: Texas Rangers

Rangers keep truckin' into spring training

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:54 CST

By Drew Davison

ARLINGTON -- Back in 1977, Richard "Hoggy" Price remembers driving a 24-foot U-Haul truck filled with baseballs and bats and anything else the Texas Rangers might need during their spring training trip to Pompano Beach, Fla. Times have changed, though.

The Rangers now use an 18-wheeler, and Price, the Rangers' equipment manager, and his crew spent nearly two hours Tuesday morning packing up for spring training.

The truck is expected to arrive at the team's complex in Surprise, Ariz., on Friday, five days before pitchers and catchers have to report. The full squad reports on Feb. 25 with the first full workout on Feb. 26.

Among the items on the truck are 100 cases of baseballs, 200 helmets, 20 cases of sunflower seeds and 50 cases of coffee.

Price said the team loads up on grocery-type items like seeds, coffee and Powerade in Texas because they like "to deal with our own local sponsors here and then take it all west.

"And there's no place that the cooking tastes best other than home," Price said.

As far as baseballs, the 100 cases breaks down to 1,800 dozen -- 1,000 dozen regular baseballs and 800 dozen practice balls. In all, that's 21,600 baseballs or $115,275 worth. When spring training is over, the team will come back with about 100 dozen.

"Depends how many are given away, and how many are hit out," Price said.

Why doesn't the team have the balls simply shipped to Arizona?

Well, Price said, bullpen catcher Josh Frasier and students from a Rockwall school have a "rubbing party," where they rub the baseballs with mud to make them easier to grip.

The truck doesn't carry bats, but two dozen bats for every player is shipped directly to Surprise. Twenty-four bats seem like more than enough for each player, although one player is likely to need more than that.

Price said Josh Hamilton will run through his allotment before Opening Day because of broken bats or ones thrown into the stands.

David Murphy, on the other hand, feels two dozen bats will last him a while.

"That should take me through the first half of the season," Murphy said.

With two daughters and a son, however, Murphy is bringing along a few more toys himself.

"I know we've packed a dollhouse," Murphy said, smiling. "I'm not sure what else because my wife packed the bins."

Briefly

Outfielder said he's ready for spring training. He leaves for Arizona on Saturday, and will have a chance to become the starting center fielder. "That's what I want to be," Gentry said. "I feel I got a really solid chance to be an everyday player. I've always been that guy just scratching to maybe make the team, so I'm excited about this year."

David Murphy is focused on improving three things offensively: putting more weight on his back foot; being shorter with his swing, especially on outside pitches; and doing a better job of going to the opposite field.

Drew Davison, 817-390-7760

Twitter: @drewdavison

Ortiz gets one-year deal with Red Sox; Cespedes to join A's

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:35 CST

David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox avoided salary arbitration by agreeing Monday to a one-year contract worth $14,575,000.

The deal for the slugging designated hitter was midway between the $16.5 million he asked for last month and the $12.65 million submitted by the Red Sox, which matched his 2011 earnings.

Ortiz became a free agent after the season then passed up a chance to go elsewhere when he accepted Boston's arbitration offer on Dec. 7.

He hit .309 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs last year.

A's, Cespedes agree

After a winter of rebuilding, the Oakland Athletics were the surprise winner for Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes and the A's agreed to a $36 million, four-year contract.

Agent Adam Katz confirmed the slugging outfielder had reached agreement on a deal, with details still to be finalized.

Cespedes will earn $6.5 million this year, $8.5 million in 2013 and $10.5 million in each of the final two seasons. He can become a free agent at the end of the contract, which is the highest for a Cuban defector.

His deal tops Jose Contreras' $32 million, four-year contract with the Yankees before the 2003 season.

Burnett to Pirates?

A person familiar with the discussions told the AP that the New York Yankees and Pirates are making progress toward a trade that would send much-maligned pitcher A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh would pay at least $10 million of the $33 million Burnett is owed in the final two seasons of his $82.5 million, five-year contract, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.

The exact amount of money involved in the trade depends on the quality of the prospects the Yankees would receive, the person said.

Rangers likely through with signings this off-season

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:17 CST

By Jeff Wilson

Fifty-eight players, it turns out, are enough, or at least they're going to have to be.

Even if the Texas Rangers wanted to add one of the remaining free agents on the market, they don't have the money to do so because their transactions since November have burst the budget.

General manager Jon Daniels said on Sunday that the Rangers are unlikely to bring any more than 58 players on the roster to spring training, barring a trade or a minor-league deal with an invitation to Surprise, Ariz.

There might also some flexibility if a free agent is willing to be creative with a deal, but players such as Roy Oswalt and Michael Gonzalez will likely have to look to another team.

"As far as any flexibility, we don't have any right now," Daniels said. "You never want to shut the door. There's a level of interest in [Oswalt and Gonzalez], but as far as a fit and payroll-wise, it's not as easy as otherwise."

The Rangers' payroll climbed Sunday when they signed Mike Napoli to a one-year deal worth $9.4 million and avoided an arbitration hearing again.

The additions of Yu Darvish and Joe Nathan, and the raises players received through the arbitration process will push the payroll toward a club-record $120 million after being around $94 million in 2011.

The previous single-season payroll mark was $105.7 million in 2002.

While the Rangers might be done spending for 2012, Daniels said that work will continue on long-term extensions for players approaching free agency.

"We've had varying discussions with a few different guys," Daniels said. "There are those where we have more common ground than others. Now that the better part of the off-season is behind us, we'll take a closer look at those in spring training."

Josh Hamilton is not among those players, said Daniels.

The sides have agreed to focus on Hamilton's health and his family's well-being after he had a relapse with alcohol Jan. 30.

Napoli, though, likely is in the group after a breakthrough 2011 season. Daniels said that Napoli is still feeling some pain in his left ankle, which was severely sprained in Game 6 of the World Series.

The Rangers aren't yet too concerned about Napoli's health.

"He's still feeling it," Daniels said. "It was a pretty severe sprain. Once he gets into his conditioning and gets into spring training, our guys will get their arms around it.

"He has been seen multiple times here in Arlington by Dr. [Keith] Meister, and we feel comfortable with his progress."

Jeff Wilson, 817-390-7760

Mariners get early start for spring training, unveil Japanese pitcher

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:17 CST

Spring training is officially under way with Seattle's pitchers and catchers holding their first workout.

The center of attention for the brief Sunday morning session under a bright blue sky at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz., was the team's newest import from Japan.

Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma did a small amount of running and a little defensive work. He will throw off the mound for the first time today.

"It felt really easy," he said through an interpreter, "because in Japan we spend like two hours for the warmup in Japan. We have a lot of stuff to do, even the fundamentals."

The Mariners and Iwakuma agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract last month, plus a little over $3 million in incentives. He joins a franchise already popular in Japan because of the presence of that country's superstar, Ichiro Suzuki.

Seattle started spring training a week ahead of other teams because it will open its season early, on March 28 in Japan against Oakland. The Athletics chose not to begin spring training early. Their first workout at their facility in Phoenix is scheduled for next Sunday.

Some 30 Japanese reporters and photographers chronicled every move by the 6-foot-3, 180-pound pitcher as he jogged lightly, then fielded some balls off the mound.

"The game's really changed," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "It really is an international game and you are combing the international waters. You're not crossing anybody off. Obviously we have strong ties with Japan and Ichiro's led the way with that."