What I think will happen:

Napoli will play up to 40 games at 1st against LHP, 10 games at C against LHP, and 20-30 games at DH. That's 70-80 games.

Moreland will play 122 games at 1st, and possibly some in the CO. I think that is just fine.

Young will play almost all his games at DH except for 10 a piece at 2nd and 3rd to spell Beltre and Kinsler, those are the 20 games that Napoli plays DH.

Young will get 10 games off while Napoli plays DH and 10 games off while Blanco plays SS.

The big problem with this is that Murphy gets little or no playing time except when he spells the CO for maybe 20 games and in the event of injury.

It just really sucks that he will likely get so little playing time unless someone gets injured. Perhaps some will say that MY will get benched much more often so that Murphy can play LF and Hamilton and Cruz can rest at DH.

I don't think that MY would accept a greatly diminished role without asking for a trade so maybe the Napoli trade is about two possibles: getting MY to accept a greatly diminished role OR getting MY to ask for a trade?

But that is only if you think Murphy will be given time (and Josh and Cruz will be rested at DH) over MY getting his at least 140 games a year to avoid his asking for a trade.

Short enough?

And therein lies the rub of this: if Michael Young just goes away, and Murphy gets to play LF 100-120 games a year, with Hamilton and Cruz DHing against RHP and Napoli DHing against LHP, the team gets better. Not by getting something for Young, but just by him going away.

Should the FO plan for injuries? Yes. But should they also have a plan for health? Also yes.

And if the team is relatively healthy, it makes itself worse by accomodating Young's need for playing time, because Murphy is a better hitter than Young, especially against RHP, which, with the addition of Napoli, is now the place where a DH is most needed.

Of course, if the team decided to start Napoli at Catcher 60 games against LHP, a lot of this is mitigated. However, that seems like it isn't the plan.

If you can remove Young while improving your CF situation, or the back of the bullpen (Young for H Street?), you greatly improve the team by making that move.

I strongly do think that this is all about making Yougn choose: be an overpaid spare part on a big-time winner here with the Rangers, and not compain about playing time, or allow JD to trade you to a place where you can play every day in the field and be happy, but you will no longer be a Ranger.

I can't deny your logic here Scooby as far as the numbers go, but it is hard to stomach considering there is no one that has more invested in this team than MY, no one, and I'm not sure if this team has the same heart without him. I know the average BBTIA reader is not much into intangibles but they are real, especially in the game of baseball.

IMO, Murphy will not be needed if the Rangers can sign Hamilton to a 2 or more year deal.

Murphy is not the best, defensively, does not hit right-handed, has some trade value, will get more expensive next year, etc. Good player, but not needed here. Let him play somewhere and get some value for him, at a prime age.

If the Rangers do not re-sign Hamilton, keep Murph.

Murphy will get plenty of playing time after Wash, JD, and Nolan see three weeks of Borbon hitting .200, lobbing throws in from the outfield, and throwing to the wrong base.

Plus, there is no way Cruz and Ham stay healthy all year.

The Rangers desire to see Hamilton out of CF is greater than that. If Borbon is that bad they may trade for a CFielder instead of giving Josh log a lot of time in CF.

Just like they traded for one last year?

I think with the knee and the ribs the point has come where we really ought to keep him out of CF.

Scooby what makes you believe Young will ask for a trade even in a deminished role? He has waited his entire career to make it to the playoffs and now that he has had a taste of not just the playoffs but the World Series does the desire for playing time really outweigh the desire to be the last team standing on the field come October? I for one have got to believe that MY's objective is to get back to the World Series and that trumps all.

That being said a lot of assumptions are being made about available plate appearances for guys like Moreland, Napoli, and Murphy while almost no one is looking at PA from Torrealba and Treanor. Napoli WILL catch this year and will catch more games than Treanor. Torrealba is a solid backstop but has only caught more than 100 games once in a season. Napoli could get as many as 200 PA's behind the plate which would allow MY to get a majority of his PA's at DH and allow Moreland to get most of the PA's at 1B. Speaking if 1B I would hit Napoli against a majority of the lefties this year to keep Moreland from getting overexposed. Besides Moreland only played in 47 games this year and didn't even get 200 PA last year so penciling him in for more than 400 PA is a bit steep. If Moreland gets 300 PA next year Napoli and Young can split the remaining 150 or so PA's which puts Napoli right at 350 PA's for the season without him playing a game at DH. If MY gets the 150 PA's at 1B and 400 at DH he's suddenly at 550 AB's for the year without playing a game at 2B or 3B. That leaves about 200 PA's for the rest of the outfield to rotate through during the year.

By the way unless the Rangers keep Gentry there's virtually no way we make it through the season without Hamilton playing CF for at least 25 or 30 games which opens up another 100 PA's for Murphy in the outfield.

How about we expose Treanor and move Napoli to catch agasint LHP, and that will leave room for Murphy to play quite a bit if MY plays 40 @ 1st, 15 @ 2nd, and 10 @ 3rd. That is 65 games and you could get him 10 more or so while sitting MY. This scenario allows everyone ample playing time while getting Murphy in the lineup in LF while Hamilton and Cruz rest at DH.

Rod Carew~ Baseball Course: Hitting 401

If the Org was really worried about CF; Pence, Beltran or Sizemore(for starters)
would be wearing a Ranger uniform. For Josh to come out and state "Im not going to
change the way I play..." puts a cork in the piehole, for him re-taking CF when needed.
Wash has told Daniels to let he and Pettis have an open chance to make Borbon into a
legitimate CF'r. I'd say by the time clock, they have till mid-June to mold & mend his talent.
Wash came from an era of a Landis, Virdon, Piersall, Blair, Nixon, Cedano, even Pettis.
These great CF's were built around speed, glove and bat control. Not Mantle, Mays types.

Borbon has greatly improved his "D". Hitting cut-off should improve. His arm is what it is.
Now, IF he can get over the 'slaps' as his hitting style, he might make it. Continue to hit above .275 .350+ and no one can argue his bunt, is near the Best in MLB. I love that aspect.
Where's Rod Carew, when you need that extra Hitting 401 Course? What a magician he was.

Two big assumption about Murphy's diminished playing time.

1. This team stays healthy. For the past two seasons Murphy's PT was a concern, but at the end of the season he got plenty of time because of injuries.

2. Borbon learns how to be a productive hitter. I don't have faith in that. I don't mind taking a slight hit defensively to get Murphy's bat in the line-up.