More on the website later.

1. Remember when Colby Lewis bunted into a double play in the second inning of Game 6 of the World Series? Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine does and that is why he has his pitchers working on the slash play in the batting cages during Spring Training.

“The thought was that I felt the American League lost the world championship [last year] because they didn’t have a slash play,” Valentine said according to MLB.Com’s Ian Browne who covers the Red Sox.

A slash play is when the batter shows bunt and then pulls his bat back and swings away. Manager Ron Washington would have preferred Lewis do the slash and swing away in that situation.

“And when there’s men on first and second in Game 6 [of the World Series] and the Cardinals put the wheel play on and they were standing in the batter’s box and the bunt went foul — if that was a slash, they call off the wheel play, they move one guy over, it becomes second and third and the Rangers are the World Champions,” Valentine said.

2. Washington said there is one big difference between Yu Darvish and Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Washington said Darvish can get hitters out throwing the ball in the strike zone while Matsuzaka relies on hitters chasing pitches.

“(Darvish) can power a baseball,” Washington said. “He can throw a fastball up or down, he’s got a couple of breaking balls, a hard slider and a changeup. He’s got more weapons than Daisuke. With Daisuke, they stopped swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. You do that with this guy, you could be walking back to the bench.

“He is a Japanese pitcher with a power arm. Most Japanese pitchers reliy on deception. He looks like he can power the baseball.”

3. If you are going to the Rangers workouts on Thursday, be advised that the entrance for fans to the complex is now on the east side off of Bullard Ave. There is free parking located across the street on Bullard. Fans used to enter on the west side off of Parkview but had to drive to the other side to gain entrance to Surprise Stadium off of Bullard. Now it’s one-stop parking for both.

4. Interesting that Darren Oliver, who is represented by former Ranger Jeff Frye, signed a $4.5 million deal with the Blue Jays. That was on Jan. 9. On Feb. 1, the Blue Jays signed Francisco Cordero for one year at $4.5 million. Which means that it is either good to be represented by Frye or to be one of the few quality left-handed relievers on the free agent market. Wonder if the Rangers would rather have Koji Uehara at $4 million or Oliver at $4.5 million right about now.

5. If you see former Rangers coach Don Wakamatsu today, wish him a happy 49th birthday.

6. Jack Graney was a hot-shot rookie pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in 1908. Actually they were called the Naps because of Hall of Fame player-manager Nap Lajoie. The Indians had the 22-year-old left-hander throw batting practice and first up was Lajoie. Graney hit him in the head with a pitch and this was back before they wore batting helmets. Lajoie was knocked out. Graney was later summoned to the manager’s hotel suite and tried to apologize but Lajoie wasn’t interested in hearing it. Instead Graney was sent to Triple A Portland. He later played 13 years in the Majors but it was as an outfielder.

7. Washington said he’ll meet with the pitchers on Thursday but will only stress the importance of staying healthy and not trying to make the club on the first day. The big speech will be saved for the first full-squad workout.

8. Early work on Tuesday: Craig Gentry working on his bunting with first base coach Gary Pettis. The Rangers had 19 bunt hits last year, tied for ninth in the American League. Gentry had two of them.

9. The Rangers led the league with 177 infield hits. Their hitters also led the league by reaching base 75 times by error. That includes 12 for Elvis Andrus, most in the league. Andrus was also the only player in the Majors to steal home twice.

Daniels also said nothing has changed as far as Roy Oswalt and the Rangers have no plans to sign him at this point.

Here is the release from the Rangers:

The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz (#71) from Cleveland in exchange for cash considerations.

 De La Cruz, 23, went 5-6 with a 4.19 ERA (40 ER/86.0 IP) in 23 games/16 starts for Akron (AA) in 2011, holding left-handed batters to a .143 (13-91) average.  He has been primarily a starter throughout his professional career, although he made 6 of his 12 pro relief appearances at the end of last season.  Still seeking his first action above Double-A, he has averaged 8.9 strikeouts per 9 innings and 0.6 home runs allowed per 9 innings in his career.  He also made one appearance for Triple-A Columbus in the International League playoffs last year and had 6 games with the Cibao Eagles in the Dominican Winter League.

 De La Cruz was designated for assignment by Cleveland on February 13 and goes on the Rangers’ big league roster.  For his career, he is 32-28 with a 4.21 ERA (213 ER/455.1 IP) in 105 games/93 starts since signing with Cleveland as a free agent on December 4, 2004.

 With this trade, the Rangers now have 59 players in the club’s major league spring training camp: a full 40-man roster and 19 non-roster invitees.

He walked past a couple dozen members of the Japanese media without saying anything. They got about a 15 second video of him walking from the parking lot to the clubhouse.

Darvish is not expected to talk to the media until Thursday.

1. Charley Pride, the legendary country music star, Negro League baseball player and Rangers part-owner, was talking to pitcher Matt Harrison on Monday and asked him if he knew him if he had ever heard of Warren Spahn, the Hall of Fame left-hander.

Harrison, to his great credit, said he had heard of Spahn.

Said Pride, “I hit a single off him and got picked off first base. I hit a double off him and got picked off second. I could hit but I couldn’t run. He had the greatest pickoff move I ever saw.”

2. Forget Scott Boras, the smartest agents of the off-season? Dave Pepe and Billy Martin Jr. They represent Joe Nathan, the Rangers new closer. They got him signed early in the off-season for two years and $14.75 million with the Rangers. That was well before Francisco Cordero took a one-year $4.5 million deal with the Blue Jays and Ryan Madson accepted a one-year $8.5 million contract with the Reds. Pepe and Martin out-hustled their competition.

3. Ivan Rodriguez , still looking for a job, said to the Associated Press, “It has been a tough market for veterans. There are a lot of guys who have won championships and have playoff experience to offer teams with no jobs. It’s hard to believe.’

4. Interesting that Roy Oswalt has turned down overtures from the Red Sox and the Tigers. He wants to pitch for the Cardinals and the Rangers because they are close to his home in Mississippi, but both teams don’t have a spot in their rotation. The Red Sox and the Tigers had openings and he doesn’t appear interested. That seems to send up a red flag when a pitcher shuns a couple of ideal baseball spots only because he wants to be close to home.

5. Other former Rangers who are still free agents: Vladimir Guerrero, Michael Gonzalez and Doug Davis. Also, presumably, Milton Bradley and Gary Mathews Jr.

6. Left-handed reliever Neal Cotts has signed with the Rangers but does not have an invitation to Spring Training. He still has one distinction that no other player has under Rangers contract. He played for the White Sox when they won the World Series in 2005. No Rangers player in camp has ever played for a team that has won a World Series.

7. On Feb. 21, 1957, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley traded Fort Worth. He traded the city to the Cubs for their rights to Los Angeles.  One year later he was on his way to Los Angeles from Brooklyn.

8. Yu Darvish is expected in camp today.

9. All those photographers waiting around for Darvish today should also remember that it was on Feb. 21, 1947 that Edwin Land demonstrated the first “instant camera” at a meeting of the Optical Society of America. That was the iconic Polaroid Land Camera.

Napoli is still unsure how it will respond right away but fully expects to be ready by Opening Day.

Also working out today are Scott Feldman, Mark Lowe, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Mark Hamburger and others. Elvis Andrus and Mitch Moreland were all in camp this morning.

1. The biggest issue in Rangers camp is not whether they can recover from the World Series loss to the Cardinals. That’s secondary to a much bigger issue.

The Rangers have 11 players from their World Series roster who can become free agents within the next two. They are pitchers Colby Lewis, Scott Feldman, Mark Lowe and Mike Adams, catchers Yorvit Torrealba and Mike Napoli, infielders Michael Young and Ian Kinsler and outfielders David Murphy, Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton.

Contract issues. That seems to stand out more than anything as the Rangers get ready to open camp this week.

2. How much is dinner with Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and their wives go for these days? How about $10,000? That’s what one couple paid for in an auction. The proceeds went to www.carsonlesliefoundation.com.

3. Yu Darvish is expected to arrive in Arizona on Monday night. Members of the Japanese media have been waiting three days.

4. Craig Gentry arrived in camp on Sunday.

5. Ten-day forecast for Surprise: all sunshine, highs expected from 69-80 degrees. No rain in sight.

6. Julio Borbon turns 26 on Monday.

7. One Las Vegas line has the Rangers 8-1 to win the World Series. The Tigers are 4-1.

8. Headed to Surprise? Grand Avenue from the 101 Loop into Surprise is now construction-free. That makes it easier to stop at Humberto’s for the best burritos in the Valley.

9. Graffiti at the Sage and Sand: What’s the difference between outlaws and in-laws. Outlaws are wanted.

Uehara said he wants to get his situation settled and know where he is playing this season. The Rangers continue to talk to other teams, particularly Oakland, but nothing appears imminent.

Kinsler said he and the Rangers have had one serious discussion this winter about his contract. He said there is nothing close to getting it done and is waiting to see if talks resume during Spring Training.

The Rangers have a $10 million option on him for next season. After that he can be a free agent.

More from both players this afternoon on the website.

At this point, club sources said they “don’t know” if they can conclude a deal for Uehara. A month ago club officials indicated there was a good chance Uehara could be traded. He turned down a trade to the Blue Jays earlier this off-season.

The Orioles have shown interest in Uehara, who is scheduled to make $4 million this year. The Rangers are looking for multiple prospects in return.

If they could unload Uehara’s salary, it could put them in a position to pursue left-handed free agent reliever Michael Gonzalez.