2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

He's a very good player, but Good Lord --- $15 million a year for a guy with declining speed and ZERO power when they have a better player (Jurickson Profar) practically ready to take over?

I think the Rangers are among the best-run organizations in baseball, but this is crazy.

I assume this means they're going to move Ian Kinsler ... either to first base or to another team.

 

Never pay for middle infield defense. Not that it's not important, but it is quite fleeting.

 

Agreed. The Phillies really don't have much of a rivalry with the Pirates. Then again, how much rivalry can the Pirates have with anybody after 20 years of suckitude?

The Phillies belong in the East and the Tigers should be in the Central.

 

1) What do you think the Yankees were going to pay Andrus? Because that was about as obvious a destination as can be.

2) Kinsler's signed through 2017.

Got it in my head that Profar may be moved. Don't forget that much of this recent Rangers surge can be traced to the day that Teixeira was traded to Atlanta for, among others, Matt Harrison, Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz.

 

Never thought I'd say "Fuck yeah, Rick Ankiel"

But...Fuck yeah, Rick Ankiel

 

Kinsler, that nifty 0.3 dWAR and .256 BA last year, and that minimum $79M owed are going to be impossible to move without the Rangers eating the majority of that contract.

He's not the first guy to career it, cash in and fall flat, though.

 

Which would be the better bet: 1) Kinsler regressing toward his mean of approx. 0.800 OPS; or 2) his 2012 OPS of 0.749 becoming the norm? Not so sure I'd write him off as having fallen flat just yet.

 

If it's me, I'd let the Yankees (or whomever) have him. Spend that money on pitching, which the Rangers are always going to need to overspend for because of their ballpark.

Andrus has no power. I don't mean limited power, I mean NO power. And that's playing in one of the game's better hitter's parks.

Then again, the Rangers seem to have virtually unlimited resources based on their TV contract. I just think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

 

Bryce Harper homers in his first at-bat.

 

What $226 million buys in the way of an opening-day lineup:

B. Gardner CF
E. Nunez SS
R. Cano 2B
K. Youkilis 1B
V. Wells LF
B. Francisco DH
I. Suzuki RF
J. Nix 3B
F. Cervelli C

Jon Lester no-hitter watch is through one inning.

 

And that shitshow still gets the national broadcast on ESPN.

 

And why wouldn't it? What game is going t get the network bigger ratings?