- OF Carlos Lee & OF Nelson Cruz acquired via trade for OF Kevin Mench, OF Laynce Nix, P Francisco Cordero, & P Julian Cordero [ Link ]
Mench, Cordero, Nix all gone. Carlos Lee is in
Just saw this come across the ESPN website. It’s just happening, so I’ll have more to say later.
Power ball: Lee headed to Rangers
The Brewers are trading Carlos Lee to the Rangers as part of a multi-player deal, ESPN’s Keith Law has learned. Texas also will get Nelson Cruz and a player to be named for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix.
Update: ESPN has a story on it now. Link.
Update #2: It’s now on MLB.com as well. Link.
Update #3: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports weighs in on the trade, calling it one that can “impact both leagues”. Link.
Update #4: Aaron Gleeman from Rotoworld weighs in on the trade, calling the inclusion of Nelson Cruz “the most surprising part of this deal.” Link.
Update #5: Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline has an article with a similar slant to Ken Rosenthal’s. Link.
Update #6: TR Sullivan has a lot more to say in this story on the Rangers site. In it, talks about Cruz as a key to the deal, even so far as to having JD call him “our right fielder for some time”. This same link now has a 10 minute audio interview with TR Sullivan with the guys from MLB Radio, so check that out, too.
You can discuss this subject on this thread on our forums here.
Here’s a few thoughts by me on the outgoing Rangers players (other than the minor league pitcher Julian Cordero, who I don’t know anything about):
Mench: I always liked Kevin, the goofy fun attitude worked for me. However, we all know it never rubbed well with Showalter. Also, Mench developed into a rather streaky hitter, with more trips on the slump side than the hot side. Probably fell out of favor due to a combination of both of those.
Nix: Even moreso than Mench. Definitely tried hard enough, but always seemed to not get much above the Mendoza line when he had a chance to grasp the CF job. Could really power a home run. Nix was the only guy I ever recall (besides Carlos Delgado) who hit a home run to right field that went OVER section 251 (last in upper home run porch) and into the walkway back there.
Cordero: We all know what happened to him and his closer’s job. Looks like Otsuka is set now, we’ll probably sign him to at least 2007, I would imagine. Cordero was the final link to the big Juan Gonzalez Tigers trade some years ago. All the players from that are out of the system now.
As far Carlos Lee, he’s (in my opinion) a more reliable stick than any of the current outfield options we have at the moment, so that will be an upgrade. He’s only under contract for 2006, he had an $8.5 Million 2006 option excersized by the Brewers in the last offseason, so he can be a free agent after this year. Be curious to see if we try and keep him especially if we try and make a run at Vernon Wells in the offseason. I also don’t know much about the other inbound player, Nelson Cruz, so I don’t have anything to add there, either.
Anyone know if Lee will be in uniform tonight in Texas?
As I said in one of the updates, TR Sullivan has some good stuff to say. Read this article over at the Rangers site. This article also says that Josh Rupe is being called up to take Cordero’s empty roster spot, but how the actual bullpen jobs break down is as of yet unknown. This same link now has a 10 minute audio interview with TR Sullivan with the guys from MLB Radio, so check that out, too.
G102: Rangers swept by Yankees, 8-7
You know, two seasons ago, Ryan Drese was busted on live TV making a gesture at a cameraman. Remember that? That’s what I feel right now about the Yankees.
Harold Reynolds out at Baseball Tonight
This has apparently just been announced, and I don’t see any other stories that give any details as to why. I’m sure that will come out soon enough.
However, I will have to say, I’ll miss his sparring with John Kruk – those were some of the most entertaining moments of the show for me. :)
UPDATE 7/26: After reading around a bit this morning, it would appear that something behind the scenes went on. One article I read states that ESPN policy says the only three things you can be fired for on the spot are 1)Fighting with co-workers; 2) Transmitting Internet pornography; 3)Sexual harassment. Some other ESPN baseball folks who have had “issues” recently are Michael Irvin & Rick Sutcliffe. These guys had a drug paraphenelia (sp?) and on air alcohol issue, and weren’t fired, just suspended, so Reynolds’ issue was probably one of the three above, or something else more severe.
I did peek at Baseball Tonight last night, and it was just John Kruk & Karl Ravech with Tim Kurkjian (sp?) on the phone. No mention of Reynolds, although I would have been surprised if there was, tell you the truth.
However, according to this link from a site that deals with “ESPN Dirt”, it would appear it’s the sexual harrassment thing. However, it’s all rumour as if you read this link, someone denies the sexual angle, and then someone says “yes”, so we won’t REALLY know unless ESPN or Reynolds themselves say. And even then one has to wonder if they’d tell the full story.
UPDATE #2: Reynolds said something publically. According to this article, he claims he merely gave a woman a hug and it was misinterpreted. So that seems to cobborate the sex angle of the story. Of course he’s gonna spin it to suit himself – I doubt if it was “merely a hug” he would have been fired for it.
G101: Rangers lose to Yankees, 7-4
As is my policy on games we lose to the Yankees, I will not write about this one.
Except this. I was at this game. It was hot. It was fairly entertaining booing A-rod. :)
Eaton activated
- P Adam Eaton activated from 60 day DL
- P Bryan Corey designated for assignment. [ Link ]
G100: Rangers lose to Yankees, 6-2
Game just ended. In keeping up with my personal policy on Yankee games, I will not write about it. Except this. Tex’s home run went further than 420 feet.
G99: Rangers shut out AGAIN
The Rangers have now been shut out for the fifth time in the month of July alone! We lost the series finale to the White Sox, 5-0.
Jon Garland went 8 plus innings, giving up just 6 hits. He also irritated his manager when he wouldn’t intentionally hit Ian Kinsler – Ozzie Guillen needs to chill the hell out regarding hitting people. Yeah, everyone knows it’s done, but stfu already, dude.
Anyway, Vicente Padilla only actually gave up one earned run in his 7 innings pitched. There were three more unearned runs. Don’t ever like giving up that many runs.
Starting to get a little concerned that we’ve now been shut out this many times in one month.
G98: Rangers take Saturday’s game against White Sox, 3-1
John Koronka started this game, and after the first inning I don’t think many people would have thought he would have gone as deep as he did (6 innings). Koronka threw something like 35 pitches in the first inning. He walked the bases full, but escaped with no runs scored. I don’t remember how many pitches he threw in the second, but it was a lot there too. Koronka ended up throwing 100 pitches in all, and gave up just three hits and one run in all. Not a bad outing given how I thought it was going to be at the start.
Our bullpen was quite good too – four guys going three innings, and giving up just two hits and no runs. That’s just 5 hits total to the World Champs.
On the other side, we only had one more hit than Chicago did. Freddy Garcia pitched a great game too, going 7 innings, giving up just 4 hits and one run. In fact, it was tied 1-1 going into the ninth.
Ozzie Guillen sent out his closer to presumably keep us off the board, so they could win in the bottom of the ninth. Didn’t work out that way, as we loaded the bases up, and then came All Star Game MVP Mike Young – he got one of his usual base hits to right scoring two, and giving us the win.
Otsuka got the save, and the Rangers took the series in Chicago, so let’s see if I can break out the sweep graphic for the first time in awhile tomorrow.
G97: Rangers pound Buehrle & White Sox, 10-3
The big bats came out in Chicago tonight, the Rangers apparently showing no ill effects of their tri city tour yesterday.
The bats came alive again, putting the Rangers into double digit runs for the first time since the first game after the All-Star break. It was defintely powered by the longball. We bashed four of them, two off of starter Mark Buehrle, who we beat up on again. Buehrle actually went seven innings, but gave up 5 earned runs. Chicago trotted out three relivers after Buherle, all of which gave up runs, too.
Texas sent out five pitchers of their own. John Wasdin started the game, but was pulled after just 3.2 innings, only having given up 2 runs, which I felt was kind of odd. Following Wasdin was Ron Mahay, who was credited with the win. Wes Littleton, CJ Wilson, & Rick Bauer all followed – they combined for just one run allowed (Littleton).
But again, this was the game of the home run. Mike Young, Mark Teixeira, & Brad Wilkerson hit three, but the best one was Kevin Mench. He had a three run home run which at the time put us up 9-3. This was Kevin’s first home run since early June.
Nice way to get my regular updating started up again. :)
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