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ramfandan wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:16 pm Enjoyed readying your post !

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:25 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Why do they want WillyCon a 1b, if Ortiz is ready and they need to shed salary?

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:29 pm

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:25 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Why do they want WillyCon a 1b, if Ortiz is ready and they need to shed salary?

Because Willson is a better player and is major league proven. The Rangers are wanting to go places this season.

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:29 pm

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:25 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Why do they want WillyCon a 1b, if Ortiz is ready and they need to shed salary?

Because Willson is a better player and is major league proven. The Rangers are wanting to go places this season.

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 20:37 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:29 pm

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:25 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Why do they want WillyCon a 1b, if Ortiz is ready and they need to shed salary?

Because Willson is a better player and is major league proven. The Rangers are wanting to go places this season.

Ortiz is not a star and never will be. He is the Rangers #18 prospect. Think a left handed Blaze Jordan. He is a potential bridge in the event that Contreras and Burleson are both traded. Ortiz did hit 25 HR and 25 doubles at AAA (he also had one triple- the OF must have broken his leg), but that is his only real plus. His BTV is 1. He runs like Pedro Pages. That's why the Rangers might want Contreras rather than handing to long-term job to Ortiz.

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025 01:08 am

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 20:37 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:29 pm

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:25 pm

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Why do they want WillyCon a 1b, if Ortiz is ready and they need to shed salary?

Because Willson is a better player and is major league proven. The Rangers are wanting to go places this season.

Ortiz is not a star and never will be. He is the Rangers #18 prospect. Think a left handed Blaze Jordan. He is a potential bridge in the event that Contreras and Burleson are both traded. Ortiz did hit 25 HR and 25 doubles at AAA (he also had one triple- the OF must have broken his leg), but that is his only real plus. His BTV is 1. He runs like Pedro Pages. That's why the Rangers might want Contreras rather than handing to long-term job to Ortiz.

I don't understand what we are getting from this trade? You list Henderson, Pallante, Romero - we are or aren't trading them?

Rosario? Whats the play there? He had a pretty bad ERA at Univ of Miami - 6.47. He's 6-1 so not tall or short. at 22 he was older that average at A level for most of last season. Not exactly a fast riser? And now he won't pitch for two straight years? No thanks. Our IL is full.

Ortiz sounds like a AAAA player if the Rangers don't want to promote him. And 18 yo middle IF rarely excite me unless their name is Holliday. Too far away. So Why pay Willson Contreras $10M to not play for us when BDW isn't going to reinvest the rest of the money and hasn't reinvested the money saved from Goldy, Mikolas, Fedde, Gray, Edman - unless I was a Rangers fan (which I was in the days of Nolan Ryan), then I'd take the deal.

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025 15:12 pm The Rangers are trying to re-load their roster this winter while cutting payroll. While the Rangers are looking to reduce their overall payroll, they have a lot of money coming off the books, so they do have some room to work. Chris Young is about as competitive a GM as there is, and so I look for him to make moves.

The Rangers absolutely have to have a catcher. (Pages or Crooks) The production they got from 1B was abysmal- like, awful. (Contreras or Burleson) They need starting pitching depth and to re-build their bullpen. (Pallante, Hansen, Henderson, Romero)

Would this work?

Rangers get Willson Contreras, 10M cash, and Pete Hansen
This gives the Rangers the RH 1B they badly need at a cost of 13M, 13.5M, and 5M option plus a LHP at AAA. They currently only have 1 top 20 prospect above AA.

Cardinals get Alejandro Rosario (RHP, AA), Abimelec Ortiz (1B/OF, AAA), and Yolfran Castillo (SS/3B, A)
This gives the Cardinals a 23 year-old potential top of the rotation pitcher (albeit, won't pitch in 2026), a 1B/OF bat with some pop, probably MLB ready, and an 18 year-old athletic SS/3B that could be a trade chip later. The Cards also don't risk losing Pete Hansen if they can trade him before the Rule 5 draft.

If they don't want Contreras, or he won't go to Texas, you could get to about the same trade value by putting Pages in his place without any money involved.

Hoosier59 wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025 09:07 am The Rangers would make some sense, the Cardinals have dealt with them a lot recently. I would be more interested though with some of their AA pitchers. Davalillo, Labus, Bratt, or Lopez. Any of those guys look promising.