The Ranger Reporter

You never like when things drag out like this but the Rangers have until 5 pm to sign Yu Darvish.  I think the deal gets done because neither side wants this to go out without a contract and the Rangers definitely need to add a big arm to their mix.  I think tonight we’ll be celebrating a nice deal that the Rangers already are kicking in over $50 million for.

Then we need to focus and bring in Prince Fielder.  I know many people think this is an either/or situation where if Darvish signs, we won’t be getting Fielder but I don’t buy it.  The Angels are much better now and to keep up, we need C.J. Wilson’s replacement as well as another big power bat.

It cost them $57.1 million, but the Rangers won the right to negotiate a contract with Japanese phenom Yu Darvish. That broke the previous posting fee that was put up by the Red Sox to pick up Dice-K.  Darvish seems like the real deal. He’s big, throws hard and he then he has his pitchers.  The Rangers now have until January 18 to work out a deal.

One nice thing is, he’s only 25.  Last season he put up some impressive numbers in Japan.  He went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 232 innings.  He’s had an ERA below 2.00 for five straight seasons (but he’s had just two ERA titles and he’s a two time MVP.  The Rangers have been scouting him for a while and that hard work hopefully paid off because we should have an ace in the making.

The Rangers locked up Joe Nathan to a two year deal and now that the physical is out of the way, we can take a look at the numbers.  He’ll be paid $14.75 million and there’s also a club option for a third year at $9 million.  This is quite a bit for a guy who’s a year removed from missing a season.  In addition, there’s another $1 million in incentives that could come into play.

Last year, Nathan struck out 43 in 44 2/3 innings for a bad Twins team.  He saved 14 and had an ERA of 4.84.  Of course the big news out of this is that Neftali Felix will now become a starter and Nathan will slip into the closer role for the Rangers.

In an expected move, the Rangers offered starting pitcher C.J. Wilson arbitration.  After a 16-7 season, Wilson qualified as a Type A free agent so the Rangers will get two picks before the newer new rules go into effect.

The odds of Wilson coming back look pretty slim and the Rangers are already shuffling to fill the gap left by his departure.  Neftali Feliz is moving to the rotation and he’ll take Wilson’s spot with the signing of Joe Nathan. I like the move and with the team starting to sell Rangers tickets, they need to do everything they can to make the fans feel confident.

Darren Oliver wasn’t offered arbitration but the Rangers still get a pick because of these new rules.  There were four other nonranked players which included Brandon Webb, Michael Gonzalez, Endy Chavez and Matt Treanor.  None of those guys were offered arbitration.

The Rangers shored up their bullpen once again by signing former closer Joe Nathan to a two year deal.  Nathan missed all of 2010 and came back in 2011 and after a rough start, he had a productive season and he eventually slipped back into the closer spot for the Twins.  Nathan will make $14.5 million over two years and there’s a club option for a third year so he’s definitely closer money.

With the move, the Rangers also announced that Neftali Feliz is going to be in the rotation next year.  With C.J. Wilson most likely on his way out, the Rangers needed to fill a spot and Feliz is going to be the guy.  Then again, this is what was supposed to happen last year but it never materialized.

I like the move and Feliz gives the Rangers more value in the rotation.  Nathan used to be a stud and even if he’s taken just one step back it’ll be fine for the pen.  Good moves all the way around.

Well, the 2011 season is in the books and the Rangers missed the boat on this one.  Game seven was somewhat anticlimactic and while they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, that lead was gone by the end of the inning.  By the third the Cardinals had the lead and they never looked back.

Harrison gave up three runs in four innings.  Scott Feldman was also tagged for two runs in 2/3 of an inning.  The six walks didn’t help in this ugly game.

Josh Hamilton and Michael Young both drove in runs in that first inning.  Ian Kinsler went two for three with a walk.

Congrats to the Cardinals.  But man, this one was tough. The good news is, all of the pieces should be there for another run next year.  I plan on getting my Rangers tickets well in advance because they’re going to be one of the hotter tickets out there.

This game was tough.  The Rangers had this one a couple of different times and let the game slip through their fingers.  They had a three run lead in the eighth, a two run lead in the ninth and then a two run lead in the tenth and all of those leads went by the wayside.

Washington was also out managed in this game.  He didn’t set his pen up and it came back to haunt him.  Derek Holland shouldn’t have been pulled and it went downhill from there.

Mike Napoli had another big game.  He went two for three with an RBI and three walks.  Josh Hamilton also came up big and he went three for six with three RBIs and two runs.  Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton all belted home runs in the loss.

So it now goes to a winner take all game seven.  I’m thinking Chris Carpenter throws in the finale on short rest and it’ll be Matt Harrison throwing for the Rangers.  May the best team win.

The Rangers are now just one win away from their World Series ever.  C.J. Wilson got off to a rough start but he settled in and the pen picked him up.  He gave up two runs in the second but fortunately that’s all that the Cardinals got.  Mitch Moreland hit a solo home run in the third to cut the lead in half.  Then in the sixth, Adrian Beltre tied the game up with a solo home run.  Then in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Napoli struck again and he doubled home two runs that proved to be the game winners.

C.J. Wilson gave up the two runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.  Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando, Darren Oliver and Neftali Feliz then all shut out the Cardinals the rest of the way for the win.

Now the scene moves back to St. Louis.  The Rangers are one win away from their first World Series.  Colby Lewis will get the ball in that one.

Derek Holland came up big and the Rangers now head into their final game in Arlington tied 2-2.  Holland pitched into the ninth and he gave up just two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.  Neftali Feliz pitched and got the final two outs to end the game.

Josh Hamilton put the Rangers on the board with an RBI double in the first inning.  Neither team would score again until Mike Napoli hit a three run home run in the sixth inning to make it 4-0.

Game five is tomorrow and man is this one huge.  Chris Carpenter throws on short rest and C.J. Wilson throws for the Cardinals.  I’m not going to say the winner of this game wins the series but it’s going to go a long way.

Okay, I’m going to keep this one short because this one was ugly.  The Rangers threw six pitchers and they all at least gave up a run.  Matt Harrison gave up five and Alexi Ogando gave up four in his worst outing of the post season.

The Rangers did get some runs in this one.  Adrian Beltre had a huge game and he went four for five with two runs and an RBI.  Nelson Cruz hit his seventh home run of the post season and Michael Young belted a solo home run.

The Rangers need to tie this one back up so hopefully tomorrow will be another day.  Derek Holland gets the start tomorrow and Edwin Jackson goes for the Cardinals.