Baseball Prospectus's Kevin Goldstein places six Rangers on his Top 100 Prospects list: Neftali Feliz (6th overall), Justin Smoak (22), Derek Holland (40), Michael Main (66), Engel Beltre (68), and Elvis Andrus (73). No other team had as many.
Andruw Jones's $500,000 base has these added incentives, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Jeff Euston of Cot's Baseball Contracts: $75,000 each for reaching 340 and 380 plate appearances; $125,000 each for 420, 460, 500, and 540 plate appearances; and $175,000 each for 580 and 620 plate appearances; $200,000 for winning Comeback Player of the Year, $100,000 for winning MVP; $50,000 for earning All-Star selection or winning World Series MVP; and $25,000 for winning a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, or LCS MVP. So yeah, if he's the best player in baseball this year, Texas will pay him $1.975 million.
(Unlike the typical situation, in which the Dodgers would get an offset for 100 percent of Jones's pay from the Rangers [including incentives], Jones and Los Angeles agreed at the time of the restructured buyout that the Dodgers would only get half.) Jones can request his release if not on the roster by March 20.
Jason Jennings (according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post as well as Euston): $800,000 if on roster; $100,000 each for 110, 120, and 130 innings pitched; $200,000 each for 140 and 150 innings pitched; $150,000 each for 160, 170, 180, 190, and 200 innings pitched. He can request his release if not on the roster between April 1 and April 25. If released before April 30, due $15,000 in termination pay.
Eddie Guardado: $1 million if on roster; $100,000 each for 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 games pitched; $200,000 for 35 games finished; $300,000 for 40 games finished; $400,000 for 45 games finished; $500,000 for 50 games finished; $600,000 for 55 games finished; there's not a no-trade clause, but Guardado gets a bonus of $500,000 if traded to one of four clubs he designates; $250,000 if traded to an AL East or NL East club; and $100,000 if traded to an AL Central or NL Central club.
Brendan Donnelly: $950,000 if on roster. He can request his release if not on the roster on March 27 and April 27.
By the way, Donnelly was an original Hickory Crawdad, suiting up for the Rangers' new Low A affiliate in the club's inaugural 1993 season (but not pitching due to injury).
First baseman Ben Broussard signed a minor league deal with a non-roster invite from the White Sox, and righthander Jamey Wright got one from Kansas City. Infielder Ryan Roberts has the same arrangement with Arizona, and lefthander Randy Flores with Colorado.
And I missed this somehow: lefthander Bill White landed a non-roster invite from the Cubs in January.
Drew Meyer signed a minor league contract with Houston. No invite.
Not sure where Nate Gold landed, but a Google News search produced this:
打線進化
壹蘋果網絡, Taiwan - Feb 12, 2009
(楊逸民) 面對牛隊今年預期的暴力打線，過去被稱為暴力熊的La New也找來重砲戈登(Nate Gold，見圖)。他出身打擊見長的遊騎兵農場，今年才滿29歲，過去2年在遊騎兵3A共 ...
From that I'm going to guess he has signed to play in Taiwan.
The "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" episode from Keller, Texas, the one in which Kevin Millwood and the Rangers participated, has apparently been pushed on ABC's schedule from tomorrow night until March 1.
Free agent Ben Sheets had successful elbow surgery Tuesday, and he's shooting for a second-half return to a big league mound.
I'd very much like for that mound to be in Arlington. With Sheets wearing a home jersey.
Lefthander Broc Coffman signed with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and infielder-outfielder Wally Backman Jr. signed with the Joliet Jackhammers, both of the independent Northern League.
Coffman and Backman were teammates in Spokane (2005) and in Clinton (2007). Their teammates in 2005 included righthander Doug Mathis and catcher Taylor Teagarden, and in 2007 included righthander Omar Poveda and catcher Manny Pina, two 25-year-old's and two 21-year-old's who probably woke up a little bit ago to report for duty at the complex at Surprise, to embark on a seven-and-a-half-month path that, at least today and for the next six weeks, they might imagine could, if things break right, approach eight months, if not a little more.
One last thing:
Happy Holidays.
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Dallas attorney Jamey Newberg has been commenting on Rangers from the big club down through the entire farm system since 1998.
Scott Lucas was born in Arlington, Texas, to Richard and Becky Lucas. He lived mostly in Arlington before moving to Austin, where he graduated from The University of Texas. Scott works for Austin Valuation Consultants, Ltd., and has published several boring articles about real estate appraisal and environmental contamination. He makes a swell margarita and refuses to run longer than ten kilometres.
Eleanor grew up watching the AAA Mudhens in Toledo, Ohio. A loyal Ranger fan since 1979, she works "behind the scenes" at the Newberg Report.
