Friday decisions

First item: Ben Broussard should also be reassigned, and Salty should play first base. I'm sorry, but this one gnaws at me! Salty could easily become "Tex" and maybe have a larger upside. With Taylor Teagarden emerging sometime soon, Salty will never play catcher--He needs to play first, where he has power, switch-hits, and with tutelage from a Steve Smith-type coach, he could learn to field like Tex. If Wash had any brains and overruled JD, Salty wouldn't spend a second in the minors...I agree with him, "What is there to prove?" He can hit at the Major League level (Broussard certainly isn't, and has not nearly a high potential. And the Broussard hype is based on a fair season in Cleveland sometime back.) If the Braves deemed Salty Major League material now, why would our "illustrious" manager deem him not, and the light-hitting Broussard as worthy...We aren't winning the pennant anyway this year, so why not put Salty at where he belongs, and (THANKFULLY) Laird finally has been given the confidence that he is the starting catcher, as it SHOULD have been in the first place.

Item 2: Kevin Mench is a proven Major League commodity. He can hit in streaks to match anyone. He is a good outfielder. Those are two advantages which Jason Botts does not have, despite him hitting good in the Minors, Mexican League and Spring Training. With uncertainties in health in the outfield, this is a no-brainer to have a competent outfielder and hitter out there.

Sorrowful tidings to Nelson Cruz. I still believe in you. I think you will blossom, I just hoped it would be with the Rangers. Good luck and Godspeed wherever you go.

Random Musings: Why the Chris Shelton trade, what did it prove or how did it help the Rangers? Why send proven commodity to the Minors when there is a competence hole at first, and Salty could easily be a fixture at first for years and years. All he needs is some fielding tutelage. I don't understand the Broussard/Shelton flirtations, when Salty is right here, proven......I'm glad the Kameron Loe "as a starter" thought is over, and he is in the bullpen where he belongs and is more productive. I can give management some credit here for finally recognizing this......Credit to management once more for tabbing Laird as the starting catcher, and PLEASE QUIT DANGLING him out there as trade bait at the All-Star break. Why? The man can catch, throw, keep runners from stealing, he has proven to hit (until last year when Washington told him to "not worry about his offense."--stupid), he steals bases, he bunts, he moves runners over...and here we are, needing to be strong up the middle, and wanting to entertain offers for him, leaving a gaping hole at this most important position. At any rate, I'm glad Gerald has finally earned his spot. It should have been a given......C.J. at closer? Joaquin should close, sorry. Alot more right handed hitters, than left, and C.J. would be a great match-up IN SPOTS, versus Ichiro, Garret Anderson, etc. I like C.J., but Joaquin has the stuff and I think more durable. I think C.J. is more valuable in spots, a la Eric Gunderson or Mike Venafro....

Just wondering: What ever happened to the guys like Eric Young, Mark DeRosa, etc...who could, and would, play every outfield position, all infield positions, and be valuable like that? I know Ramon Vasquez is versatile, but I think we could get more versatility out of a guy like that who can play outfield, infield, pinch-catch maybe....than just a utility infielder, and a utility outfielder--which takes up 2 bench positions rather than just 1. This team will settle out, how Washington wants to use people, but I wish we could have an extra arm on the pitching staff instead of keeping 2+ utility people.

1. Salty should not play firstbase in Arlington to start the season. His real value is at catcher and he would only be an adequate bat at 1b. He needs to go to AAA and catch everyday and keep working on his bat. Salty is a career .266/.310/.422 hitter (he can hit major league pitching? he didn't last season) and he skipped AAA last season. Further, he is only 22. The best thing for Salty and the Rangers is for Salty to go to AAA and become a good catcher and continue to grow his bat. As it was pointed out the Rangers aren't going to win anything this year, so better Salty go to AAA to get better than **** at the ML level.

2. Mench should not be on the roster to start opening day, save for an injury. Botts should get the spot. Mench is a proven commodity of mediocrity. The Rangers don't know what they have in Botts because they have not given him the consistent AB's over an extended period of time to find out what he is. Mench is what he is. Mench is a fourth OFer who can play the corners adequately. His bat isn't that great and one hopes that Botts can put up better numbers that Mench. Since the Rangers aren't going to win this year better to see what you have in Botts than to waste a roster spot on Mench.

Back today from the desert, a great trip...

Bingo, I agree with you on Salty, he needs to be on this team. The man can hit major league pitching. I just think he hasn't bought in on being a first baseman, his future in MLB is not behind the plate whether he knows it now or not. At this point Salty and Botts are probably the same defensively at first but I think Salty projects to be the better hitter over the long haul. And yes, another Steve Smith where are you now story. Get these guys some dedicated coaching and let the chips fall where they may.

The outfield/bench question:

Mench has proved this spring he can start and come off the bench. Is he a regular starter, maybe not, but he has done everything he needs to in order to make this team. Byrd has struggled at the plate this spring but his defense is unquestionable, will the bat come back? Murphy and Hamilton are no brainers based on ST. Bradley is a huge unknown at this point. I'd rather see him open the season on the DL in extended spring to take more time on the Cruz, Botts, Mench question. Of the three, Cruz is the best outfield defender. Offensively Botts is having a better than average spring but Mench is right there with him and in the outfield Kevin is better at this point. So, Mench may be the best option at this point since he may have matured enough to know he doesn't have to carry the team and he can just do his thing. He could be the next DeRo or GMJ... I understand the fear that Botts will become the next Hafner somewhere else but I think the situation when Hafner got to the Indians is what gave him the time to focus on being a DH. He didn't have to be anything else. The Rangers teams never seem to have that luxury because we always carry an extra pitcher.