Marlon Byrd signs
The Rangers have signed free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd, who hit .223 for the Washington Nationals last season. He is a career .263 hitter, mostly for the Philadelphia Phillies. More details to come on this center field candidate.
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
Hey, great, a .223 hitter last year. He’ll fit in nicely into our punchless Black Hole-of-a-hitting outfield. Actually, he’ll probably excel at that batting average. If he can steal 40+ bases, bunt for hits and to move runners over, and catch and throw, MAYBE he might be barely adequate. I’m NOT holding my breath. Actually I have never heard of him or know much about him, but that gaudy .223 really caught my eye.
He’s a right handed hitter that could compliment Kenny Lofton well if the Rangers are able to sign him. Even if Lofton signs elswhere, Byrd is still a more experienced alternative to Nelson Cruz or Freddy Guzman in center.
Marlon Byrd is not an answer to any question. There is still a lot business to be done this year, ie: Zito, CF, and right handed bat between Tex and Blalock. And lets not forget about going after Wells or Hunter next year. That cost will be huge so lets consider an alternative that helps us this year. Why not see what Clev would take for G. Sizemore (.290/28/76). He is under contract till 2011: 750k in 2007; 3M in 2008; 4.6M in 2009; etc. Would Wilkeson and one young gun do it? By not spending big bucks in 2008 for Wells this should prepare us to re-sign Tex and Mike in 2009. As for now who is fallback when Zito signs with Mets? Lieber? you are joking.
Cleveland JUST signed Sizemore to that deal. I don’t see them moving him. But I like the way you think.
In all honesty, though, if we bring in Zito or happen to find another pitcher who helps us make a playoff run this season, our profits will be up enough that Hicks will increase the payroll, and we can sign Wells or Hunter as well as Tex and Mike. We still have cash to spend, but if we aren’t spending it on Zito, let’s just not spend it unless it’s on Mike and Tex.
Before GMJ got to Texas, he was a .241 career hitter and never had a year like Byrd had in 2003. Maybe Rudy can work his magic again.
With all due respect to kenrisner, there is no way that Cleveland is going to part with Grady Sizemore (he’s Cleveland’s Michael Young). You’d have to trade half the Rangers to get him (Peter Gammons thought he was one of the two best players in the AL last year; look in his archive on ESPN.com from after the season on to find where he wrote that), and if Cleveland even thought of trading him, every female Indian fan would boycott Cleveland’s games until they backed off (he’s an matinee idol hunk that gets a few “Will you marry me” signs in the outfield during every home game). So the Rangers are going to have to look elsewhere for a centerfielder.
With the trade winds circling Vernon Wells, I think it’s pretty evident that he’s either going to get traded to a place where he will get signed to a big deal, or will be out of the Ranger’s financial league if he does hit the market next off-season. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Rangers are probably going to end up with Torii Hunter rather than Wells, because he’s older and he won’t break the bank to sign.
I have no firm reason why I think this, but I think the Rangers will be OK even if Zito signs elsewhere (and I think he probably will). The way the market is going (slowly), I think that JD already has an offer or three or four working as contigencies in case he does go to the Mets or Yankees. He’s just sitting on them because of the slow pace of this year’s market. It probably won’t be a blockbuster, but I think there is a decent veteran starter or two still in the Ranger’s future.
A question for T.R.: Which one of the the top four or five young starters (DVD, Hurley, Masset)has the best trade value/least relative loss to the organization? Who would you least like to lose?
Just looked at the free agent class after next season. Here are the main guys, with what their age will be on Opening Day, 2008.
1. John Smoltz (41)
2. Michael Young (31)
3. Carlos Zambrano (27)
4. Joe Nathan (33)
5. Mariano Rivera (38)
6. Chris Carpenter (33)
7. Jorge Posada (36)
8. Curt Schilling (41)
9. Bobby Abreu (34)
10. Ichiro Suzuki (34)
11. Andruw Jones (31)
12. Carlos Guillen (32)
13. Jeff Kent (40)
14. Mike Lowell (34)
15. Vernon Wells (29)
16. Jason Jennings (29)
17. Jake Westbrook (30)
18. Ivan Rodriguez (36)
19. Trevor Hoffman (40)
20. Freddy Garcia (32)
21. Kenny Rogers (43)
22. Torii Hunter (32)
23. Jason Isringhausen (35)
24. Omar Vizquel (41)
25. Marcus Giles (30)
26. Eric Byrnes (32)
27. Paul Lo Duca (36)
28. Bob Wickman (39)
29. Corey Patterson (28)
30. Adam Dunn (28)
31. Randy Johnson (44)
32. Scott Linebrink (31)
33. Doug Davis (32)
34. Michael Barrett (31)
35. Milton Bradley (30)
36. Jon Lieber (38)
37. David Eckstein (33)
38. Aaron Rowand (30)
39. Juan Uribe (29)
40. Bartolo Colon (35)
If I’m not mistaken, I think Carpenter just signed an extension. But there are a few other guys on that list that I’d love to bring here, assuming we can’t land Zito.
Jake Westbrook, Jason Jennings, Freddy Garcia top my list. Hopefully we won’t need any of those guys though, because our rotation will already be complete!
I’m sure Cleveland is chomping at the bit to pull the trigger on a Wilkerson/Danks for Sizemore trade. Hilarious.
Good point about GMJ by viperscoach. I don’t recall many people doing handstands about GMJ when the Rangers signed him either. Every team signs guys like Byrd every year; sometimes they work out (GMJ, Mark DeRosa)and sometimes they don’t, but they don’t cost much money, and they’re worth taking a risk on.
A lot of negativity about Byrd but if you will look at what he did before last year he’s not so bad. Remember we have a secret weapon…Rudy J…he’ll bring him back to .300. If you want to back him up train Arias for out there. If you don”t use him this year he’s just trade bait and he’s too good for that. I’ll go one for “Cheap Tom” on this one if he’ll sign us a number 1 pitcher…which seems like a lot to ask considering his history.
OH, WOW!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE WE SIGNED ZITO!!!
what? It’s Marlon Byrd? oh. ok.
I might conclude from viperscoach that Rudy will perhaps be able to turn Mr. Marlon Byrd into “something”…I guess with Rudy’s pedigree and track record of turning around the DeRosa’s and GMJ’s, that that is something I really hadn’t given much thought to. Maybe Mr. Marlon Byrd won’t be a Brad Wilkerson after all. (gulp!) Please let’s dump Brad Wilkerson now, before I get all stressed-out all over again when watching him walk to the plate, knowing he’ll either take strike three looking or whiff. That’s not a sore shoulder, that’s lack of either talent, eye or patience. I suspect it’s all three. Maybe we could get someone of value for this Alfonso Soriano-trade bust. Go Marlon, Go! We’re gonna need you. Maybe a diamond in the rough, with Rudy’s help.
Come on Rudy do your stuff!!! we need Byrd to fly :) well at least hit at .300+
oh and the yankies just signed Pettitte so they will be out of the Zito bidding now I would think .. one less means the Rangers don’t have to fight a big paying team .. another + for the Rangers ..
I really like this signing. It may turn out to be nothing, but GMJ is the first thing I thought about when I saw that we picked up Byrd….only Byrd is younger. This is a low-risk signing that just may turn into gold with the help of Judy J.
I really like the Byrd signing. I don’t trust Wilkerson. Hopefully he had a productive offseason and will come to play and return to his all-star ways but I’m not counting on it. Matthews Jr. was our projected 4th outfielder as early as the beginning of last year. Nix was supposed to be our CF. Now I hear that we’ll **** without Matthews and I don’t buy it. Byrd was good not that long ago and is young enough to turn it around. He’ll come to town as a 4th or 5th OF now with the Lofton signing so he’ll have no pressure of a the highly touted prospect. And he’ll have plenty of time to correct whatever flaws Rudy will find in his swing. Low risk High reward it can’t hurt us that bad but could turn into gold….if we sign Zito we could have a very good team top to bottom, Yes we won’t scare as many looking at the lineup card but we’ll have as good of rotation as we’ve had in awhile and our bats will come along. You gotta like the table setting that Lofton will bring….