brandon McCarthy – $1,300,000
• Chris Ray – $975,000
• Khalil Greene – $750,000
• Dustin Nippert – $650,000
• Esteban German – $600,000

That’s a total of $54,065,000 for 15 players. 15 players does, of course, not make a full team, so there’s more to come. Six more are insufficient service time players, meaning we can renew them if no agreement is reached. Those guys are:

• David Murphy – $414,820
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia – $410,890
• Brandon Boggs – $408,540
• Nelson Cruz – $408,070
• Chris Davis – $406,620
• Luis Mendoza – $406,210

Those numbers are their 2009 salaries. While their 2010 salaries are unknown, Maury theorizes that giving the players a 6.5% pay increase would make the overall salary demand for these six players a total of $2,614,735.
Add that to the previous total, and the salary is now at $52,614,735. We still have four roster spots to fill, so the actual number will be a bit higher. Actually the “four spots” remark comes from Maury. He uses all these players listed above as players to be on the 25 man roster, and as a Rangers fan, I know they won’t all be. Putting all those names above in “slots”, here’s what I come up with:
C Jarrod Saltamacchia
1B Chris Davis
2B Ian Kinsler
3B Michael Young
SS
LF Josh Hamilton
CF
RF Nelson Cruz
DH Vlad Guerrero
BN David Murphy
BN Khalil Greene
BN Esteban German
BN Brandon Boggs
SP Rich Harden
SP Scott Feldman
SP Colby Lewis
SP Brandon McCarthy
SP Dustin Nippert
CL Frank Francisco
RP CJ Wilson
RP Darren Oliver
RP Chris Ray
RP Luis Mendoza
RP
RP
RP
This shows five “slots”, but.. We know who our starting shortstop will be (Elvis Andrus), and we are expecting Julio Borbon to be the starting centerfielder. Neither of these guys were on Maury’s list. On top of that, there’s no backup catcher in this mix (Teagarden, Ramirez, Toby Hall?) either, so that will bump one of the guys on this list to AAA.
Elvis made $400,000 in 2009, and Julio Borbon has a major league salary too. He signed a 4 year major league deal that started in 2007. 2010 is the final year of that. The total value of that contract is $1.3 Million, but the breakdown of that is unknown to me. A straight breakdown of Borbon’s contract is a $325,000 payment, but I find it hard to believe that would be his 2010 salary, as it’s under minimum.
I also find it unlikely that Brandon Boggs & Esteban German will start the year with the big club, and probably Luis Mendoza, too, so the “holes to fill” is probably larger than that. I know their salary counts towards the total club salary obligations, but I believe Maury’s article talks totally about 25 man opening day roster, not total obligations.
As long as we’re talking about obligations, we do have some dead money on the books this year. Most of it is for actual players playing elsewhere that we owe money to somewhat. They are:

• Kevin Millwood – The Rangers are picking up $3 Million of his 2010 salary in Baltimore.
• Frank Catalanotto – Who just today signed with the Mets, we owe $2 million for a buyout of his contract.
• Vicente Padilla – $1.75 Million for his contract buyout

And then there’s Alex Rodriguez. Lest you think his optout from a couple of years ago removed our obligation to him, think again. All that relieved us from was the money we’d have to send to the Yankees for the opted out years of the contract (of which 2010 would have been the final year had it still be in play). No, there’s a still a messy (and it’s messy to figure out) issue of deferred money.
The best I can figure, we owe Alex Rodriguez $3 Million in 2010 as part of deferred money. I know a lot of the Rangers’ obligation went away when he voided the last year of his original contract (which would have been THIS season), but at the time there was some noise made about us still owing some small amount from the voided years (not the years that had happened in TX & NYY). There is still the deferred money from the original years which we’re on the hook for. The original payout plan for that was for it to not be over until 2025, but in looking at it now, I think that deferred money came due earlier, and I think – but am not 100% positive that 2010 is the last year we have to pay for Arod. It’s confusing, because Texas owed deferred money from the original years of the voided contract. When he was traded to NY, the terms were rejiggered a bit to reduce the load on deferred money TX owes. When the contract was voided, I’m a little unclear as to whether the years we owed deferred money was changed (to us being done in 2010), or if there are two separate piles of deferred money Texas is paying on. I think, but am not sure, that the voided years also had deferred money that were attached to them that are owed, despite the base salary not being owed.
Having said ALL of this, our salary looks to be right about what it was last year on opening day, which was $68,178,798. Maury’s article says our 2010 opening day payroll will be $3.25 million less than 2009, but if you add the dead money for Alex Rodriguez into the mix, it’s pretty much a wash.
We’ll find out before opening day how it all plays out, obviously. But it’s still confusing somewhat. :)

Hopefully this is nothing, but… read this tonight over at Maury Brown’s excellent bizofbaseball site on the Rangers sale.
While I expect this is just one of those legal bumps, one can never quite tell truthfully. I’ve seen so many fans around the metroplex hail what was announced over the weekend as the endgame. A lot of it reminded me of the rather boneheaded move Dubya made some years ago with his “Mission Accomplished” speech. Fans are saying “here comes the money” and doing dances, claiming Ben Sheets is coming right behind this announcement. These seem like the same kind of fans that call in to post game shows and go “when are we getting some pitching in here?” Where’s Steve Busby when you need him?
Anyway, I won’t get truly excited about this until the keys are handed over.

For the majority of Texas Rangers fans, the statement from Hicks Sports Group saying that a sales agreement between HSG and a group of investors headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan was a sign that the end had finally come, new owners were on the way.
But, in a case where Hicks Sports Group debt is still hanging over the heads of the Rangers, there’s a chance that the deal may not meet the muster of HSG’s biggest lender.
One of the final steps in the process includes approval from the 40 creditors that HSG is in debt to before approval from MLB. As reported by Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal, Monarch Alternative Capital, a hedge fund that now owns $100 million of the $525 million of debt that Tom Hicks has incurred may be a deciding factor in the sale. Monarch Alternative Capital is known as a “distressed debt buyer” or in more unflattering terms, a “predator” that looks to “buy debt at a discount from banks that hold defaulted loans and then hopes to make more by selling the assets.”
Because Monarch is in the business of extracting as much of a profit as possible in these types of deals, they could have a considerable say in the matter. As reported by the SBJ:

Monarch saying no to a deal that guarantees it a sure amount of cash could be considered an unlikely scenario, but sources are painting a picture of Monarch as being willing to go to the mat if it thinks it is not getting every penny it should.

It has been reported from multiple sources that the bid from Houston businessman, Jim Crane, was higher than the Greenberg-Ryan bid. It is unknown if Crane would be allowed back into the bidding process, should Monarch Alternative Capital not approve of the deal that the Greenberg-Ryan group has on the table.

Hey gang, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a baseball update – this is my first “real” baseball post of 2010. The last thing I posted was the day that Kevin Millwood was traded, and that was about a month ago. A few things have happened since then, so I’ll have a few thoughts on the stories that have happened since the last time I posted.
I also need to get in gear for spring, as camp starts in about a month (give or take a few days). I need to get my roster pages in shape, finish entering the 2010 schedule into the site, and update the known uniform numbers for my uniform number history pages. Thanks again for visiting, and sticking around. This will be my 12th season since this site started. Still enjoy doing it, although I’ve found it harder and harder to devote time to the site like I’d want to. Second kid has something to do with that. :) Anyway, here goes…
Dec 8 – Pudge to Nationals: In a move that probably surprised everyone except Scott Boras, Pudge made another cash grab and signed with the Washington Nationals for two years and $6 Million dollars. That’s a lot for Pudge in 2010. It’s not like he’s awful, but a lot of that has to be for “Pudge”, not Ivan Rodriguez, current mlb player. I remember saying when we traded for him that you’d better enjoy it as he wasn’t going to be here in 2010. Well, he’s not. This isn’t a total I told you so, because in the days leading up to this signing, I thought we had a shot at bringing him back, especially with the questions around Salty’s health. Then he Boras’ed the salary base for old backup catchers, we had no hope on that one.
Dec 10 – Rangers sign Rich Harden: To replace the departed Kevin Millwood, the Rangers took a flyer on Rich Harden. As it’s been stated, Harden has the potential to be totally stellar. His stuff is incredible, but like a lot of guys, he has issues staying on the field. If somehow we can solve his health problems, this will be a steal for us, as the deal is just for $6.5 Million for 2010. There’s an $11M option for 2011 with a $1M buyout. But that’s less of a concern. If we can get out of him what he’s capable of (and he’s only 28 years old. It could work out incredibly, but it quite equally has major flameout potential. One to keep an eye on, but I like the signing.
Dec 11 – Josh Lewin to return as announcer: Josh’s contract was due to be up I believe on Dec 31st, and he was signed to a one year deal for 2010. Amusingly enough, the press release for this states that there is an “option” for 2011. Does it have a buyout figure? Since when did announcers get “options” like that? One of the big keys to this was the fact that he’d miss fewer games for the Rangers when going away to do Chargers games in September. I can’t recall if there was a specific limit to said missed games or not, but it was something that always bugged me. I’m no Lewin hater (as there are a lot of in DFW), but his shtick has started to grate as the years go on. I can’t see him as an Ernie Harwell, or a Vin Scully, or a Harry Kalas type. The kind that stays in one place for 30 years. My guess is he’ll be gone within a few. I have no facts to back that up, just a “gut feeling”.
Dec 12 – Esteban German signed: The Rangers signed Esteban to a one year, $600,000 contract (if in majors; just $200k if in minors) for 2010. Next.
Dec 19 – Lowell trade dead: After much back and forth, a proposed trade of AAA C Max Ramirez to the Red Sox for Mike Lowell was killed after Lowell was in town, and failed the physical. Granted, the Sox were rumored to be paying $9M of Lowell’s $12M salary for 2010, but it still struck me as “why are we helping them with a salary dump?” Lowell by all accounts is a nice guy, I’m sure the intangible stuff would have been fine, but I couldn’t imagine he’d be THAT big of a deal offensively. I didn’t much care either way about this one, and the trade’s cancellation didn’t bother me.
Dec 21 – Darren Oliver Returns: Again. That makes the third player in the “three time tenured Rangers player club”, which also includes Bill Haselman & Kenny Rogers. The second time Oliver was here wasn’t the greatest of times. He still seemed a bit confused as to whether or not he wanted to be a reliever or a starter. Never seemed to grasp both. However, I seem to recall him starting to put together the relieving career that would serve him well in Anaheim. He’s been well traveled inbetween Rangers stints 2 & 3, having also pitched in Boston (02), Colorado (03), Houston (04), NY Mets (06), and the Angels (07-09). Still, I think most everyone sees this as a good move. Just don’t try using him as a starter again. Side note, if the Rangers make the playoffs in 2010, Darren will turn 40 during that time.
Dec 26 – Guardado to Nationals: In a move I can only comprehend as “veteran bullpen guy to mentor”, Eddie Guardado signed with the Nationals. So much for being run down and wanting to retire.
Dec 31 – Marlon Byrd to Cubs: In a move that probably surprised nobody, Marlon Byrd won’t be a Ranger in 2010. I think both sides really did want him to return, but he was apparently squeezed out in a money play due to the sale of the club. Shame, as he was a fan favorite. I do have to admit that when I heard the news, I had to do a Birdman wave on my sofa one last time. :) While the Cubs didn’t overpay for Byrd nearly the way that Anaheim did for Sarge Jr a couple of years ago, I did see a lot of noise nationally about whether or not Byrd is cut out to be a 162 game type player. He is staying with Rudy Jaramillo, who is also a Cub. I hope he does well there. Just not against my Phillies.
Jan 8 – Salty cleared to play: Salty was cleared to resume baseball activities again. It’s expected he’ll be ready to go once camp starts in a month. If he’s healthy, it will probably help a bit, but I wonder if we’re still going to try and get some veteran help at catcher just in case. His problems throwing last year were awful to watch, I hope his surgery around the end of last season has fixed those problems. Also hopefully Clint Hurdle can work on his swing, as he seemed to have lost his way offensively. Could have also been injuries, who really knows? Just need him to be better than last year for sure.
Jan 10 – Khalil Greene signed: To replace Omar Vizquel, who perplexingly went to the White Sox, the Rangers dipped into the free agent pool and fished out former phenom Khalil Greene. Greene is mostly known for playing for the Padres, where he was touted as the next in line in the Jeter / Garciaparra / Arod line. Maybe not THAT high profile, but he was a big name. Then he flamed out, and ended up with the Cardinals in 2009, where he spent time away from the club with what amounted to “a head case”. It was officially labeled as a “social anxiety disorder”. Uh, what? Not sure what to make of that. Provided his head is right, he should be a good veteran backup.
Jan 11 – Vlad Guerrero signed: Due to the failed trade for Mike Lowell, the Rangers were still after a right handed power bat for the middle of the lineup. Given what was available in the free agent market, he was by far the best fit of the available options. To be honest, if they were after a left handed guy, I wanted them to sign Jack Cust. But it was an RH they needed, so Vlad was the way to go. I’ve liked Vlad for a long time – way before he was really known. For some reason that I can’t recall now, I hooked onto him as a great player back in Montreal. Loved his arm in right, was a total cannon. He could wallop the ball like there was no tomorrow. I loved seeing him play. I’d tune in to Astros games when they played the Expos just so I could see Vlad. Have always liked him. In 2010, he’s not what he was, his legs have broken down, so he’s going to be mostly restricted to DH duties. I’m sure he’ll play more in the field than the two games he played there in 2009. But really, he’s the DH. I’ve never been a big fan of a permanent DH, I prefer using that spot to rotate guys in, give them rests, etc. Still, if you have to have one, might as well have a guy who can hit a ball out of the ballpark after it’s bounced out in front of the plate. This should go well, provided he can stay healthy (where have Ranger fans heard that line before?)
Overall, it’s not been an awful off season, all things considered. We did have some moves to talk about. Given how hamstrung the team could have been given the off season front office dance, I’m generally happy with the moves we’ve made. I don’t think any of them takes us backwards at all. We just need our pitchers to keep improving like they did last year.
The division is far more wide open, as Anaheim has taken some major roster hits (of which we have two), so they’ve come back. Seattle has improved a heck of a lot. I mean they’re seriously better, and Oakland? Well, it’s the usaul Oakland story. So I think the division is winnable for sure. I’m not going to homer it and call the Rangers a favorite, because they’re not. The divison should be much closer than in recent years, and if things break right, yeah, we could win it.
Bring on the games.
P.S. Did I forget anything major in the moves department since Millwood was traded? Someone usually reminds me of that after I’ve posted.

History has a way of repeating itself, doesn’t it?