Rangers ink top picks

Will. i. Lamb

No waiting around until August for the Texas Rangers' top picks.

I guess it's a perk of picking so late in the first round. And also picking guys most weren't going to take in the first around.

The Rangers signed first rounder Kevin Matthews for $936K and compensatory pick Zach Cone for $873K.

The Rangers have signed 17 of their 51 picks. This comes a day after signing second rounder Will Lamb. The Rangers have, obviously, signed their top three picks and six of their top 11.

Matthews is going to Arizona. Cone is going to Spokane. I assume Lamb will go there too.

Minor Threat 4.0: The MLB Draft

Bar Rafaeli

The somewhat weekly look at the Texas Rangers farm system is being bumped for a look at the Rangers' 2010 draft class, considering the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft is June 6-8. And a girl.
Before this year's draft, consider this: The Rangers wound up signing Texas A&M's Barret Loux after he was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks last September due to health issues (sounds like there was a lot more going on if you read into it). He became a free agent.

Remember, Loux was the No. 6 overall pick in the draft. Maybe he's damaged goods, but he's also a supreme talent coming out of college and a top 10 overall pick. It was as if the Rangers drafted Loux, Jake Skole, Kellin Deglan, Luke Jackson and Mike Olt in the first/compensatory rounds last year. Hell of a pick-up.

Here's a look at where some of the 2010 Ranger's class is today. The Rangers wound up inking 33 of 53 picks; however, I do not know how many are still actually with the club.

1. Jake Skole
OF - Hickory Crawdads
The 19-year-old is not hitting particularly well (.244), but he does have his days. He also has a decent walk rate, which has boosted his on-base percentage (.346). He's shown very little power and strikes out a lot (more than one per game). We'll see.

1. Kellin Deglan
C - Hickory Crawdads
I have read nothing on Deglan, so I don't know why he's played in just 30 games (injury, instruction). Oddly, he's still hit five doubles and driven in 18 runs, which seems like a lot for guy who has barely played (incidentally, both are more than Skole, who has 70 more at-bats and 16 more games).

CA. Luke Jackson
SP - Hickory Crawdads
Semi-surprised to see the kid (19) at Low-A Hickory this early in the year. He's made three starts and the stats don't look good, but he hasn't been nearly that bad for a guy making his professional debut.

CA. Mike Olt
3B - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Absolutely nothing to hate here. Already considered a guy who will be an everyday third baseman in the bigs. He hits for power (nine home runs, 12 doubles), hits for decent average (.287) and walks a shitload (.401 OBP). Quite literally, you could not have made a more decent pick here.

2. Cody Buckel
RP - Hickory Crawdads
Posts a 26:6 K/BB ratio and a 2.45 ERA mostly as a reliever and starting three games.

4. Justin Grimm
SP - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Just got a bump to High-A after posting a 3:1 K/BB ratio and a 3.40 ERA in Hickory. A possible fast riser after going to Georgia and having quite the build already (6-3, 175).

9. Zach Osborne
RP - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Also got a bump this season already. Allowed a meager .176 BAA and 18 strikeouts to two walks in Low-A. At Myrtle Beach, he's had two bad outings accounting for all eight runs allowed. In the other nine innings: 0 runs, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts. At 6-5, he's a big arm.

10. Jared Hoying
OF - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
After ripping Low-A Spokane to bits last season (.325, 28 extra-base hits, 51 RBI) he got the call to High-A this year and was an early pick to click for me. The strikeouts are still a huge issue, although he's walking more. The power is still there (five homers, eight doubles). Still a lot to like, just not at the pace I thought.

12. Josh Richmond
OF - Hickory Crawdads
I mention Richmond because he looks like Edgar Winter and he's hitting a mild .256 with 15 doubles and five home runs. He has 45 total hits, 21 are for extra bases.

15. Ryan Rodebaugh
RP - Hickory Crawdads
Guess who won't be in Low-A much longer. Rodebaugh's been brilliant out of the bullpen. The lefty has posted a .186 BAA and he's struck out 34 in 29 innings.

16. Ryan Strausborger
OF - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Leads the Pelicans in runs, hits, doubles and stolen bases. Hitting .290 to boot. On the same team as Mike Olt.

21. Joe Van Meter
RP - Hickory Crawdads
Hoping he makes it to the Majors with "heater."

41. Colby Killian
RP - Hickory Crawdads
Notable because he's giving you quality relief innings from a very late pick. Posts a strikeout per frame and also totes a 2:1 groundball/flyout ratio.

A November Rangers roster move update

A real Loux point

The Texas Rangers pulled a bold stroke yesterday evening signing the Arizona Diamondbacks' former first-round draft pick, Barret Loux, the Texas A&M great.

Loux was taken as the sixth overall in the 2010 draft, but the Diamondbacks didn't sign him due to apparent major shoulder and elbow issues after failing a physical.

Loux is 21. He's a big guy: 6-5, 220. He was great at Texas A&M. From what I remember of the so-called "scouting reports" he was a polished college pitcher -- a guy with already good control of a mid-90s fastball and a good change up. He could be a fast riser.

But, if his arm falls off, what does it matter? Loux was smart enough to go back to Texas A&M in the interim to finish his degree and he threw on the side to the interest of a few teams.

This is what Jon Daniel do. Low investment for a potential high reward. Not unlike Tanner Scheppers, who fell mightily due to injury issues and is now on the brink of the Majors.

****
The Rangers added outfielder Engel Beltre, starters Miguel De Los Santos and Wilmer Font and reliever Fabio Castillo to the 40-man roster.

Also, they gave minor-league deals to catcher Kevin Cash, infielder Esteban German and outfield Doug Deeds, who is apparently going to town.