News, not particularly big news, was made Tuesday by the Texas Rangers, who avoided arbitration with outfielder Ryan Rua on a one-year deal with $870,000.
They also signed catcher Mike Ohlman to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Rua is one of four arbitration-eligible Rangers this season, along with infielder Jurickson Profar and relievers Keone Kela and Jake Diekman. General manager Jon Daniels has never been taken to an arbitration hearing, and the club hasn't gone to a hearing since beating Lee Stevens in 1999.
This isn't the kind of news that Rangers fans really want, no offense to Rua and Ohlman. Signing Yu Darvish would be news. Lorenzo Cain, too. But, based on what Daniels has said this offseason, expect more of the Rua- and Ohlman-type transactions the rest of the way.
Yippee.
Here's some Rangers Reaction to, well, not much.
1. Darvish remains a free agent, along with so many others who were expected to fly off the board. Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, J.D. Martinez, Jonathan Lucroy, Eric Hosmer, Cain, etc., etc.
And, according a baseball source, the Rangers are one of five teams Darvish is considering, along with the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins. The Astros might be out after reportedly landing right-hander Gerrit Cole.
If all things were equal, Darvish would sign with the Rangers. He loves the area and loved his time with them. Of course, not all things are equal, so including them is likely just wishful thinking on his part.
Because, as has been stated often, the Rangers aren't going to be in on the big free agents. This isn't an all-in season for them, as they again wait for their farm system to mature while gambling on lower-end free agents who could hit.
There is also the possibility that the Rangers are holding back this winter in anticipation of going crazy next offseason, which could be flooded with the game's best players. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw, Josh Donaldson and Charlie Blackmon, to name a few, can be free agents if they don't first sign extensions or decide to not opt out of their current contracts.
Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Cole Hamels could join them.
That class, though, is a little short on starting pitching past Kershaw. Hamels, Drew Pomeranz and David Price can be free agents, but are they better, or significantly better, than Darvish, Arrieta or Cobb?
Guess what? The Rangers are going to need starters once again.
Doug Fister and Matt Moore can be free agents, and the Rangers can make Hamels a free agent by paying him a $6 million buyout rather than exercising a $20 million club option. The Rangers also hold club option on Martin Perez.
There are no guarantees that any free agent a year from now would sign with the Rangers. Darvish would be all but a guarantee if the Rangers would pony up some money. They could, and with another starting shortfall facing them a year from now, they should.
That might just be wishful thinking, though.
