So its one day until the real baseball season starts. Everyone aimed at the playoffs trades will happen it will be a total mad house. That being said how about a fresh start? I have two questions for you and there's not right answer. And no hatin on ppls answers just cuz you dont agree, cuz bottom line pretty much nobody will agree. So here we go....

1. Who is the one player you would choose to start a team around. Some go for pitchiing, some for a big bat; you have youth or experience a lot of possibilities

2. Out of the Rangers, who is the one player you would base a new rangers team around. they can be on the team currently, in AAA you name it. even A or AA if you think the ultimate future of the franchise is there.

Here's mine: 1. Michael Pineada. I've gotta major man crush on him. I know its a super small sample size and it could blow up in my face, but i just think he's an absolute stud. HM: Troy Tulowitzki, leadership, bat, the position, he's got it all.

2. CJ Wilson. The consummate professional, always trying to improve, and he's been moved around a million positions. Everyone brings that up about MY, but look at CJ, he was set, to closer, to 8th, to closer, back to 8th, now starter. He's a leader and he's got a lot he can bring to the table.
HM: Hambone, we all know the story, we all know what he can do.... and he's not done, nuff said.

1. Tulo best ss in baseball and a leader plus playoff tested

2. Profar. The next big thing. Will replace Elvis when he leaves for FA or will move to 2nd Profar is the real deal

1. Adrian Gonzalez. He has turned into quite the superstar and leader after the Rangers traded him. Imagine if he was still in a Ranger's uniform. I forget who we received in return for him. Additionally, he has the most beautiful swing in baseball (right behind Ken Griffey Jr.). Every time he walks up to the plate against Texas, I get scared cuz he always seems to get the job done.

2. Josh Hamilton. All you have to do is look at the Rangers batting statistics with him out of the lineup. Those statistics tell you that he is our most indispensable player and leader of the clubhouse. Without Hamilton in a Rangers uniform, I'm not sure that we could win the AL West. Period.

@ Martin nice goin w profar. youre thinking ahead. he's so easy to forget sometimes cuz he's so young, but from everything i've heard besides needing to develop a bat i hear he's the real deal. i've actually heard quite a few tulo comparisons.... ironically. granted that was if he bulks up develops a bat, but ive heard his instincts are unmatched. he's an animal. will be a def shame im we trade him, or it better be both of two things, a guarantee theyre keepiing elvis around, and the pitcher we get in return is the second coming of Nolan Ryan.... ok i'll just take Verlander right now ;)

I think the answer is already here.
The Rangers are building around Elvis.
Profar and Leonys, sealing the Middle up.

The plan, is furthermore strengthened
with young promising, good pitchers.
Mitch/Davis and A.Beltre- fill the corners.

That leaves two corner OF's with sticks,
and a primo catcher to handle the Kid rotation.
Those THREE come from Free Agency.

@Hubz

that was just one question.... now haiku your way to your one player across the league you'd take to center a team around!

1) Tim Lincecum and it isn't close. Best pitcher in baseball, already has his ring, and much younger than most of his close competition (HM: Felix and Verlander)

2) Martin Perez. Seen him play at Frisco. Will be utterly filthy at the top of the rotation in 2013 and for a decade thereafter. (HM: Feliz- he'll be the Rotation Robin to Perez' Batman).

Good news DC: : Seems other clubs expect the Rangers to be "very, very aggressive" on the trade market again this year. SP the No. 1 target, then RP. That per Jason Churchill of prospect insider

nice call on lincecum Scooby. cant believe he slipped my mind. definiate youth to develop around, and surprisingly defies all laws of physics and remains injury free for the most part. hence the Freak!

i have heard perez brings it straight filthy. Boystown, Mexico filthy..... and thats good for us.... real good.

Didn't slip my mind if I get one shot to pick any guy to start my team I go with a guy who plays everyday

1. I'm probably biased, but I agree with Watson88 about A.Gonzalez. I followed him pretty closely the last year he was in the Rangers organization (mainly in OKC), and was really disappointed when I heard they had traded him. Not bragging, but I am completely baffled that none of the Rangers' scouts (or FO?) apparently saw what I saw that year: a future league MVP. The guy was absolutely crushing the ball to all fields and there wasn't a team or pitcher in the PCL that could deal with him--never seen anything like it. Like C. Davis, the defense was stellar and the patience was there. But unlike Davis, AGon was/is a complete hitter--no boom or bust. Completely effortless swing, hands, balance, all of it--truly a natural.

2. In terms of pure talent, I would say Hamilton. Obviously guys like he and AGon are once-in-a-lifetime players.

Martin, you bring up a good point, while pitching is important if you were to pick someone it should be an everyday player for the most part. after some careful thinking i'm changing my choice. Now this would be granted how he recovers from his injury. But pre injury and hopefully post injury.... I gotta go with Buster Posey. I think Catcher is the most important position in the game and this kid has it all including a big stick. So there you go. Thanks for upping my thinking to the next level. Accounting is killing my brain right now. blech.

still stickin with CJ for the Rangers though. i hope they can retain him next year. he'll be sorely missed.

Yea to me the most important things come down to value, age, position (ss,c,CF) in that order, and intangibles (leadership, grit, toughness, and the most important of all he has to sell jerseys). And I think tulo is the most well rounded in those areas and profar is a guy who could become that.

In a neutral park, I would strongly consider a middleeu-of-the-order bat at a premium position (and his name would be Robinson Cano). But RBiA changes things for me. Very good hitters with some power see their productivity play up here, and I think you can have a highly productive offense in this environment with a deep lineup lacking in stars. However, RBiA puts a premium on pitchers who can either rack up lots of Ks or else induce tons of ground balls, but either way it puts a premium on pitchers who don't give up a lot of flyball outs. Also, because every game in RBiA is taxing on pitchers (both because of the hitter-friendly tendencies and the heat index), starters go less innings, and the bullpen gets overused. A durable SP who is good for 7+ a start and is good enough to work through starts where he lacks his best stuff can be a lifesaver. One of the great underestimated benefits of Cliff Lee was the value that "Cliffsmas" brought to the bullpen in terms of keeping it fresh down the stretch.

So for me, for the Rangers, if I were running a league-wide "redraft", I would probably tab SPs in rounds 1-3.

Scooby, you just brought back dreadful memories for me. well not relally dreadful... but your "redraft" comment reminded me of the panthers, jags expansion, and how every team had to give up players to go to those teams. talk about weird. couldnt see that going down now, cant remember who the boys gave up either.....

Expansion drafts have happened twice since in the NFL (Browns and Texans). It just didn't have a "draft" feel to it because there was only 1 team making selections.

yeah i know. its a scary thought. lol. lets let the next worse team in the league ravage yours. fun across the board. not