Teixeira told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. ''I can't have much issue with a guy I've never even talked to. But I can say this: We haven't won as much as we'd like to in the last few years, so maybe a change was needed. |
[Rod] has really entrenched himself as a quality player and a key contributor to this club. Rod is certainly our starter, he's earned that, and he has a bright future with the club, as does Gerald. ... We signed Rod to a one-year deal but it could be a longer fit than that. |
Absolutely not. Including the Florida trade, at no point were we mentioning Hank's name. I didn't bring it up on any occasion. The Marlins deal was a unique opportunity that we had to consider. |
All I can say is we're still interested. |
As far as the outfield, he can play all three positions. He has some athleticism and he provides some speed, which we don't necessarily have an abundance of. He was once a top prospect. He had that reputation. |
As important as he is to the club on the field, to the organization, to this community, we certainly didn't want to get into an acrimonious setting where effectively we're paying lawyers to tell independent arbitrators how little we think of Mark. We wanted to avoid that. He shared that sentiment with us. It's a mutually beneficial deal. |
Avoiding the arbitration process for the next two years with a core player such as Mark is an important step for both he and the club. We're hopeful the contract is the continuation of a relationship that will last well beyond the term of this agreement. |
Between outfielder and designated hitter, Buck [Showalter] will have different ways to get David in the game. What he did last year and what he means to the club, we'll find a way to get him in there. |
Both are going to continue to get innings as a starter. But we are very cognizant of where they are in their development. We're looking at their long-term future and we're not going to jeopardize that. |
Both guys bring professionalism and energy to our team. |
Both have been very impressive. It's a balance between their development and recognizing they've gone out there and performed. |
Brian will bring a great deal of experience to our staff, including success in the postseason and the American League. Our medical staff was pleased at his rehab from surgery and we anticipate a full recovery. |
Bullpen, I think, is the most unpredictable part of the game, for me. You can build a quality bullpen so many ways. What I want is to slip a few pieces of it in and then bring in a lot of quality arms, then sort it out from there. |
By the nature of his injury, it's going to be tough to get him stretched out as a starter. |
Coco had a good year for us last year. But he had set his own bar so high the year before, that's why some people may have been looking for more. |