Final Rangers Thoughts

I like what we got back for Tex.

Fairly underwhelmed by the Gagne return, thought I new not to expect the world for a half-year rental who had missed almost the last two years completely. Maybe I'm underrating Gabbard, I'll have to see him pitch a couple times. His biggest problem has been wildness, but this year his BB/9 is a reasonable 3.2. I don't know if that's just a small sample size outlier, if he changed something mechanically that has resulted in better command, or what. At worst he's a young big league ready lefty who keeps the ball on the ground, the Rangers can always use a couple guys like that. Murphy is a solid 4th outfielder, capable of playing center hitting well against righties with some pop.

Back to the kind of a big deal. Teixeira.

I like this trade...for both sides. Salty will be much MUCH more valuable for the next 5.5 years than Tex will be for the next 1.5. If Harrison's arm is healthy, apparently the MRI showed no structural damage, he'll be a solid big league pitcher...better than Kason. The more I look at Elvis Andrus, the more I can see where he could excite you. While I still believe that he's very risky, and likely just to be Arias 2.0, he's an 18 year old doing somewhat decent at high A. While his overall line is a pedestrian .244/.330/.335 he played half of his games at the home field of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (don't you love minor league team names?) which makes Chavez Ravine look like Coors Field. Away from Myrtle Beach he's a .296/.379/.413 that's really REALLY good for anyone, much less an uber toolsy pre-pubescent shortstop.

Neftali Feliz and Beau Jones will far more than likely have to pay for admission if they want to see a game in Arlington. But both of them are young guys with really strong arms, I'm never apposed to bring guys like that in as depth guys... one in a thousand of those guys pan out.

The thing I like least about this trade is HAVING to trade Tex. Maybe his quotes come out crass sometimes...but he's right; we are a big market team playing like a small market team... maybe he is a germaphobe who's afraid to shake hands with fans, maybe he's always been a mercenary. But here's the thing about mercenaries...if you pay them they will stay and fight for you.

Hicks has tried to save face, going public with an offer that he supposedly made to Tex. Even the most stringent Tex haters can see that this is absolutely nothing more than transparent attempt to save face. That they never were going to re-sign him. Shows the respect for the intellegence of the fan base that Hicks has. Very poor form.

Here's an incredibuly underrated story...the Rangers lost a great ball player. Switch hitter with great power and a fabulous eye at the plate who plays legit gold glove defense. Bye Tex, I'll miss you. At least I get to see your games on TBS and in October.

Tex goes deep off Gagne in game 7 to win the World Series...

I'm looking forward to seeing Salty catch...his bat is top 5 for a catcher but top 20 for a firstbaseman! Harrison's arm being healthy, Hurley pitch in Arlington in meaningless September games, see if Cruz's resurgence is just a hot streak or something more, ditto for Marlon Byrd, if McCarthy can keep the ball down, if Gabbard can keep the ball in the strike zone, what Blalock has left when he gets back, ditto for Kinsler

The passing of the trade deadline now means that football season has started!