Over-Thinking Things

On Thursday morning, longtime Rangers blogger Jamey Newberg provided an interesting 20 Things type of post titled "Truth," an entry I encourage everyone to read. 

In it, he talks about Shin-Soo Choo and how Texas misses Michael Young (for some reason), among other things, but what caught my eye most were his feelings about how the Rangers may choose to handle their offseason vis a vis their rotation situation. 

From his article (emphasis mine):

7. I’m looking forward to Draft Day this coming June, and not just at the top. The Rangers’ second-round pick (assuming they don’t forfeit it with a free agent signing) will be around where their first-round position has been slotted the last few years.

15. The Rangers have said lately that they would like to add a starting pitcher somewhere between the 2 and 4 slots, and that a trade is more likely than a free agent signing (like Max Scherzer).

As Ranger fans, we're spoiled by the coverage we have. There's Newberg, Adam Morris at LSB, Joey Matches (formerly of BBTiA), and in the past Jason Cole and Jason Parks, who now both have skin in MLB as scouts. You could put that roster against any team in the game and feel pretty damn good about your chances. 

But Jamey is a particularly interesting case, because although he's just a fan -- like me or you -- it's not well-known that he's also on the Texas Rangers payroll (unlike me or you). How deep his roots grow within the organization is up for debate, but it would be a mistake to treat his words in the same vein you would any other blog, even if you have to read between the lines from time to time. 

In August of 2010, Newberg wrote an uncharacteristically scathing piece about Joaquin Arias a night after he cost Cliff Lee a win, and a week later Arias was designated for assignment. Arias wasn't a prize by any stretch, but there's an angle to consider when Jamey lays into a player on the blog of his favorite team, especially considering his juice in the organization. 

So, when I read that "assuming they don't forfeit [their 2nd round pick] with a free agent signing," it leads me to think he knows something I don't. And it would make sense if that was the case, because, well, he's Jamey Newberg and I'm just little ol' Eric Reining.

Still, it's a curious thing to consider. Any of Max Scherzer, Jon Lester or James Shields would slot in quite comfortably behind Yu Darvish -- and in front of Derek Holland -- in what would be a powerhouse of a 2015 rotation. Further, it wouldn't cost the Rangers what could very likely be the #1 overall pick in next year's draft; it would only be a second round selection that could arguably be deemed superfluous, given the Rangers currently have a booming farm system that should rank in the top-3 in baseball next season. 

I'm not saying what Jamey wrote doesn't make sense, but it read very casually. Too casually, one would think. For someone who's been beating the drum now for months that Max Scherzer would be perfect for the Rangers, I think it's awfully premature to abandon that notion, unless of course I had knowledge of what was really going on. 

I'm sure this is coming off like some awkward conspiracy theory jargon, but Jamey Newberg is a smart man with a smart, sometimes subtle blog. 

Maybe I just need to go to bed.