Botts makes team

I am pleasantly surprised to read that Botts has earned a spot on the 25.

Now play him, 'baseball man'.

Yep, this is a pleasant suprise - I hope he gets some playing time from Ron. Probably won't, though.

Looks like Cruz is gonna be DFA'd...

happy to see that botts gets another chance to prove himself. not surprised that cruz would be dfa

I beamed from ear-to-ear when I read this. So well-deserved. Let's hope he gets plenty of chances to show what he can really do.

http://diamondgirl.mlblogs.com

Personally, I expected this, as Botts usually hits from October through Spring Training. I wish him the best, but I still feel he is a Brad Wilkerson waiting to happen. WHOOOOSH!

I feel sorry for Nelson Cruz, but he'll likely be a star for someone. Mench will be back as soon as Botts falters. I hope he doesn't, but his MAJOR LEAGUE track record ain't too good.

I think I'm beginning to hear a WHOOOOSH from the DH position as I type this.

Well, this one probably makes a lot of folks happy but I think it is just an extended audition. Mench's contract lets him walk if he is not on the big club by sometime in May. Kevin did well enough in the spring to get a job somewhere if Botts takes off but Jason better not get complacent.

As others have pointed out, OK he made the team. Now he needs to get the consistent AB's. Otherwise, this is an exercise in futility.

Sorry to all of the Bradley fans but I think he is just taking up a roster spot at this point. Put him in extended spring and keep Mench and Botts for the first 2 months of the season and see what happens...

A WHOOOSH from the DH position? Oh yeah, Milton Bradley. Man, what's that guy batting in Spring Training?

You can say what you want about Jason's ML track record, but you can't ignore his professional track record of taking a few months of regular play to adjust to the higher level of competition.

I'm not saying that he's going to break through (although I hope he does), but history suggests that the start of the season is when he'll start producing.

Too bad he probably won't get regular at-bats. There's nowhere to put him. Wash loves Broussard and Bradley, so I don't see where he'll squeeze PT for Botts in.

Mench has until June 1 to be added to the roster. I say you try to trade him and get the monkey off Botts' back.

If I remember correctly, Botts, was on the team at the first of the season last yr, so we'll see how he does. So starting at the first of the season really holds no positve track record. Hopefully better than last or OKC is where he'll go. He has proved nothing so far... Sorry Nelson Cruz is out but he'll do well, elsewhere, as the Rangers continue to be a great Farm Team for others.

Botts didn't see big league action until August last year, trnger. You may be thinking of '06 when he got 60 at bats and then was sent down down for the rest of the season.

Is Botts really better than Nelson Cruz? Wasn't Cruz the highly touted player that we had to have in the Cordero deal? And we have been through this before and i don't care what the Brewers have, i don't care what the Nationals have, i don't care what the Padres have. Oh wait they have Gonzales and Young so i do care, scratch that. The point is either you believe what you say or you don't. If you believe and say that Cruz is the player you wanted, don't you have to give him more than 18 months? He should be the starting right fielder on this bad team. Maybe he takes the next step this year, if he didn't then you at least could say we gave him an opportunity. Bradley can DH for my team anyday. But a young outfield of Murphy, Hamilton and Cruz, could have been the future here. Trade Marlon and create a spot for Cruz and play him for God's sake. We don't really have that many young outfielders to be releasing them do we? Watch and see how fast Melvin reacquires Cruz. People are going to want this guy. He just needs playing time. I am all for putting Botts onto the roster, but if you are using that logic, then what makes Cruz any different? The answer is that their is no difference. Should we be allowing a manager that won't finish the season to be judging who is going to be on this roster?

Cruz has 137 games under his belt, 437 at bats, 15 home runs, 56 rbi's for a .231 batting average. The guys has shown flashes, that is what young players do until they adapt. Tex showed flashes, Pudge showed flashes. Heck, Mantle showed flashes and was sent down. The only difference is that they got another chance and developed. I am not saying take Cruz over Botts, i am saying take both of them and play the **** out of them. Tell them they are the starters, let them get comfortable and see what they do. I believe that if they tried this approach it probably would pay huge dividends in the future, which is what we should be playing for, even if the "organization" refuses to say or realize it. The one thing that i have learned in life in my profession is that reality and the truth are often harsh. Get ready for it, because if it goes south, it will go there quickly. The only saving grace or solace that i will take out of it is maybe if we hit rock bottom, we will REBUILD with guys like Cruz, Botts, Duran, Teagarden, Salt and Davis.

“Cruz has 137 games under his belt, 437 at bats, 15 home runs, 56 rbi's for a .231 batting average. The guys has shown flashes, that is what young players do until they adapt. Tex showed flashes, Pudge showed flashes. Heck, Mantle showed flashes and was sent down. The only difference is that they got another chance and developed.” – No, that’s not the only difference. See if you notice a trend: Texiera broke into the big leagues to stay at the age or 23 after less than 350 minor league at bats. He put up an OPS of .811 as a rookie. That’s not “showing flashes.” That’s straight up production. Pudge played his first big league game at 19 and was never sent down again. He hit .265 his rookie year. Not too shabby for a defensive oriented, teenaged catcher. Mantle was an all-star at the age of 20. He was also an all-star for the next 13 years consecutively. Nelson Cruz spent more time at AA than AAA in the season in which he turned 25 years old. A few months before turning 28, when he should be in his prime, he’s about to be released or traded for something nominal. He sports a careers OPS of .667, which would only be acceptable for an everyday player if he were a gold glove SS or Catcher. Those are bad comparisons.

“Tell them they are the starters, let them get comfortable and see what they do.” – They did that with Cruz last year. He responded by hitting .193 through the first 1/3 of the season and striking out in almost a quarter of his at bats before they pulled the plug.

I’m glad Botts is getting a chance to DH against lefties and play first once in a while, but it’s a long shot that he’ll ever be an everyday major leaguer. I could see Cruz making a decent 5th outfielder for the next 5 or 6 years, but I’d be shocked if he ever saw a season in the big leagues over 400 at bats. I feel comfortable saying those things because of their age vs. their development. Guys that you rebuild around don’t battle for big league jobs when they're in their late 20’s.

I am no more sure of the Botts move than anyone else is. I am just waiting until the magic happens for the Rangers like it seems to happen for other teams. We have had an incredible string of POTENTIAL SAVIOURS in the outfield, then, they get their shot and they fold like a taco. Can you say Wilkerson, El Caballo, Mench, Botts, Hidalgo, Cruz, Catalanoto. Byrd exceeded expectations, and Hamilton and Murphy look like the real deal, but the others have generally barely hit their weight, and never got better.

Just an observation since the decision was made:

Botts:

0 for 5 3k's

Mench:

3 for 4 2 doubles, 3 Runs scored 0k

Things that make you go hmmmmm.