Kerry Wood slips away
Kerry Wood, another target for the Rangers this winter, has decided to go back to the Chicago Cubs. He took a one-year deal. The Rangers were willing to go a two-year deal but Wood decided to stay in Chicago. He could be the Cubs closer in 2008.
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
Rangers offer 2 year deal and Wood takes 1 year offer from Cubs????Is it really about the money Hicks? No one wants to come here because we stink and we are not doing anything about it. We reel from side to side like a ship in the ocean in the middle of a hurricane. We are rudderless with no direction, we look in the mirror and say we are beautiful when the facts say otherwise. Face facts, go young. Here is your lineup: C Teagarden/Salty
1B Davis or Gold
2B Duran
SS Arias/Kinsler
3B Metcalf or Davis
LF Murphy
CF Borbon/Byrd
RF Cruz/Mayberry
DH or Designated Sitter Botts depending on what he does this year. This is our future folks. Can it be any worse than last year. Don’t you think their will at least be some type of promise and flashes of greatness? Gone and forgotten would be Millwood, Padilla, Otsuka, Turkey Reuben Cat, Laird, Blalock and Young. Why pay a guy 80 million for what is going to happen? 20 bucks says that Young is gone by the middle of 2009! Washington will be gone by middle of 2008. Hicks will never leave. There will be no need to interview him as we can have recordings of his previous interviews about financial flexibility. Queation why would any player worth his salt a free-agent want to come here? Most of the MLB free-agents have been around long enough to know the inside scoop and what the score is. So if they were competitors why would they come here? And if they wanted to come here, why then would we want them?
Exactly! No free agent in his right mind would sign with a team that has no direction if the money is even close let alone, more. You have players flocking to the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels strictly based on their committment to win.
Millwood signed a few years back based on a team that looked like it had a set infield at that time of Hank, M Young, Soriano and Tex and an improving outfield in Mathews, Dulucci, Nix and Shrek.
For those who think this team can rebuild I ask this question. How many world series winners in the past 10 years have built from within? Sure the Red sox had a couple of young guys last year but go through that roster. Go back to the Cardinals, Red Sox before them, White sox and back to the Yankees. How many of those teams were built from their own farm system?
I don’t question that for a long success rate you need to develop talent but for gosh dern sake 6 positions at once? The freaking Marlins have bought 2 series titles. And you all know I am right. BOUGHT! Can’t we at least try to buy one?
I truly wonder how the leaders on this team, the Millwoods, M Young and the Hammer truly feel about watching teams in there own division get stronger every single day why we struggle to retain a 3rd string 3rd baseman? Never getting a second look at a second tier free agent let alone a top tier one? Do you really think they can give 100% knowing that management cares nothing about winning?
Regardless of who it is, retaining a Tex or signing a Beckett or Santana, until this franchise proves it is committed to winning and showing that by spending money on free agents we will always finish pretty much as we did this past year. MLB ranked 20th on offense and 22nd on pitching.
W.A.I.N.S. ??!!! As my deceased brother always asked, “Why Am I Not Surprised?”. The Rangers non-credibility with Free Agents rolls on.
Wish I could give examples where you were wrong about the Rangers on your post, kei, but we all know I can’t.
It has been the lack of commitment to a consistent philosophy that has continually doomed this franchise, and the current lack of a clear plan still confounds. Also, did anyone read recently that the GM of Hicks’ soccer team is angry with Hicks’ “lack of understanding” of how to run a soccer team in jolly old England, and that the team will suffer if he is not allowed to make moves? WELCOME TO THE HICKS FOLD!
There. I got that out of my system.
But as we have discussed before, we can all agree about the sorry history of the franchise. How to fix it makes for much better discussion.
Three months ago I was hoping the team would add a couple of stars and develop players in no more than 4 positions. The team now appears to be unwilling to sign premier FAs, and while that may be for the best long term, there is little about the 2008 team to be excited about. The environment we are now in says that the team must do one of three things if it wants to improve.
(1) The do-nothing option.
Play with the players you have and hope that things will get better in a few years when all your prospects make it to the majors in 2009.
This option ignores history. Fewer than half of the prospects the team is counting on will succed at the ML level. This WILL result in long-term competitiveness – for 3rd place in the division, and only incremental improvement, at best, over what we currently have.
(2) The make-a-few-trades option. Trade a few of your recently acquired prospects and current players to target a year in the future when you want to get truly competitive. Maybe sign a couple of FAs, but nobody significant.
This results in a team which sells tickets, but continues the history of the franchise, improving the team short-term if we hit on several moves, and don’t miss on any. Again, history is against us on this one.
(3) the tear-it-down option. Make it known that the team will listen to reasonable offers on any player on the roster or in the minors.
This option has no guarantees of success. It does guarantee losing for the next couple of years (there’s a high probability of this, anyway). It does generate hope and excitement for the team – something that JD has tried (I think) to generate, but hasn’t quite accomplished yet. This option requires more ML-ready prospects to succeed than what the Rangers currently have, and the team will need to acquire several players to replace those traded. No guarantees on this option, but a higher probability than the other options. I currently favor this option when value is received for value, and it requires a committment (yes, my favorite word again) to youth. The franchise still has not comitted to youth despite what many seem to think – just look at RW’s quotes if you disagree.
My point is this – it doesn’t matter which option the team choses – none of them will work if the team does not have a consistent and well-defined plan, a plan that takes advantage of the current environment. I don’t know if JD is keeping his plan close to the vest to position himself to make moves, but it would certainly be enlightening from my perspective to hear him state the basic tenets of the franchise’s plan. Don’t feed me the “we want to be consistently competitive as a franchise” line – that’s a goal, not a plan. Tell me how you are going to do it. And define “competitive” while you’re at it. This has got to be the most abused word in the franchise’s vocabulary. Give us something to be encouraged about that has some momentum, JD. This still has the look and feel of the “we’ll get ‘em in two years” line we’ve heard for too many years. Show me the plan and how you will measure your progress, and I am more than willing to be patient.
If the plan is to sell tickets, and who cares if we win as long as we turn a profit, then just tell us and we can go be Astros fans.
Or have you been trying to tell us this all along?
Oh, whoa as me! A free agent pitcher who threw 44 innnings in the last 2 season combined decided to return to the only team he’s ever played for rather than sign with the Rangers. The end is surely near. Why don’t they just contract us now. Man, I thought there was no crying in baseball.
As far as keibarr’s bellyaching, what big ticket free agents are out there this off season who are going to lead this team to the promised land? Livan Hernadez? Bartolo Colon? Please. Why not build a solid base from within THEN add high priced talent when you are nearer to contending? Adding high cost free agents just to add payroll is pointless and it doesn’t lead anywhere see: Chan Ho Park and Alex Rodriguez.
I’m on my way to catch a plan but I will respond later tonight. You might want to look up A-Rods MVP numbers from last year. He would have been a bargain today at 25 Mil a year (See Tori Hunter’s contract)
Keibarr41, no position player is a bargain, or a smart signing, in today’s baseball at $25 million unless you have the payroll of the Yankees or the Red Sox, which this franchise will never have. Unless Hicks decides to become a spender, the Rangers will have to be more prudent with their bucks than that. And, aside from all of the obvious reasons for free agents not to want to play here, why doesn’t anyone ever mention the heat? As much as I like the Ballpark, it’s a millstone around this franchise’s neck. It should have been built with a retractable roof. Launching pad + Dallas heat = no free agent pitchers.
Yes, Texas needs a commitment to winning and needs to have a clear vision, but signing Kerry Wood is not the answer. Has anyone ever been a more classic case of damaged goods. I understand his loyalty to the Cubs. They have paid him to get hurt for years.
So what do we do? Damned if I know. We don’t have the depth to trade away the farm and we don’t have any major league players teams will want. Maybe we should put together a package for Miggy, of our top prospects and trade him to the Angels or Dodgers for a package of ML ready talent. Then trade one of those players for more lower level prospects, like we had to send to the Marlins. This won’t happen, but maybe this is the thinking we need to turn to.
jjordan: For the Record, you mentioned “the launching pad + Dallas heat=no free agent pitchers”. By the way, the Texas Rangers are most ASSUREDLY NOT in Dallas. They are in Arlington/Fort Worth/Tarrant County. Even the Dallas Football team hasn’t played in Dallas in 37 years–they too, have fled Dallas County. Just for the Record.
Signed,
Fort Worth Bingo
p.s…”The Launching Pad,” (with this popgun offense we have), is the LEAST of our concerns. No more should we worry about the Gold Club, or whatever it’s called, or wind studies. We OUGHT to worry about our emasculated offense.
I don’t care if Wood resigned with the Cubs. I just thought it was ironic that we offered two years guaranteed and thus more money and he rejected it. It flies in the face of Hicks and his statements that it is always about the money. Some people want the money and the opportunity to win. You may get the money here, but you won’t get an opportunity to win! How much longer before Hicks gets tired of being berated as a bad owner? You can only live off that one Stanley Cup Title for so long right? How long has that been? Bob Gainey and Ken Hitchcock had more to do with that than Hicks and what happened to them? Where are they. Hicks is rich no doubt, he makes smart investments. He just doesn’t hire the right people and once he discovers that he hasn’t hired the right people, he continues to employ them. Hart is still here. Just like my Daddy said you can’t cheat and beat people and expect things to go right for you. Hicks lied to Grady Fuson, led him to believe that he would get the GM job. Well, Fuson, got screwed by Hershiser, Hicks, Hart and Showalter. What goes around comes around. For those of you who don’t know, the philosophy here is to make money…….Period. Their is no rhyme or reason. Just look how much the Rangers spend on marketing to get you out to the park. Until we all rise up and demand a better product, nothing is going to change. I want to trade all of the high salaried guys, get prospects in return and start over. Once our prospects develop then re-sign them at all costs. Young, Padilla, Millwood, Catman, Otsuka aren’t going to be around when we get competitive, so dump the salary. We are veterans at this.
What is all of the up roar surrounding Kerry Wood? What has he done? Nothing…. Sure he was a great high school pitcher in this area, and had a couple of decent to good years with the Cubbies. But we dont need decent here in Arlington. He hasnt showed that he can even survive a full ML schedule. He is a DL stint, in the waiting. He simply cant stay healthly. He has spent more time on the DL than on the active roster for his career. Besides, he is another version of Todd Van Poppell. And he failed in Arlington. The Rangers are better off now that Wood didnt accept there 2 year offer.
I agree with DWIDREGOD… Go with the young position players. And yes, I said position players. Meaning leave Hurley in the minors. We already know that this staff (and past staffs) will ruin a starting pitching prospect. Lets see if the guys in the minors can mold Hurley into a ACE. The ACE that we have not had in years.
In my profession, sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing (I am referring to free-agency) Trades are a different story. I personally would try to deal Young, Catman, and Millwood right now. Padilla, Flipper and Otsuka could be dealt by all-star break once they have shown they are healthy. Santana ain’t coming here, no front line free-agent, is going to come here, unless we give them an ungodly contract which i am against. I don’t equate money and winning at least with Hicks at the helm. I really don’t understand why Hicks doesn’t blow the whole thing up, commit to a one real and final rebuilding job. Is he that ignorant or is he just being stubborn? The voice of Doug Melvin, cries out, “Tom Hicks and the Rangers will never win, because, they are not WILLING to committ to hitting rock bottom. Stop patching the foundation, pour a new one. Get a new house, build it from the ground up. Does anyone else realize that our most talked about moves involve promoting Jim Sundberg and some other front office moves and hiring the third base coach who hopefully will be the next manager real soon. Hey the 20th guy is the charm.
Wood obviously did not want to leave the team he’s pitched for all his career, so he took a lesser deal. I don’t think it had anything to do with not wanting to come here, it had everything to do with wanting to stay in Chicago. I don’t think we where the only team in the majors offering him a multi-year deal.
You’ve got to respect that kind of loyalty in a baseball player – it’s not as common as it once was.
All things being equal which they aren’t. Who has the better chance to win next year the Cubs or the Rangers?………….Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win. Soriano and Derosa, i sure miss those guys. One could play right field the other could play center. Didn’t those guys previously play here? Oh thats right, Soriano won’t play the outfield, so don’t even ask and Catman is better than De Rosa. And we can’t guarantee De Rosa a position. Who were our outfielders last year? Who are they this year? Oh thats right, Wilkerson, where is he now? Are their any teams beating his door down to sign him? Galaraga better be a stud pitcher, because at this point Soriano for Wilkerson and Galaraga, isn’t looking to good. We now have Galaraga and Arias for the greatest player of all time, A-Rod and Soriano. Galaraga and Arias sound like some type of disease, as in i went to the Dr. because my Arias is acting up or i went to the Doctor and he told me i had Galaraga, which is really nothing, or i traded by Rodriguez and my Soriano and now i have Arias and Galaraga which really is nothing. Wow what a return on investment. This underlies our major problems. We found De Rosa on the scrap heap, gave him an opportunity to play, he showed he could play and we didn’t re sign him over a few bucks and because he wanted a guaranteed position. Darn that guy, what type of player wants to play everyday? I am telling you that guy would have been “given a spot”, because he earned it. No we play Wilkerson instead and that guy acted like he didn’t want to.
Here is a marketing strategy for the Rangers: An open letter from Rangers “Management” to the true fans of the Rangers. For over the last 17 years and mostly thoughout our history we have failed to get it right. We must now face the facts that except for the years of Melvin and Oates we have failed to produce a winner for this City and area that has financially supported us eventhough we ****. Therfore to renew your interest we request and state that due to the lack of current strategy and us not knowing what direction to lead the team in we have these questions that we would like for you to vote on. What should we do?
1) Commit to a total rebuiding job, a true one where we play all of our top prospects therfore saving money til we are ready to compete for a title. Trade all multi year contracts of high value for top prospects.
2) Continue patching and try to be competitve next year.
3) Move team to another State like Alaska.
4) Move Hicks to Alaska
5) Move Washington to Alaska or at least back to the third base box. Remember each vote counts. So please let us know. But realize we are much like the Federal Government and reserve the right to do as we **** well please! As evidenced by our history of failure.
DeRosa signed with the Cubs because they had an everyday job for him IN THE INFIELD. He cited his desire to be an everyday infielder as his main reason for choosing the Cubs over the Rangers. So much for Dgod fantasy outfielder #1.
If Soriano could play center then why did he only play 12 games there last year? Maybe because it only took 12 games for the Cubbies to realize that he’s an abomination defensively no matter where he plays and lacking a DH in the NL moved him to left where he would do the least damage possible. Oh, and he was a free agent after the ’06 season. A reality that for some reason a few Ranger fans still refuse to wrap their minds around. Rather he was dealt to Washington or not he wouldn’t be here anymore. So much for Dgod fantasy outfielder #2.
Never mind the fact that if we’d moneywhipped the future Gold Glove center fielder Soriano into returning he’d be blocking the great Anthony Webster and we can’t have that now can we?
Oh, whoa as me! First off, translate this to mean something? The post I made has not a thing to with with Kerry Wood. You want to rebuild? What exactly are we rebuilding? An entire infield / outfield and hoping 2 of 10 pitchers make it to the bigs in our farm system? Okay they do make it! Who scores runs for this team? Who’s catching Playing first? Playing 3rd? The entire outfield and by the way who is your DH? You think these guys will be here in 2, maybe 3 years? Who are they?
Add high price talent when? After A-Rod left, Tex is gone? Nobody your mother would know in the outfield? Exactly when do we add high price talent?
We missed our window last year. Your suggesting who is developed before we add high price free agents? WHO?
I will await the debate.
And for the record Soriano couldn’t play 2nd bas either but **** could he hit!
I vote for Briant77′s option #3, and most of DWI-DRE’s option #1,
but D, it’s not to save money that we trade all those you mention, it’s to get a majority of positions filled with players (before they’re peaking so that they’re obtainable) TO PEAK SIMULTANEOUSLY for a few years in a row.
That’s why re-building is our only supportable option: 75% of our strength is 3 years from even possibly peaking, and to trade THEM for stars now would only make us 45% decent, as usual.
I think Jon Daniels shares our plan, but to say so would scare off most of the people who buy tickets.
I just hope we can be the “kids” that A-Rod called us– Market that!– just as the Sons of Liberty turned a song of mockery into a tune to rally the troops… How about “Ranger Doodle Dandy!”
I agree that we need help re the outfield/DH situation. As far as free agents, Mike Cameron on a 2 year deal makes the most sense to me because he’s a cost effective stop gag until either Julio Bourbon or Brandon Boggs is ready to take over. A corner outfielder via trade or free agency doesn’t bother me either because the organization isn’t deep in the OF. There are zero attractive FA options at first base. Catolonotto can fill the gap there until Chris Davis is ready in 2009.
You say we should “buy” a world series. Your assertion, by the way, that the Marlins bought their 2003 World Series is completely false. They had one big free agent on that team in Pudge. They won that World Series with home grown talent or people that they’d traded for as youngsters. People like Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis, Derek Lee, Mike Lowell, Luis Castillo, Juan Pierre, etc. The one they bought in ’97 was followed by 5 consecutive losing seasons. Not exactly a recipe for sustained success.
Sorry for the digression, but back to “buying” a world series. I would ask who on this free agent market is going to bring a world series to Arlington? There are no FA starting pitchers who are difference makers available out there. Offensively there was Torii Hunter. No thanks at 19 million per. The Angels blew the Rangers and White Sox offers out of the water because they made a horrible free agent singing of Gary Matthews Jr. a year ago. Hunter is the kind of short term fix who may take the Angels from a playoff team to a world series team in the next couple of years, but what about the 2-3 years after that when his skills have diminished and he’s an average outfielder who’s making the salary of an All-Star? I don’t want my team to shell out that kind of money for a quick fix that’s going to pull them from fourth place to second or third in the short term only to be a financial albatross in the long term.
“Your suggesting who is developed before we add high price free agents? WHO?”
At the major league level I would say Ian Kinsler, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Brandon McCarthy, Edinson Volquez, Kason Gabbard, C.J. Wilson, Wes Littleton, and to a lesser extent Kam Loe who I still feel can be an effective middle/long reliever.
In the high minor leagues:
C Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez.
IF German Duran, Chris Davis, Joaquin Arias, and Elvis Andrus.
OF Brandon Boggs and John Mayberry Jr. Julio Bourbon would need to accelerate quickly to be included in this group.
PIT Eric Hurley, Matt Harrison, A.J. Murray, Armando Galarraga, Luis Mendoza, Brennan Garr, and Danny Herrera.
Who had more errors as a second baseman Soriano or Kinsler????Kinsler wins, Kinsler wins. Didn’t we want defense at second base? That was the reasoning for letting Soriano walk supposedly, and he wouldn’t play the outfield. Well he plays the outfield, hits and makes 18 million a year. He really is that terrible. Just because someone is going to go to free-agency doesn’t mean we should trade them. How about re-signing them, now that is a novel idea. But alas it is too late, who would want to re-sign here now, not anyone. Any player worth his salt, i.e. a competitor will want the money and the chance to win. You may get the money here and even that is debatable, but definitely no chance to win. Not last century and so far not in this one either.
Johan Santana, will more than offset the signing of Hunter. Rumor has it the Angels have entered into the bidding and have the young talent the Twins so desparately desire. Sorry Yankee fans, Santana is headed to the Angels. They have no fear! Let the word go forth, to friend and foe alike we will pay any price, bear any burden, to insure the success of their team the Angels. Santana is a stud. Sorry Ranger fans, he was never coming here for any money. The TWINS are a better organization than we are. Hypothetically, lets say that Santana, is only good 6 more years, what a beast the Angels are and they ain’t done yet. Matthews may end up thar in Minnesota.
lonestar & others:
I’d like to take us back to the pitching discussion.
Name a team that is better positioned than the Rangers to take advantage of a pitcher who needs a one-year make-good contract. A contender can’t take the chance – they have the pressure to sign the right guy, not take a risk. A team committed to youth can’t, it keeps the team from starting a pitcher who is READY. The Rangers are neither right now, IMO (I keep Volquez in the minors until the ASB). I believe there is no risk for the Rangers at all, and they get the possibility of a big payout if they hit.
Sign a Jennings or other similar pitcher on a one year deal with incentives and one of three things will happen:
(1) he’ll bomb, and the team wasted 3 or 4 million. Big deal in the big picture – the payroll didn’t really get hurt, and Volquez comes up to fill the spot.
(2) he’ll do ok, and help eat up some innings. I hope I have at least made a little ground in my argument that the team needs more guys to eat up innings to preserve the bullpen. I believe this results in a net gain, and if he’s serviceable, the team can consider if he is worth trying to resign for a longer term. Give Volquez Padilla’s spot in the rotation at the ASB because if Padilla bombs we release him, or if Padilla does well we trade him at the ASB.
(3) he’ll excell, and the Rangers will have a choice to make. Pay him to keep him past 2008, or trade him at the ASB for prospects if you can’t (won’t) sign him. A good problem to have, plus he has given us some quality innings of work, helping to preserve our bullpen. Volquez still comes up to fill Padilla’s spot.
No risk but Hicks’ money. I say go for it. It’s not like it will keep us out of the playoffs in 2008, and it just might pay back in a couple of prospects, as well as help to preserve the bullpen.
I would make a similar case for an outfielder who finds himself in the same position.
Soriano made 44 errors in his 2 years with Texas. Kinsler has made 35 in his 2 yeas with Texas. In his 5 years as a second baseman Soriano’s lowest error total was 19 compared to Ian’s career high of 18 errors in his rookie season. Nice try. Nice try.
The reason for letting Soriano walk was not just his poor defense or his demand to hit leadoff despite getting on base at a rate below the league average, but the fact that he was going to walk away. Period. He never wanted to be here and he’s not anymore. JD chose to take Brad Wilkerson and Armando Galarraga instead of draft picks.
Whine all you like, but forcing a player to a new position he doesn’t want to be at while attempting to resign him to a team he doesn’t want to play for is ludicrous.
Could De Rosa play first base? Is that in the infield? I laugh at our franchise because what we do makes no sense? For instance, we don’t have a minor league first baseman that is ready to step in for Texiera. All of us knew that Texiera had the Great Satan as an agent. We all knew that Satan takes his free agents to free-agency. This is what he does. If you know this then why do you trade Adrian Gonzalez a left handed hitting first baseman,a #1 overall pick 18 months before you need him. What i would do is hold on to my young talented players, especially when i traded a future convicted murderer for him that is a pretty good deal. Gonzalez would be looking pretty **** good over at first base right now, all he needed was a chance, but we wouldn’t give it to him. If i were running this team, TEX would have went to left or right field, and Gonzalez would be playing first. That is two young players and gives you two power bats. Would we be looking for a power hitting corner outfielder and a first baseman right now? No we would be building a team. Something that they evidently have a hard time doing over there, because they don’t think things through. We have a hurt Otsuka for Gonzalez and Young what a deal. By the way Eaton, said up front he wasn’t re-signing in this shooting gallery. Cordero could be your closer still. Except the last three deals where Daniels dealt veterans for young players, he has gotten fleeced. I will overlook Soriano, but he should have waited til the all-star break. But Gonzalez and Young for Otsuka and Eaton, is killing us.
As for the outfield, I am glad to see the Rangers are pursing the Mets’ Gomez and Martinez, as well as the Dbacks’ Gonzalez – 3 of my current top 4 choices to fill CF.
Pry one or two of these guys away, JD. Spend plenty of time with Omar at the winter meetings (wink, wink). Cameron should be a last resort fall-back, and the others (Rowand, Fuku, Jones) are not the solution the team needs.
What do you think it would take to get one of those young OFer’s? Teagarden? Maybe Matt Harrison?
I like your thinking about Jennings, but Colon may be a more viable option in that vein. Jennings is supposed to be ready by April and odds are he’ll get a multiyear offer or two. I could be wrong about that, though.
Briant:
About the pitching discussion, you have a good point about Jennings, the risk really isn’t that high, but I really don’t think he’s worth axing one of our young pitchers from the rotation next year to “eat up some innings”. Volquez, in my opinion, has nothing left to prove in the minors. It’s time for him to get his shot in the Major Leagues, and, barring a disastrous spring training, I think it would be a mistake to have him start the year in AAA. He’d just be wasting his time there. After all, we already have Eric Hurley down there, who is probably going to be ready for a callup by the ASB – what’s the point of keeping both of them there?
Furthermore, I’m not convinced Jason Jennings would be the type of workhorse you’re describing. He was downright HORRIBLE for the Astros in the second half – remember when he gave up 11 runs to the Padres and could not get out of the first inning? I think hefe has an excellent point above me: Bartolo Colon might be a better option (if healthy).
I can see where you’re you’re coming from, but if we where to sign Jennings or Colon, I think it should only be if we managed to move Vicente Padilla this offseason – and even though the Rangers have him on the trade block, finding a deal that will get us any value out of him is extremely unlikely.
I will take Soriano over Kinsler any day. But isn’t that really the point. Why is it an either or situation. Why not have both. Oh that is right, he wanted to be compensated. I don’t think your logic plays very well though, because, i am sure Soriano didn’t want to play for the Nationals, didn’t want to play the outfield. Well what does he do, he plays the outfield and is a 40/40 guy. We got nothing for Soriano period, end of story. Soriano could be playing left field for us if Rangers Management wasn’t a bunch of pansies. Have some balls in your ballpark and dictate to your players and do what is best for the organization. What happened to all that money that we saved by dumping his salary? I am so tired of hearing how bad Soriano is. If they felt that way why acquire the player to begin with. I am sure if he had a do over he would have went to the outfield for the Yankees. That team hasn’t been the same without him. If Pinella likes the guy it is enough for me.
The use of the term could, implies a past tense. Soriano is alive and hitting in Cub land. The Rangers would like us to think he is dead. Soriano can and does hit still while he roams the outfield, something the Rangers couldn’t get him to do. I recall them asking him to move to SS, but i don’t recall them asking him to play the outfield. Who is running this team, the players? If that is the case then Young will vote himself off this sinking ship soon enough. Why did you re-sign here Mike? Do you ask yourself this every day. The love of money is the root of all evil. Don’t you know you could have gotten this money elsewhere, probably San Diego, LA either team, maybe San Fran? Why??????