Disneyball...Day 1. The Big Six Watch
Monitoring the winter meetings, coming to you several times a day all this week. At least that's the plan right now.
Greetings from Disney World...or some place close to it.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has a meeting with his staff this afternoon and then is hoping to meet with some agents this evening.
Thus begins the winter meetings at a resort known as the Swan and Dolphin (yes that's it right there below). Actually haven't made it there yet, just checked into the Caribe Royal which is a nice place if you like pink motif.
Here's the Rangers lineup for the five-day affair, which ends Thursday with the eagerly-anticipated, thrill-a-moment Rule 5 draft. These are the players who have been targeted by the Rangers. Call them the Big Six.
1. Barry Zito. He is No. 1 on owner Tom Hicks' Christmas wish list. The financial benchmark is the five-year, $73 million contract that Roy Oswalt signed with the Astros last year and there's absolutely no doubt that agent Scott Boras will be looking for more than that. He'll also have a complete portfolio ready for anybody who wants to know why Zito deserves more than that. The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets are the main suitors although Boras will have other "unknown" teams lined up as well.
2. Mike Piazza. The Rangers see him as a big bat who can protect Mark Teixeira, possibly a more vital piece than a center fielder. If the Rangers can land Piazza, they may settle for Freddy Guzman or Nelson Cruz in center until guys like Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter hit the free agent market next year.
3. Kenny Lofton. He is the Rangers No. 1 external candidate to play center field. The one thing they've noticed is his team has been in the playoffs ten times in the last 12 years.
4. Vicente Padilla. If they can't get Zito...he's Plan B. They could also get Zito and Padilla, but not much else.
5. Ted Lilly. Some think he's a better bargain than Zito, if you consider four years and $40 million a bargain. The Rangers would rather have Zito. Would you?
6. Miguel Batista. The Rangers like him as a potential third starter because he can also pitch out of the bullpen. That could be a desirable trait once their young pitchers are ready to step into a Major League rotation.
Hi TR,
Thanks for doing this Blog. Is your list meant to mean the Rangers aren't interested in trading for a starter?
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It always seems at the winter meetings that most clubs would rather spend money to fill a need rather than trading players to do the same. But the Rangers traded for Eaton and Padilla last year so they will talk to other teams. They have talked to the White Sox during the off-season, mostly about Jon Garland
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1. I'd sign Zito for around the 5-year/$75 mil mark (make it $76 mil if he wants more than $15 mil/year), knowing that he's not a No. 1 starter anymore. Speaking of which, how many No. 1 starters are there in the majors, anyway? I've never really sat down and tried to figure it out (another question for another time). He's durable, he's great at Arlington, and he's great within the division, and that makes up for not being dominant anymore.
2. Piazza would be huge for the Rangers to sign, because he'd be a great addition for the lineup, and because I'd much rather him sign here than Oakland (if Texas can't outbid Oakland for him, or anyone for that matter, then someone needs to be taken out behind the woodshed and be seriously dealt with). And it doesn't sound like he's going to be terribly expensive either, which would give the Rangers the flexibility to sign. . .
3. Lofton to a one-year deal. Senior leadership like his is hard to come by, and he can still play.
4. I'd rather have Zito, Piazza, and Lofton than Zito and Padilla. The Rangers offense hasn't been what it should or could have been for the past couple of years, so even though the emphasis should still be on improving the pitching, the Rangers need to also improve the offense if at all possible. I'd definitely sign Padilla if Zito signs elsewhere, but I'd much rather have Zito than Padilla.
5. Same for Zito versus Lilly. Lilly is OK, but isn't in the same ballpark as Zito. Zito's been a upper echelon pitcher (he's 39 games over .500 with a 3.55 career ERA and has pitched over 200 innings each of the last four years), whereas Lilly has mostly been a journeyman for much of his career (59-58 record, 4.60 career ERA, and hasn't pitched 200 innings in the last four years).
Again, because of Zito's durability and his record at the Ballpark and within the division, he's the guy to sign.
6. I like Batista. He's never had great stats, but he's got a rubber arm, and I like the point about him being flexible if and when one of the young pitchers finally steps up.
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What does the pursuit of Piazza say about Jason Botts' future with the organization?
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