I had posted this earlier, but for some reason it didn't take, so here it is again.
On The Block – Jason Bay
Recent talk out of Pittsburgh has the Pirates potentially trading the face of their franchise, Jason Bay, in order to help replensish a impoverished farm system. Bay is regarded to be the best moveable part not starting in the rotaiton right now, as he's due $13.25 million the next two seasons.
Bay for the most part has accepted the fact, though he'd like to stay with the Pirates and help turn things around.
The Why: I've just said the why just now, but pretty much because the Pirates feel they have options, he's cheap and it wouldn't hurt to see what potential package you could get in return.
The Rumored Asking Price: The papers have people predicting a Bartolo Colon/Mark Teixeira deal. That won’t happen. More likely, an average pitching prospect and a positional player prospect will get it done, though a third guy could be included. Who knows?
Can A Trade Be Done: Yes. Bay doesn’t have a no-trade clause and with the market for outfield corners looking rather shallow at the moment, Bay would fetch a couple of decent prospects, should a GM have expendable prospects he’d be willing to deal.
The Good: Bay is coming off of an off year, but he'#### for power and has good speed on the basepaths. His plate discipline is reasonably good and he's regarded to be a solid defender in left field. He's also regarded to be a good clubhouse guy and would be a solid complimentry piece (not a star) to add to your lineup.
Potential Hang-ups:
Performance In 2007: Are you buying on the pre-2007 Bay or the 2007 version of Bay? He's a gamble, but it's got to be asked what you're getting here.
Health - Bay has also undergone some health issues this past year and you have to wonder if they'll creep back up again.
Stupid Asking Prices - The Pirates have asked for absolutely stupid packages in the past for their players and have either been burned or shot down completely, the most recent of which was their offer for Jack Wilson (3B Troy Glaus) from the Jays, although, looking back, maybe the Jays should have taken it.
Potential Suitors – In Alphabetical Order
San Francisco Giants – San Fran is going to need an outfielder and Bay could fit the bill. The Giants could concievably decide to package Noah Lowry along with someone else, perhaps Nate Scherholtz, in order to get a deal done.
Philadelphia Phillies – This could be done if the Phillies feel that they could have a deal for Pat Burrell, which could be done if they were to involve the next team bellow. They could flip Burrell to the White Sox, provided he waives his no trade, and gain Bay, who is cheaper, and potentially Joe Crede, who would be a solid fit at third base, strengthening the lineup and making it a bit more fiscally flexible if they want to add anything else during the off-season.
Chicago White Sox – Or, the White Sox could flip Bay for Crede and change and bypass the Phillies altogether, though the Pirates and White Sox would need to come up with a fit. Perhaps Bay and Zach Duke for Crede and Lance Broadway?
Texas Rangers – This is an interesting fit, from a non-homer perspective. .Texas needs a left fielder and could use someone young to build around like Bay. It would allow the Rangers to use Frank Cattalonotto at first base, limiting his defensive limitations and allow Texas to field a potential outfield of Bay, Centerfielder to Be Named Later, and David Murphy with Marlon Byrd as the utility outfielder. The Rangers could trade for Bay, including Joaquin Arias, who could still be useful to the Pirates in the future, along with a couple of interesting arms in Robinson Tejeda, who could still be an effective starter and would be able to work in the pen for a bit to get his confidence up, and Gerald Laird, who needs to get the hell out of Texas and has experience to handle a staff. If the Pirates want to sub, I'd give them the option of adding Luis Mendoza, who has become an effective groundball pitcher with some promise. This could be overpaying a bit, but I'd be willing to give it a shot.
New York Mets – The Mets are another organization that could potentially go after Bay, as they are in need of a left fielder. However, it would almost certainly involve one of their talented young outfielders, likely Carlos Gomez, who needs another year, and a pitching prospect, likely Mike Pelfrey, who the Mets are quickly souring on.
Minnesota Twins – Bucco Blog reported that the Twins may have some interest, with Matt Garza being mentioned in return. I don't think it would be Garza, but another prospect, Kevin Slowley perhps, would be close enough to a deal. The Twins in the past haven't been willing to make a trade, especially when it comes to their small horde of pitching prospects, but I would pull the trigger here, especially since the Twins need a big bat and much of their lineup is filled with defensive replacements. I think it would benefit both sides.
If I Had To Make A Trade Now: It would look like this...
The Texas Rangers trade RHP Robinson Tejeda, RHP Luis Mendoza, SS Joaquin Arias to the Pittsburgh Pirates for LF Jason Bay
That's really the only deal that I can think of right now on short notice that would go through. Thoughts?
Taking some tiem out from watching the playoffs to update you all on some Ranger thoughts I had. Let's kick it out the new title text:
The Rangers Report – Offseason Edition
Aki May Need Tommy John Surgery
This isn’t good news.
Reports are coming out that Akinori Otsuka, who hasn’t been seen since the All Star break, may need to undergo Tommy John, costing him all of 2009 and the last year of control under Texas before Free Agency.
Sigh.
Aki was likely going to exit Surprise next season as the closer for the Rangers. If he needs to undergo Tommy John, he’s going to get non-tendered and released by Texas, giving a final and craptastic end to one of the worst Rangers trades of all time.
And, just because I like rubbing salt on my wounds, here is how the trade worked out for Texas:
Adam Eaton – Posted a horrific year and didn’t even merit Free Agent Compensation, then bolted for the big bucks in Philly, where he’s been equally craptastic.
Akinori Otsuka – Did a great job as a closer in 2006, was an excellent setup man in 2007, but would be gone if he has to undergo TJ.
Billy Killian - A young catching prospect, Killian was terrible for Spokane and Clinton and was eventually sold to the White Sox for an undisclosed amount of cash and a cash of Milwaukee’s Best.
Bah.
Top Rangers Moments Of 2007
Michael Young’s 200th Hit – It’s great to see Mikie extend his 200 hit season streak to five.
The Return of Rangers Ballpark – The Rangers take back their ballpark by buying out Ameriquest and renaming the ballpark Rangers Ballpark In Arlington.
The 30-3 Game – This asskicking actually was able to help a lot of fans move on from Teixeira. ..well, expect for the Metroplex media (#### you Randy Galloway!)
Hank Blalock’s Return – And how! A Grand Slam against the Angels that helped ice a win on Sunday Night Baseball.
The 2007 Draft – The fact that Texas was able to add so many quality arms, many of which began to preform right away, is making for a potential farm system Bonanza come 2009.
Da Pick! Da Pick! Where Is Da Pick!
The draft standings are more or less finalized, and Texas will make the 11th pick in next June's amateur draft. It’s not a bad place to pick, really. The Rangers won’t get an elite talent unless he falls, but there should be a solid talent there.
Here’s the last five 11th overall picks.
2007 – Philipe Aumont (Mariners) – Love this guy, should be a solid major leaguer.
2006 – Max Scherzer (Diamondbacks) – Solid arm, potential closer.
2005 – Andrew McCutcheon (Pirates) – Tools city, has probably been rushed.
2004 – Neil Walker (Pirates) – Like the bat, not sure where he’ll play though.
2003 – Robert Aubrey (Indians) – Promising career short-circuited by injury.
The only real problem with this year’s draft is that it may be one of the weakest drafts in years. Still, there should be a decent talent around at 11.
Cat On First?
The more I look at the first base market, in terms of trade and free agency, the more I think it’s going to be likely that Frank Catalanotto will likely be the Rangers’ starting first baseman in 2008.
The reason being is that there are no real attractive options out on the open market, with only glove men like Sean Casey and Mike Lamb available. And the only first baseman that I know of that could wind up here, Todd Helton, would be a far too lengthy commitment for the Rangers, plus he would likely require the Rangers picking up an expensive option to come here.
Actually, hold that thought, there is also Adam Dunn, who could play first base and is reasonably comparable to Ryan Howard, but what would the Reds want in terms of prospects? I don’t think that enough of a deal could be reached for the two sides to swing a deal.
Meanwhile, playing Cat at first would allow the Rangers to use different outfielders, improving the overall defense, as Cat is rather bad in left. It would allow the Rangers to play David Murphy regularly in right field, while allowing Jason Botts, who isn’t great, but is better than Cat in left, while allowing the Rangers to concentrate on obtaining help in centerfield and DH.
Keeping An Eye On Felix Pie And David DeJesus
Two options in centerfield to keep an eye on are Cubs prospect Felix Pie and Royals centerfielder David DeJesus.
I think there was more truth than people realize when rumors surrounded Pie and the Cubbies’ apparent willingness to deal him in the right trade. There was a rumored deal of Gerald Laird for Pie, but the deal was quickly killed and the Cubbies announced they had no real intentions of trading him.
I’m not so sure.
Lou Pinella wasn’t a big fan of Pie’s during his time up with the Cubs and wasn’t enthused about playing him every day.
And, with rumors that the Cubs may go hard after a free agent centerfielder, that would all but block Pie from ever making it to Wrigley.
Which would make trading for Pie much more valuable, as it would allow the Rangers to get something for not as painful of a price. Pie is regarded to be a raw, Carlos Beltran type (then again, so is Rangers prospect Engel Beltre), and if he gets PT, he'll be able to blossom into something special.
Here's hoping the Cubs do so.
The other player is Royals centerfielder David DeJesus, who the Royals are supposedly looking into trading for younger, projectable parts, especially since they now feel that Joey Gathright has figured out how to hit. Gathright has leadoff potential and is faster and can cover more ground than DeJesus.
If the Royals are willing, I'd be ready to call if I were GM. I'm not sure what the price would be, but it wouldn't be real expensive, especially when you consider what the Royals got in exchange for Octavio Dotel (the mighty Kyle Davies).
The Royals have tried for years to acquire prospect Joaquin Arias. I'd be willing to deal Arias, especially since I got an Arias clone in Elvis Andrus. If I were making a deal, and DeJesus were available, I'd call up the Royals and dicker, with Arias being in the deal.
Arias is still very attractive, in that he's got loads of tools and is young. It's becoming obvious that a change of scenery may be necessary for him to reach his potential and he could eventually be better than Tony Pena Jr, who is a backup at best or a starter while he's cheap. The only real issue would be if Arias developed, which would potentially bite the Rangers in the way Hafner did, but really Arias is blocked in Texas by Young and Kinsler, so it would be for the best.
What Does The Future Hold For Loe, Laird, and Tejeda
The Rangers' final loss to the Mariners was likely the last for several Rangers, and the end for some of the Rangers’ current career paths.
Kameron Loe expereinced a odd season, where he seemingly found his mojo as a starter again before his old inconsistencies reached back to nab him again. While Loe has developed better off-speed stuff to go with his sinker, he hasn’t been able to sustain his success long. Overall, Loe has been better as a reliever, as he is 13-19 with a 5.08 ERA in 47 career starts and 5-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 46 relief appearances, but with the emergence of several young starters, Loe is likely going to be the long man coming into next year, or could be traded in the offseason to a team that could be able to work on him to be an average 5th starter.
The same has gone for Robinson Tejeda. What started out to be a promising season quickly devolved into disaster as Tejeda was shelled more and more as the seaosn went on, finishing 5-9 with a 6.61 ERA in 19 games before being sent down to Triple A, where he eventually had hsis eaosn ended due to injury. Tejeda’s future with the Rangers is also going to be one of uncertainty, as the rotation appears to be set with Millwood, Padilla, McCarthy, Gabbard and Volquez going into next year. Even worse, Eric Hurley is nearly ready and could challenge for a starting spot next year, leaving Tejeda’s opportunities for a third chance less and less likely.
Gerald Laird is a different story. With his bat going into the ####, Laird’s future as a Ranger likely was doomed once the Mark Teixeira deal brought in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a natural catcher, over in the deal. While Salty projects to be a average first baseman, behind the plate he could be a perrenial All Star and a capable middle to late in the order presence. Laird was almost dealt at the deadline, but the Teixeira deal was swung too late to try and get a decent offer rolling. With the lack of young catchers in the majors all around, Laird, despite his numbers, could be attractive to several teams needing a young catcher with at least three years of control left on him.
On The Block Manana guys. Now, back to snoozing with the girlfriend and my niece...
On a side note, Texas seems to own J.J. Putz, as he always seems to have trouble against the Rangers Four of his five home runs have come against the closer..
Wow again.
Onto The Trade Rumors...
Okay, here's my take on the possible trade of Mark Teixeira.
Atlanta - The Braves are said to be close, with a package of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, prospect Elvis Andrus, and a pitcher, likely Kyle Davies (ick.) in exchange for Teixeira and a reliever. The sticking point appears to be the reliever. The Braves want Eric Gagne or Joaquin Benoit. The Rangers want to send them Ron Mahay instead. I'm down with obtaining Saltalamacchia, as he can be stuck immediately at first base, or could possibly preclude a Gerald Laird Trade (Hey, Pittsburgh, still want to trade Ian Snell?). Andrus I'm not so sure. Hey's a toolsy player that hasn't put it together. Not a good fit. If the prospect can be changed to something else, it would be a better fit, but Andrus sounds like a typical John Schuerholtz Sell High Bust.
Boston - Boston is said to be considering acquiring Teixeira and is said to be right behind the Braves in terms of trade. The Red Sox are refusing to send Clay Buchholz (nor would I expect them to) or Jacoby Ellsbury, but apparently are open to maybe packaging Michael Bowden, Brandon Moss and Coco Crisp to Texas while promoting Ellsbury to the big league club full time. That's a little less sexier than the Atlanta deal, though Bowden is a good pitcher and Moss could become a solid right fielder. The only question really is what the Red Sox would do with Mike Lowell. Does the deal get expanded to send Lowell elsewhere? Could it be possible that the Rangers get something else too? We'll see....
Yankees - It ain't happening. In spite of the New York Media and Buster Olney stating that the Yankees are going to wait out the Rangers in hopes that the Rangers accept a Bobb Abreu type package in return, that's not happening, as Teixeira is a young player, still under club control, and would merit significant draft pick compensation. The Yankees pretty much want to have their cake and eat it too, obtaining Teixeira while getting to keep Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and even Ian Kennedy. It's not going to happen.
Dodgers - The Dodgers are the dark horse candidate. They clearly don't want to part with either Clayton Kershaw or James Loney, but where would Loney play if the Dodgers acquired Teixeira. A potential deal has been rumored to consist of Loney, Andre Ethier, and a pitcher, but the pitching prospect can't be agreed upon.
Angels - Two days ago, I would have said any chance for a deal was shot. Though Teixeira would add a shot in the arm to the streaky Angels offense, the Angels have been hurt by many of their prospects having down years. Bill Stoneman has kind of lost some of the trade on his prospects because he's waited too long. Though Casey Kotchman is okay, the fact that the Angels are making Nick Adenhart off limits and are offering up Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana is making the deal hard to ####. However, the Angels have upped their offer to center on Kotchman and outfielder Terry Evans. Hmmm.
That's where things stand. It figures to get pretty hectick once the dealine approaches, especially between the two LA teams, who don't want to see either get Teixeira and will do whatever it takes to make sure one doesn't acquire him.
The Implications Of Tejeda’s demotion for Next Year
Robinson Tejeda has been sent to Triple-A Oklahoma for work on harnessing his control. Tejeda's biggest problem has been the amount of walks he's given up, as he's averaging 6.3 walks per nine innings.
While the Rangers are still high on Tejeda, bringing him back isn't such a slam dunk as it would seem.
For starters, Tejeda faces two other young pitchers, Brandon McCarthy and Kameron Loe, both of whom are starting to show some promise as major leaguers. Millwood is locked in long term and, oddly enough, the Jamey Wright freak show is still sort of working.
John Rheinnecker's gem o####ame yesterday makes that he's likely going to get another shot, as the fifth starter.
Even more worrisome to Tejeda's situation is that he'll have competition coming into next year.
Top pitching prospect Eric Hurley may be near ready for the show and will likely be given a shot to earn it in Spring Training. Edinson Volquez appears to be back somewhat and could be given a shot. Even Mike Wood, the Royals reclamation prospect, is showing some signs of life.
It doens't mean the Rangers are giving up on him.
It just means that he's no longer a lock to be in the rotation.
Blalock Is Still Out
Hank Blalock is still having some issues with his shoulder, making it unlikely that he'll return by August 1, and possibly nto at all this season. Blalock could only throw halfway to first base comfortably during fielding drills and is going to need more time to build up arm strength. Though he's been able to hit well off in batting practice, it's his defense that's keeping him back.
Blalock, in my opinion, may be avaialble in September as a DH, but I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever see Hank at third again. Travis Metcalf is doing a decent job of holding down the fort and needs some work to get his bat up to speed. Metcalf is a superior defender than Blalock. I wonder if possibly, with Teixeira gone, if Blalock could be shifted to first, where his lack of range and shoulder issues would be less of a worry. It could also help his offense, if Blalock returns to his old form of hitting for contact and not trying to hit everything out of the park.
Rangers Notes (Majors)
It’s looking more and more that the Rangers will not sign 4th Round Garret Nash, a speedy centerfielder who has a commitment to Oregon State. From what I’ve heard and read, it looks like Nash is adamant on going to Oregon State, making the Rangers’ pick of him a bit of a waste, as they could have drafted Jake Arrieta, a righthander out of TCU that could have been had for roughly the same money. They still might be able to get Arrieta. From what it’s looking, Arrieta might decide to return to TCU for his senior year to increase his stock.
Oh, a note about Rangers’ 5th Rounder John Gast. Apparently, Gast is open to accepting a deal, from what I gathered at the LoneStarBall Forums and a few other off the wall sources, but it looks like Texas might not sign him until they have taken a look at how his rehab is going from Tommy John. Gast would have been a first rounder had he not gotten hurt, so I would be open to getting a deal done. Adding a lefty pitching prospect is always a plus. Gast will be in Arlington soon to meet with Management.
Rangers Notes (Minor)
Two Ranger Prospects, Omar Poveda and Edinson Volquez, both took no hit bids in late innings. Volquez blew the no-no in the sixth, while Poeveda took it into the 7th. You want to hear that kind of stuff from your prospects. Expect to see both of these guys get some play in the Top Ranger Prospects list after the season.
The Rangers optioned struggling right hander Robinson Tejeda today, replacing him with reliever Wes Littleton.
Through Tejeda is struggling at the moment, this move isn't meant as punishment. Tejeda showed some signs of life in his last start and it was felt that it would be best for him if he got a regular start in the rotation down in Oklahoma City for the All-Star Break, then allowing him to be called back up once the season starts again.
Kameron Loe seemed to benefit from a return to Oklahoma City earlier this season. Who knows? Maybe Tejeda can recapture some of his earlier magic.
Ian Kinsler – Kinsler keeps on rolling and at the moment is looking like he’s going to be a rising star.
Sammy!!!! – Yeah, the offense has been bad and the average looks ####, but Sosa has actually been on somewhat of a hot streak.
The Fourth And Fifth Spots In The Rotation– Kameron Loe and Robinson Tejeda have been dealing lately and that’s great news.
The Bad
Everyone Not Named Kinsler, Cruz, Lofton and Blalock– The offense has got to get it together people.
Taylor Teagarden On The D.L. – Elbow injury. That’s not good for a catcher.
Gagne On The D.L. – Big surprise, but at the very least this means that Frank Francisco is returning to the majors. Quite honestly, this isn't really ugly, as there is bullpen depth to help out.
The Ugly
Daniel Haigwood Traded – Here’s another thing you can lay Jamey Wright’s doorstep. His addition cost the Rangers Daniel Haigwood, a Jamey Moyer-esque lefty that had to be Designated For Assignment in order to add Wright to the 40 man roster. Haigwood was traded to the Boston Red Sox on Friday for RHP Scott Shoemaker, a tall right hander with a solid fastball and plus slider, but little else and will likely be a swingman. #### this trade! #### Jamey Wright!
Deals That Best Didn’t Go Down – The 2004 Larry Walker Trade
It’s great to watch Ian Kinsler blossom into a superstar second baseman, as it makes the Alfonso Soriano trade more and more justifiable considering that it was done to clear a spot for this great young talent.
It’s also great that Larry Walker vetoed a trade that would have sent the young slugger to the Rockies back in July of 2004.
You see, back in 2004, the Rangers were suddenly in the thick of the AL West race and, seeking to add extra punch to a lineup that was already strong and just needed a capable DH, then General Manager Jon Hart negotiated a deal with the Rockies that would have sent Kinsler and pitching prospect Erik Thompson in exchange for the brittle, but still potent bat of Walker.
However, Walker exercised his no trade clause and killed the deal. The Rangers were left with having to use Eric Young and others in the DH role and Walker was traded the next month to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Would it have been worth it?
Well, after losing Soriano to injury in the last part of the 2004 season, Walker would have made up for the difference in offense that would have been lost. It could have been enough to put the Rangers over Oakland and LA to get to the playoffs, where they would have played…the New York Yankees and former Ranger, Alex Rodriguez.
More likely, it would have resulted in Soriano remaining a Ranger, only to see him leave elsewhere and the Rangers would likely have had to re-sign Mark DeRosa, assuming his breakout remained the same, or possibly have rushed Joaquin Arias up to second base.
In retrospect, the deal is great. But who knows what would have happened had Walker not killed the trade?
Just a thought.
Danks And Masset Incorrect About Rangers Fanbase
In recent interviews, former Rangers prospects John Danks and Nick Masset took some shots at the organization that drafted them.
In his first interview since being traded, Danks expressed his dislike for the DVD moniker that was attached to him, Thomas Diamond and Edison Volquez, who were hyped under the moniker as the Rangers’ pitching rotation of the future. He said that “We hated it." He expressed some anger about the hype that followed him, in particular when he was in Double A Frisco, close to the Rangers’ fan base, and replied that "fans came over and expected great things, (and) If I got shelled, they'd say, 'Oh, that guy isn't very good. It was all hype. It was one of those things where they build you up. You have one rough game and people write you off. Rangers fans are pretty fair-weathered anyway. Early on it was cool to get some attention, but after a while it just wore on us," he said.
Hold on there, cowboy!
First of all, Ranger fans can be grouped into two factions: the die hards, like myself, the guys that hang out at Rangerfans.com and Lone Star Ball, and then there’s the faction that really aren’t Ranger fans, that simply followed the team because they were in the area, came aboard because of A-Rod, and have criticized the team because of mismanagement that has ensued almost since the inception of the franchise. As far as Ranger fans being fair-weathered, I’d say “angsty” is a better term. Ranger fans have seen so many pitching prospects implode, and so many poor scouting decisions, that to say that they hold a pessimistic view of their team is, suffice to say, an understatement. There are several fans that followed Danks since he was drafted and throughout much of his career, were pretty even handed with the remarks and criticism about him. All in all, it was the latter section of fans that I described that seemed to take the whole DVD thing out of proportion. I can understand how that can wear on a kid.
But, that doesn’t stop Danks from sounding slightly bitter about how he left, and that’s unfortunate. There are many Ranger fans that would have loved to have kept him and still follow his career with great interest. Comments like these kind of change people’s opinion about a player and as a result causes a loss of some a player’s fanbase.
Danks did sound a little better in another interview about Rangers management. ''We left, everything was all clear, all good. 'I understood that it was part of the business. Jon Daniels, all those guys over there, had nothing but great things to say to me. So I want nothing but good for them. ''I have no anger toward them. 'I wish them the best, and I hope they win every game ... except when they play the White Sox.''
Suffice to say, the damage has still been done.
Masset sounds even worse in another interview.
"Pitching is a big thing over there, tThat's a big question for them all the time. The funny thing is there is a lot of good talent over there. I don't think they put together the right combinations when they needed to. I don't know what happened.”
I can actually answer that.
Poor scouting, poor drafting, free agency losses and signings have created a loss of talent in the Rangers’ farm system. He’s right about there being talent, it’s just said talent took a collective step back last season.
"I couldn't be in a happier situation or a better situation," Masset said. "I'm happy where I am and with what I'm doing for the team."
When asked if he'd like to face his former organization and have a chance to stick it to them, Masset replied: ''A little bit because you think, 'Why did they get rid of me?' If I get a chance against them, I'll bring a little extra, show them what they're missing out on.''
In all honesty, I can answer that question as well.
Masset was a part of a huge collection of relievers, which Texas is still plagued with and needs to purge at the deadline in order to restock the organization with useful prospects that have a future with the team. Masset, unfortunately, was simply caught in a glut of relievers and was far enough down the food chain where he wouldn’t be missed.
Masset always had great stuff, but could never put it together and really, only last season was he able to emerge as a prospect that was more interesting than much.
I wish both guys all the luck in the world, but quite frankly, after reading the interviews, I won’t miss them. The Rangers need to have players that want to be there. And in this case, they may be better off.
Ranger Notes
Eric Chavez had originally given Rangers Manager Ron Washington his 2004 Gold Glove trophy. Unfortuantely, the award was one of Washington’s belongings that had been lost during Hurricane Katrina. However, the Rangers had a replica of the award made and asked Chavez to present it to Washington once again, which he did before Saturday's game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Mark Connor feels that the problem with Brandon McCarthy is not mechanics, but rather with his head. He advised McCarthy to relax, as he feels that McCarthy is trying hard to prove that the trade that brought him to Texas was worthwhile.
The Bruce Chen era of the Rangers is over. To make room for Eyre, Chen was designated for assignment. Chen had five outings and is currently 0-0 with a 7.20 ERA (8 ER/10.0 IP) on 11 hits. He has struck out seven and walked six and has finished three games. With the starting pitching market in disarray at the moment, Chen will likely be traded within the ten day period that is specified, as it seems unlikely he'll make it to Oklahoma, where he has accepted a assignment to, as someone will claim him. Hopefully, the Rangers will get something useful.
The Tigers during the off-season were worried enough about the lack of a lefty in their bullpen that they inquired to see if LHP C.J. Wilson was available, but were told no. That not only speaks volumes about how the organization feels about Wilson, who wants to close at some point, but it also means that for once, the Rangers have something that someone actually wants. I wonder if they'd be interested in Chen or LHP John Rheinecker, who is currently on the DL.
Torii Hunter is apparently looking for a 4 year deal worth $50 million dollars. Looking at Hunter, the injury issues are a bit concerning, plus the fact that he’s going to be entering his decline seasons at the age of 32. PETCOA’s projections are not very big on Hunter, frankly have him looking more or less like a backup player by the year 2009. We’ll take a look at the centerfield market next time and see who the Rangers should head after.
Texas took two of three from Oakland this past series, a good sign that the Rangers could finish over .500 for the first time since 2004. They only need ten more to pass the mark. They should get to it, making the season a success.
The more concerning issue is Tom Hicks calling out the team, saying that there is a lack of toughness on the team and calling into question Michael Young's leadership abilities.
It's never a good idea to call out your best player, let alone one was beloved and respected as Young.
Young has done nothing but play with the team's best interests at heart. Young has performed in the clutch, helped guide the team's young rookies, including Ian Kinsler and Joaquin Arias, and has also has stepped up into a role left by the departed David Dellucci and a role that was often shirked by another one of Tom Hicks' genius deals, Alex Rodriguez.
Hicks needs to step back and allow Jon Daniels and Company to keep the team going on the right track. At the present, Texas has a collection of talent that is capable of winning the World Series, being only two starting ptichers away from doing so. Robinson Tejeda, the player that has replaced Dellucci, has proven in the past month that he is capable of being a solid workhorse.
Hopefully, Young won't hold a grudge against the team when it comes time to give him an extension. If Young is allowed to leave the Rangers, the team will only have it's owner to blame.
I'm a long time Texas Rangers fan who has come to love baseball as a whole. I recently began this blog as a way for me to showcase my opinions, provide some analysis, and hopefully entertain those who happen to stumble upon my little soapbox online. I'll toss in an NFL, College, or NBA nugget every now and then. Enjoy the posts everyone, and yes, getting a little love in a Deadspin post was probably the highlight of the year, blogwise.
Do You Have Comment You Don't Want All To See? Just Want To Talk Baseball? Email Me at morisatos_blo g AT yahoo.com. Email's edited to keep away the Spam.
