IT'S TIME...to predict the 25-man roster for next year. Go ahead! Have fun!

Here's mine:
C Matt Treanor, Jose Felix
1B Mitch Moreland, Chris Davis
2B Ian Kinsler, Andres Blanco
3B Michael Young
SS Elvis Andrus
OF Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon, David Murphy
DH Vladimir Guerrero
SP Cliff Lee, Colby Lewis, CJ Wilson, Tommy Hunter, Derek Holland
RP Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver, Michael Kirkman, Alexi Ogando, Dustin Nippert, Frank Francisco
CL Neftali Feliz

I don't think Chris Davis is here... no need for 2 left handed hitting first baseman (one of which can't hit). I would hope we upgrade the catching situation... Treanor does not need to be a starter on this team.

Chris Davis does NOT deserve a spot on this team. PERIOD.

I went with Davis by default. I agree that he doesn't deserve a spot. 1B and catcher have no quality depth in the farm system. We would have to sign a FA or make a trade.

Catching has to be up graded. Treanor is a life long back up who will break down again next year. He can catch 1/3 of the games at best or be C.J.'s personal catcher. Ranger's got lucky with him. He is a great back up.

Frankie is a Type A free agent & Rangers get 2 picks if he is offer arbitration & leaves. I bet Frankie is gone.

Kirkman might be the 5th starter & Cris Davis is the back up 3rd baseman too if something happens to Blanco or he is unavailable due to other infield problems. T. Hunter needs to start missing a few more bats. Feldman will be on this team.

No francisco and felix might be a little optimistic

I would be looking for an addition or two. If Frankie is not brought back, I would hope the Rangers take a flier on a RHP like Kerry Wood to replace him. Never can have enough out getters in the pen.

I would like to dream a little here, going starters only
C-Victor Martinez
1B-Mitch Moreland
2B- Ian Kinsler
SSB- Elvis
3B- Adrian Beltre
OF- Hambone, Murphy, Cruz
DH- Michael Young
SP- Cliff, Colby, CJ, Holland, Feliz
BP- Oliver, O'Day, Kirkman, the Nips, franky
CL-Ogando

Jose Felix will NOT be on the 40 next year, let alone the 25. He's a couple of years away from being the backup catcher he's likely to end up as.

I'm starting to think Lee won't be back. I've felt for a while now that inflation is going to come back to MLB salaries this winter after two offseasons of declining free agent dollars-per-WAR. The extensions and deals signed thus far (Ted Lilly) support this feeling. The Yankees are going to bathe Lee in so much money it would be foolish for the Rangers to match it.

I'm fine with that, because it will mean the Rangers have plenty of money to meet other needs and they'll get two draft picks in the best draft class in years. The salary room will give the Rangers the flexibility to consider posting for Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma (who, by reports is a mid-rotation guy), trading for someone like Prince Fielder, signing Adam Dunn or Konerko, trading for Greinke while still adding quality bats, etc.

Victor Martinez could play 100 games at catcher, 10 at 1B and 40 at DH. Switch hitter and only 31. John Buck would be a better buy maybe for two to three year deal.
Adrian Beltre has some pop in his bat, but Young's HR and RBI total were close and they both had 19 errors this season. Beltre is 8-11 million which is probably too much to spend.
If Borbon plays 130 games in CF then Murphy, Hamilton and Cruz can rotate at DH when they need to plus one of these four will be injured at some point.
Would love to see Feliz as starter...he has so many good pitches that he used less and less of as the season went on. His curve and change work so well with the 96-100mph fastball.
Lee brought in a lot of money in ticket sales and merchandise and ownership has already said that he's worth everything he gets. He knows the Yankees are older and will stay in decline because of it. Lee, Lewis, Wilson, Feliz and Holland is really good with Kirkman/Tanner S./Oliver/O'Day in 7 and 8th and Ogando in the 9th.
Batting Order:
Andrus SS
Kinsler 2B
Hamilton LF/DH
Cruz RF
Martinez C
Moreland 1B
Young 3B
Murphy DH/LF
Borbon CF

Any idea what the payroll ceiling is for '11 and beyond? IMO, the Rangers need to invest heavily in the recent successes and get rid of the undeserved "Small Market" tag...hell, if it is a bust they can sit on the $3B from FSSW and recoup any ill effects from overextending

My team greatly depends on whether Cliff stays or not, if he decides to leave this is what I would do:

1b: Mitch
2b: Kins
SS: Elvis
3B: Beltre
OF: Crawford
OF: Hamilton
OF: Cruz
DH: Michael Young (super utility backup of every infield position and DH)
4OF: Murph as well as DH-ing some against righties, especially if MY is backing up an infield position.
5OF: Julio Borbon
C: Joe Buck/Matt Treanor
Utility: Andres Blanco

Then pitching wise I do
Colby
CJ
Feliz
Holland
Hunter/Feldman

Bullpen:
Hunter/Feldman
Kirkman
Lowe
Oliver
Oday
Ogando
Free agent X closer??

That's what I would do, the problem is the crowded outfield/DH spots, so I would look for a trade partner to give up either Borbon or Murph and package of minor leaguers to get a pitcher to top that rotation, or at least a #2 or #3 to increase depth. Plus I would have Young learn 1b well to fill in for mitch quite a lot. I know they probably won't move Young, and it's a bit of a pipe dream to want Crawford, beltre, Buck, and a closer, but all of those probably wouldn't be too expensive compared to Cliff Lee plus filling other holes.

C- Buck
1- Moreland
2- Kinsler
3-Young
SS- Andrus
LF- Hamilton
CF- Crawford
RF- Cruz
starters;
Lee
Lewis
Wilson
Hunter
Perez

C- Buck
1- Moreland
2- Kinsler
3-Young
SS- Andrus
LF- Hamilton
CF- Crawford
RF- Cruz
starters;
Lee
Lewis
Wilson
Hunter
Perez

C John Buck, Matt Treanor
1B Mitch Moreland
2B Ian Kinsler, Andres Blanco
3B Adrian Beltre
SS Elvis Andrus
OF Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon, David Murphy, Jeff Francoeur
DH Michael Young
SP Cliff Lee, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter
RP Alexi Ogando, Tanner Scheppers, Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver, Michael Kirkman, Scott Feldman
CL Neftali Feliz

Perez will not be in the rotation on opening day. He needs to show that he can consistently get AA hitters out first. He's not ready for the majors.

Here is a list of free agents from our good friend Kevin Goldstein that may help people formulate their roster decisions: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12370

I think Victor Martinez or John Buck would be worth going after.So mine is:
C:Buck, Treanor
1st: Moreland, Davis
2nd: Kinsler
3rd: Young
SS: Andrus
LF:Murphy
CF: Hamilton, Borbon
RF: Cruz
DH: Guerrero (sigh...)
IF: Blanco

SP: Lee, Wilson, Lewis, Feliz, Holland
RP: Ogando, Scheppers, O'Day, Lowe, Hunter(longman), Oliver, Kirkman

Yes, Feldman will probably have been shot to the sun by Opening Day.
Management would be foolish to not give Feliz a real chance to start, especailly with Ogando (who I believe handles pressure as good as anyone in the 'pen) possibly ready to close

What % of Feldman's remaining contract would you guys be willing to pay for someone to take him for nothing? I say 50%

I would rather see Ogando start than Feliz

Feliz is comfortable in that closer role and doesnt use enough pitches. Ogando has filthy stuff

Anyone who has Lee, Buck, and Beltre on this Rangers team is dreaming. I can see Lee and Buck but Beltre is a high profile waste of money. He has 19 errors just like Michael Young. Keep Young at 3rd and resign Lee and put down the 2 or 3 mill necessary to sign John Buck. We'll have an extra 8 million from not resigning vlad that we can use to pick up Buck.

The defense-oriented 3B I'd like to see, at a real value price I suspect (maybe $4-5 mil), is a guy no one has mentioned. This surprises me, since he just ate us alive. Juan Uribe. How about a lineup that looks something like this:

vs RHP:

LF: Murphy
CF: Borbon
RF: Cruz
DH: Hamilton
3B: Young

vs LHP:

LF: Cruz
CF: Hamilton
RF: Francoer
DH: Young
3B: Uribe

Andrus, Kinsler, and Moreland at SS, 2B, 1B vs both sides. Catcher a standard rotational situation.

So here's my roster for 2011. Additions in all caps.

Position Players (13)
OF (5): Hamilton, Cruz, Murphy, Borbon, Francoer
IF (6): Moreland, Kinsler, Andrus, Young, URIBE, Blanco
C (2): BUCK, Treanor/Teagarden

Pitching Staff (12)
SP (5): Lee, Wilson, Lewis, Holland, Hunter
Bullpen (7): Feliz, Ogando, Lowe, O'Day, Oliver, Kirkman, Omar Beltre

In my dreams, Feliz is in the rotation with Hunter in the bullpen, and Kirkman moving from long to short relief, but I just don't believe they're going to do that, so I've set it up this way.

Moves needed to make this happen:
(1) Resign Lee
(2) Sign Buck
(3) Sign Uribe
(4) Resign Francoer

Seems very doable.

We've got a lot of big dreamers in here...