休賽季Rangers概況-投手篇 - 美國職棒

再過幾天就自由市場開市囉~~
簡單翻譯traderumor網站針對遊騎兵分析的文章
還有整理目前球員的合約狀況
雖然2017是有點失望的球季
但相信2018還是能挑戰季後賽的

因為文章有點長，先簡單翻譯個投手的部分

More than half of the Rangers’ Opening Day roster struggled through some form
of injury or unforeseen downturn in performance in 2017. Yu Darvish posted so
lid but unspectacular numbers for much of the first half, while Cole Hamels wa
s sidelined more than two months with an oblique issue (to say nothing of his
curiously evaporating strikeout rate).Jonathan Lucroy‘s power was nowhere to
be found, and Rougned Odor batted .204 with a ghastly .252 OBP in the first se
ason of a six-year contract extension that now looks questionable. The Rangers
also lost Adrian Beltre and Carlos Gomez for prolonged stretches due to injur
y. The bullpen was an unmitigated disaster.

超過一半的遊騎兵開季名單的球員受到不可預期的低潮和傷兵影響。先發投手上像是達比
修有穩定但是不到頂尖的上半季，及Hamels超過兩個月的傷勢QQ。捕手Lucroy消失的炮瓦
，剛簽新約的Odor極低的上壘率和打擊率。甚至還有Beltre以及Gomez困擾長久的傷勢還
有災難般的牛棚問題(WBC回不來的Dyson...)


And yet, the Rangers clung to hope in the Wild Card race for much of the seaso
n, riding a breakout season from Elvis Andrus, a 41-homer campaign for Joey Ga
llo and quality results from Andrew Cashner for much of the season.

然而我們一直保有外卡希望，有著突破性表現的Andrus，還有Gallo 41轟的展現，以及Ca
shner不錯的表現，維持整年的競爭力。


The Rangers’ foundation began showing some cracks — a particularly troubling
development in Arlington considering the fact that the cross-state-rival Astr
os’ own young core elevated its game to a new level. The simultaneous nature
of the Rangers’ decline and the Astros’ ascension has put Texas behind the e
ight ball as it looks to get back into contention in 2018 and beyond. While th
ere have been many Rangers fans suggesting that the team needs to retool, if n
ot all-out rebuild, GM Jon Daniels has been blunt in stating that his team isn
ot rebuilding. So then, where do the Rangers turn to right the ship?

今年對遊騎兵的發展是讓人失望的，尤其同州的對手太空人年輕選手展露實力。而2018年
遊騎兵的競爭力卻是較讓人擔心的，不少球迷建議Daniels是否需要retool了，但Daniels
相信我們還不是要重建，那接下來Rangers該怎麼做呢?


The most pressing need is on the pitching staff — specifically in the rotatio
n. Hamels will return to lead the 2018 rotation but has just one guaranteed ye
ar remaining on his deal and looked more like a back-of-the-rotation arm than
his usual self in 2017. His 6.4 K/9 rate was easily a career low, and his 9.7
percent swinging-strike rate was two points lower than his previous career-wor
st mark. He’ll be joined by Martin Perez, whose $6MM club option is a no-brai
ner even if his production looked like that of a fifth starter (4.82 ERA, 5.6
K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 47.3 percent ground-ball rate in 185 innings).

首要之務，當然是輪值方面了。最後一年保證合約的Hamels(有2019選擇權)失去了他王牌
的身手(原文寫像後段輪值QAQ)，K/9值跟讓打者的揮空率都是生涯新低。而目前的第二號
先發，是Perez，球隊無疑的會執行他的合約，但他也只繳出後段先發的成績。


Beyond that pair, the Rangers’ options are … uninspiring, to say the least.
Cashner and trade acquisition Miguel Gonzalez are free agents, leaving the Ran
gers with Nick Martinez, A.J. Griffin,Clayton Blackburn and prospect Mendez's
2018 options. (Former first-round pick Chi Chi Gonzalez's recovering from Tomm
y John surgery and may not be ready early in the season.) If the Rangers have
any hope of contending, they’ll need to add at least one more established arm
to the mix, and quite possibly two.

由於Cashner跟Miguel Gonzalez成為自由球員，目前2018年的選擇是Martinez, Griffin,
Blackburn及潛力新秀Mendez(希望他能站穩)(Chi Chi他因為TJ手術，應該趕不上開季)。
如果我要維持競爭力，補上一到兩個有實力的投手是必要的。


A pursuit of a Darvish reunion, to some extent, could conceivably be explored.
The decision to trade him was a reluctant one from Daniels and his staff, and
Hamels’ potential departure after the 2018 season leaves the team with virtua
lly no certainty in the rotation after next year. However, the Rangers didn’t
extend him when they had the chance, and the team’s financial outlook is ung
ainly enough that it seems like a genuine long shot that Darvish will be re-si
gned.

找回Darvish是可想像的選擇，當初制服組對於交易他也不是容易的決定。而2018後Hamel
s也不一定會繼續待在隊上，2019的輪值有著不確定性。球隊沒有試著提早續約達比修有
，而球隊的財政狀況似乎不一定能讓達比修有回來(?，這裡不確定最後一句的意思)。


Texas has a significant amount of money on the books through 2020 thanks large
ly to Shin-Soo Choo’s albatross deal, and Daniels has suggested that the payr
oll will step back a bit from this past year’s Opening Day mark of $165MM —p
erhaps in the $155MM range, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.They
’ll be off the hook for some of Prince Fielder‘s salary after reaching an ag
reement with the insurers of his contract, and the club currently projects to
about a $118MM payroll including Fielder and some non-tender/trade candidates.
A backloaded Darvish deal shouldn’t be entirely written off as a possibility
, but it’s tough to align Daniels’ stated desire to scale back payroll with
a five- or six-year free-agent deal for Darvish that could check in with an an
nual value in the $23-26MM range.

Choo在2020後到期的合約，加上小王子保險公司負擔部分金額，讓球隊其實還有機會給達
爾一個5~6年的長約，估計合約平均每年會是2300~2600萬元(Daniels說明年薪資會比今年
165million少個10million)

The Rangers will also be prominently linked to Japanese star Otani, though the
y’ll face competition from 29 other teams if and when he’s posted. Daniels a
cknowledged that the Rangers would be one of many in the mix if Otani becomes
available this winter — a reality that looks less likely with the new
revelation that the posting system agreement between MLB and NPB has expired—
but reports have connected Texas to the young right-hander/slugger much more
prominently over the summer. Speculating on any sort of “favorite”to land Ot
ani seems futile right now, especially since his earning power is capped by ML
B’s international signing guidelines, but Texas will be involved.

遊騎兵也有可能簽下Otani，但需要面臨其他29隊的競爭，但球隊一直都是積極爭取Otani
的球隊(不過現在MLB跟NPB之間的協議會是個變數，到底Otani會不會挑戰大聯盟呢~~?)


If not Darvish or Otani, the Rangers will have the money to invest elsewhere.
Signing a big-ticket arm such as Jake Arrieta will present the same long-term
payroll complications as Darvish. Second-tier names like Lance Lynn and Alex C
obb will be available but will very likely come with draft compensation attach
ed, as each is a strong qualifying offer candidate. Texas could also look at m
ore affordable overseas options, with Mikolas and Wakui each eyeing MLB jobs a
fter strong showings in Japan. Mikolas, in particular, has been
loosely linked to Texas (where he last pitched before going to the NPB).

如果沒有簽下達比修有或大谷，市場最大尾的當然是A塔囉，不過他要負擔的合約跟達爾
差不多。接著的選擇，包刮Lynn跟Cobb，但他們很可能會被提合格報價，有可能會有選秀
權的損失。遊騎兵也能考慮其他日本的選擇，像是Mikolas(旅日前就是在遊騎兵)，以及
涌井秀章。


It’s a similar, albeit not quite as grave situation in the bullpen. Lefties A
lex Claudio and Jake Diekman will be back in 2018, as will righties Keone Kela
and Matt Bush(though Bush will be coming off shoulder surgery and has been su
ggested as a potential rotation candidate). Hard-throwing Jose Leclerc as an o
ption after averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings in 45 2/3 frames t
his year, but he also averaged a jaw-dropping 7.9 walks per nine.Austin Bibens
-Dirkx,Ricardo Rodriguez and Nick Gardewine are all on the 40-man as well, but
none impressed much as a big league reliever.

牛棚方面，Claudio跟Diekman兩大左手牛2018都會在隊上，還有出右投Kela跟Bush(而Bus
h剛動完刀，而且有可能會去先發，希望不要~)Leclerc每9局平均12K的表現也是牛棚的選
擇。其他40人名單還有ABD, R-Rod以及Gardewire但都沒在大聯盟有一定實績。


With no clear ninth-inning solution, Texas could conceivably take a run at a t
op-tier closer like Wade Davis or Greg Holland. But, again, with numerous need
s up and down the roster — we’re not even to the position players yet — it
seems likelier that Daniels & Co. will pursue quality assets in the second and
third tier of the market.Brandon Morrow,Addison Reed and Mike Minor will prob
ably have the most buzz on the second tier, while other options coming off str
ong seasons include Pat Neshek,Anthony Swarzak and old friend Tommy Hunter.

沒有顯著的終結者候選人，遊騎兵當然有可能選擇第一層級的終結者像是Davis或Holland
。但Daniels應該只會選擇更次層級的牛棚像是Morrow, Reed, Mibor或是Neshek, Swarza
k或老朋友Tommy Hunter。


以下是目前球員的合約資訊
Guaranteed Contracts-

1. Elvis Andrus, SS: $73MM through 2022 (can opt out of remaining four years,
$58MM after 2018 season)
2. Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH: $62MM through 2020
3. Rougned Odor, 2B: $48.5MM through 2022
4. Cole Hamels, LHP: $28.5MM through 2018 (includes $6MM buyout of $20MM optio
n for 2019)
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B: $18MM through 2018

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLB
TR contributor Matt Swartz)-

1.Jake Diekman?(5.050) – $2.8MM
2.A.J. Griffin?(5.034) – $3.0MM
3.Jurickson Profar?(3.161) – $1.1MM
4.Keone Kela?(2.168) – $1.2MM
5.Nick Martinez?(2.149) – $2.0MM
6.Ryan Rua?(2.126) – $900K

Non-tender candidates:
Griffin, Martinez

Option Decisions

1.Mike Napoli, 1B: $11MM club option with $2.5MM buyout; team has reportedly i
nformed Napoli the option will be declined.
2.Martin Perez, LHP: $6MM club option with a $2.45MM buyout
3.Tony Barnette, RHP: $4MM club option with a $250K buyout

Free Agents

1.Carlos Gomez
2.Andrew Cashner
3.Mike Napoli
4.Miguel Gonzalez
5.Jason Grilli

打者篇預計明後天貼上~
希望投手方面，球隊能補個2個先發(至少一個前段的)，有達爾回來當然更好，牛棚的話
也能補個兩隻(包刮一位有當過CP的選手)。






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