The Rangers have called up right-hander Yerry Rodriguez to the majors for the first time. The 24-year-old will take the roster spot of left-hander Matt Moore, who was placed on the paternity list.
Even if it’s only for a cup of coffee in the majors while Moore is away, Rodriguez is now on pace to make his MLB debut. He has been a member of the Rangers’ 40-man roster since the 2020-21 offseason, and the former international signing is in his sixth season of pro ball.
MLB Pipeline ranks Rodriguez as the 24th-best prospect in the Texas farm system, citing his ” deceptive delivery with a flat approach angle and the athleticism to repeat it consistently.” His fastball and changeup both received 55 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale, though Pipeline’s scouting report notes that since Rodriguez moved to mostly full-time bullpen work this season, he has used his changeup less often than a slider, with shaky results.
Over 42 2/3 innings at Triple-A this year, Rodriguez has a 4.43 ERA and a 28.6% strikeout rate. The righty has been able to consistently generate strikeouts on his way up the minor league ladder, but his control has suddenly become an issue, with his walk rate spiking to 13.6% this year. That problem will surely have to be corrected if Rodriguez is going to be part of the conversation for a bullpen role in 2023, but the Texas coaching staff will get an opportunity for a first-hand look at the youngster in the coming days.
So the Rangers are once again living proof that a fool and his money are soon parted. Just because you have a ton of money doesn’t mean you should throw it around building a real life fantasy team. after spending like a billion dollars they’re really no closer to the Astros than they were last year. So all the fools begging Ricketts to spend a ton of cash just because he can, take note. That Semian contract might soon become way worse than the Jason Heyward contract IMO. The Astros must be loving that they have 2 clueless owners in their division like Texas and LA.
They weren’t supposed to contend this year. People don’t seem to understand that. The goal was always 2023-2024.
I laugh every time I hear a Ranger fan who believes they will contend next year. Have you not been paying attention to the last six seasons?
Did you not pay attention to last off-season? They’re making moves to contend. Educate yourself before you comment please.
Those moves been just terrific. If things go well, those might just get them to 10th place in the AL! Start making the trophies.
The Rangers increased their payroll from 95 million in 2021, to 145 million in 2022, and are still 12 games under .500
They continually make bad decisions, and hire incompetent people. There is a reason they’ve had a losing record for six years running. Some teams spend much less, like Tampa and Oakland, and manage to contend most years. It’s not a money issue. It’s poor management.
Anybody who can’t see this after six years is an imbecile.
We’ve got many top prospects making huge strides. Evan carter, Dustin Harris, Jung is almost ready, etc. it’s not all about money. They’ve still got room to spend of free agents while adding from the minors as well. They just hired Chris young recently btw. Hasn’t had much time to work his magic. Although I’d say he already has somewhat.
Like what Noah said. I don’t understand when people say teams should spend money in the offseason when teams are bad but then get upset when they don’t compete the first year. They weren’t supposed to compete. This team has a top farm system and yes I understand not all prospects work out but they have multiple guys that have some promise. They didn’t have any major commitments beyond 2022 before last offseason. Semien has been good outside of the first month and a half of the year. The contract in the end may be eh but Seager has done well offensively so no real issues with that contract. Think the biggest frustration has been the lack of development on the pitching side and they plan to address that in the offseason.
They did overpay Seager. I don’t know who they thought they were bidding against but no one was offering that much for him. Could have gotten Correa for cheaper and similar production
Yeah, I usually see some fan of another team stumble into a Rangers post and start saying silly things like that. anyone who watches the Rangers knows the schedule is definitely to compete in 23-24.
I watch plenty of the Rangers and I can say without being silly that it’s been 10 years since a playoff series win, 6 years since any sort of relevancy, a colossal turd of a minor league system that sees guys completely wash out (remind me how Leiter and Winn are doing). between AA and AAA. It’s year 17 of the same franchise management team that’s produced way more losers than winners. The owners are afraid of cameras and microphones and the major league coaching staff consists of guys no legitimate franchise would have ever hired.
The franchise last good position player it produced was Joey Gallo almost a decade ago and the last front line pitcher it produced was CJ Wilson almost 2 decades ago. The ownership group has never spent more than $160m and they are already pushing $100m on this turd that that will struggle to win 70 games and finish 20 games behind the second place team in the division.
Leiter is being rushed. AA having never plahed pro ball.. 3-8 5.56 ERA
Winn 8-3 5.65 ERA
Yeah well Chris my point wasn’t really what the Rangers do or don’t do. My point was really that, I looked at what the Rangers spent and how much it actually helped and I don’t really care what you say, They aren’t any more likely to contend in 25 than now. It was that it was a waste of money as if the Dodgers wanted Seager he’d still be there, he’s a rich walking injury. And Semien had a career year much like Heyward did and found an idiot to throw a bunch of money at him. It was also meant to educate people around as to how pointless it is to just throw money at a problem and hope it works. Just like the dumb Cub fans think if they sign a SS for 200 million plus it’s going to make us instant contenders. have a plan and stick with it always works out better.
I mean that is kind of my own point. If you watched much of the Rangers you would know that after a slow start Semien is not the problem with the team, He’s about to be a 20-20 player I think for the first time in his career. I’m not a big JD defender but he didn’t lie on this one, they said they were bringing in guys with the expectation to contend in 23-24, not this year.
Semien basically found his way to Toronto and benefited from their stud lineup and was getting pitched to like never before. Now that he’s in a normal lineup he’s having a normal season but he’s richer. He’s not the problem, but for what he’s being paid for a non premium position, He isn’t the answer either. Never has been with the Sox or A’s and won’t be in Texas either. Just my opinion, They were both wastes of a lot of cash.
Depends man, they are both productive players that are worth building around. My own opinion is that it is tough to talk a good player to come to a 100 loss team. It doesn’t shock me that they had to outbid everyone else to get those guys. Seager is still the best OPS out of any of thsoe free agents from last year. I think Bogarts and Turner are better and that’s it as far as shortstops go. I’m not sure Rangers fans are too bummed by that deal
Try 28-29, maybe
Haha dud you could draft an entirely new team and develop them by 28-29. If you have that kind of a crystal ball you should be picking stocks
I suspect he could draft and develop a new team by ‘28 and ‘29. I also know who can’t do that: The Texas Rangers.
I’m hoping by then the owners have wised up and fired JD. He’s clearly the problem.
Well the dumb Cubs fans keep clamoring for Ricketts to throw big money at a FA SS. When Hoerner is having a better year than any of them Personally, The only one I would even PLAY over Nico is Turner, But I suspect that since the Dodgers let Seager walk, They’ll be all in on keeping Turner so to me it’s a moot point anyway. Good luck with Seager though, Because I doubt that the Rangers will ever be able to deal that contract. Beware the Heyward!
I love Joey Gallo to death but your argument just became irrelevant with that statement
You understand not all prospects workout, and have been frustrated with the lack of development on the pitching side, but expect them to compete next year?
The Rangers’ goal is to spend just enough money to get to 75 or 80 wins. At that level, they can milk the season along to get to a point on the calendar when football season starts. Once that happens, North Texas completely tunes out the bumbling Rangers for 6 months. There’s no real urgency by management for playoff successes or to build a long term contender. The push is to overpay on a few veterans and draw in baseball tourists in Spring and early Summer and do just enough to fade into invisibility in the Fall without becoming a glaring failure. That strategy even occasionally worked before the Astros and Mariners modernized operations. Now that there are two teams in the division that are interested in competing long-term, the Rangers will settle in and just be the Rockies of the AL. Ownership will make nice bank off of the ballpark and the baseball tourists, management has jobs in perpetuity and North Texans and local media are perfectly fine with it. It’s a market where there’s a high tolerance for bad baseball and no year-to-year expectations.
You’re trolling for the Astros on quicksand, bubba. The Astros are cheaters and always will be.
It’s a little pathetic deflecting off being a 50 year loser by focusing more on another team’s cheating, Bubba.
Is that what this guy’s deal is? I see him on Rangers articles all the time but I can’t recall ever seeing a productive post. It’s always just trolly things.
Fantastic use of a comma before the word ‘bubba/Bubba’, guys. Grammatically correct trolling is the best trolling.
He’s tired of losing. Most Ranger fans are. It’s time for change in the organization.
Meh, I think most Rangers fans are just happy to see improvement and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The team is clearly better this year and the org is in a better position than a few years ago, that was pretty rough. Still not sure why Kip fagg has a job but at least I like the draft choices a little better.
You continually bring up Kip Fagg. Who do you think hired him? Who do you think continues to keep him employed? Last year it was the owners fault. How about Chris Woodward? Maybe it’s his fault? Who hired him?
Light at the end of the tunnel? I’m Laughing Hard Over Here. Thank You.
A pitcher in the Texas system that host lost their control in the upper levels?? I’m shocked!
As for the goal being a contender in 2023 ….maybe mix in a season above 70 wins and actually finishing less than 20 games behind the second place team in your division before you talk about being a contender.
Next up for the Rangers: a massive overpay for Carlos Rodon & Martin Perez.
Also another Jung injury, a managerial change that brings in another guy who no one knows or respects, a move back of the goal posts of contending by another year and rushing Leiter to AAA (despite him not having a clue at AA).
I’m a Ranger fan and have been most of my life but I gotta agree with these guys criticizing. U can tout semien and seager all u want. Seagers got a career high in homeruns, he’s also got a career low in obp and avg. Seager and semien lead the majors in homerruns by middle infield, there also batting a combined .240.that semien contract was ridiculous. 25m yr for 7yrs for age 31-38 season and he’s hitting .240 and 20/20 and u think that’s gonna age well? Well we had to overpay bc we were very bottom of the league. Well that’s why when u do a rebuild, u establish a core to build around BEFORE u hand out 500m in free agency. Like I said I love my rangers but I’m not gonna blindly justify their mismanagement. U can be a fan and still be objectionable
Exactly this.
Haha a career low for Seager at .812 is saying something! He won’t be the first major free agent to sign with a team and take a bit to settle in. The reality is that he is out hitting that entire free agent class at his position. I’m sorry man I am just not going to be unhappy about that signing until Seager gives me a reason to be.
As for Semien, I actually agree the back two years of that contract are probably going to suck, but I also don’t know what it took to get him. If we had offered 5 years than he is probably still a Blue Jay, that signing is probably a tough one.
Yes you can be a fan and be critical of the FO. But if you constantly ignore the positive strides of a struggling team because you just want to blast the management, then you are kind of a lousy fan and pretty hard to be around. Can you imagine how histerical it would be around here if the FO had spent zero dollars and we were watching IKF take 500 ABs again? I choose to be happy. Lots of young guys who are fun to watch, and Seager is going to come pretty close to 40 bombs this year.
You’re always full of excuses. Losing is losing. There are many baseball men who could’ve taken the money Texas spent last offseason and built a .500 team. Woodward will probably take most of the blame. He undoubtedly deserves some of it. Most of the blame belongs on Daniels. He will skate, again. Since clearly you are a fan of JD, let me ask you a question. How many consecutive losing seasons would it take for you to realize he’s terrible at his job? 10? 20? 30?
Another way to ask it is this: how would an 11 year postseason win drought and 6 straight losing seasons play in New York, Boston, St Louis, San Francisco, Dodgerland, Toronto? Daniels and his boys would have been rightfully run out out of those towns long ago. The Rangers’ ridiculously bad history, 50 years of low to no expectations combined with a terrified, lazy ownership group have created an atmosphere where a baseball hack like Jon Daniels can basically get a lifetime contract.
Obp not ops.and I’m not disgusted with seager as much as semien. And I am happy they’re spending and trying to become competitive, but my concern is how high will ownership let payroll get? Obviously, u can’t spend 500m every year, and all the kids that are only making 600k, are gonna be are eligible within in next 2-5 yrs. And we really need a 1 and 2 pitcher. So say they go get 2 guys for 2yrs/30m OK now use got 4 guys making 110m and kids who’s salaries are doubling and tripling or more. Good way to get ur payroll spiraling out of control and owners demanding another rebuild.remember that’s how we got in the mess we were in from 17-21. Paying too much for andrus, odor, Choo, taking on princes contract. Do u think this ownership group takes payroll to 200m, bc that’s what it’ll take to field a competitive team if u sing25-30m each on 3-4 guys? I don’t think they will. Like I said fan since 88, but I choose to at least try to be objective and look at big pitcher
Keep in mind Martin Perez is making 4 million, and will be a free agent. He’ll need a raise to at least 12 million? Maybe 15?
Yep. And Matt Moore is gonna need a raise or replacement. And I think brock aroldis and Burke is arb eligible this year and getting a raise
And there it is. The money has been spent. Maybe they’ll develop pitching?
I don’t know how old u r or how long u been a fan, but do u remember back when Tom hicks was owner and decided he was gonna spend like Yankees. He brought Juan Gonzalez and Raffy back, and signed Chan ho park, John rocker, Carl Everett, hideki irabu and others. In on ridiculous contracts? They still sucked and couldn’t spend anymore so they started deferring money and trading ppl eating their contracts. Were paying 50m year for Teixeira and around to play in NY. Wound up bankrupting the team, wound up selling and didn’t even get anything out of it bc sale price was less than the debts owed by the team. I’m not wanting to see that again
I think we are about the same age. I’ve been a Ranger fan as long as you have. I do remember that. I’m not a fan of foolish spending. This team was ran so poorly for the years prior to 2022, they felt they had to spend big on a couple of “Superstars” to sell tickets. That money could have been spent on more players, and better balance.
I also remember never expecting the Rangers to be competitive, and always looking forward to seeing the young players called up at the end of the season. I feel that way now. Hopefully the front office changes their ways, or ownership changes them.