Why you ask?

Because it would mean that we didn't try hard enough to win now in 2011.

One could make a very good argument that teams making real October runs should not be in the top three farm systems in baseball from year to year because if they are that means they haven't taken enough risk to win it all.

Teams that are where the Rangers were 2, 3, 5 years ago are best positioned at the top of such lists, not teams that just made a Classic run and are still positioned to make another.

So, here's for hoping we are baseball's number 5 or 6 six farm system next year, and that a year from now right next to my AL Champ replica ring on my key ring there is a Texas Rangers replica World Championship ring as well.

Just an incendiary thought for the trade season.

Joe - The Rangers draft very well... even better in the compensatory rounds. Add to that the international free-agent signings (Mazara, Guzman, etc.), and the Rangers could still be in the upper echelon of farm systems. Elite, if you will.

I'm darn happy with the farms. In fact we're over-loaded w/talent.
Which means we have prospects to trade to help the Big Team, which
is the full purpose of the farms..
Not many Orgs, can boast that strength. We start with a big cache of
chips, before the first card is dealt. That's called "the leader". JD has a
good grip on our future. I trust his motives & moves. The future seems
to me a very defined line for success... and also for "the Now".

Talk about the ones you don't want to get away? Not just a certain player or two, but also J.D., Thad, Fagg, etc.

I just hope whatever trades we do, if we're giving up top prospects we should trade with an NL team. I don't want those prospects to end up haunting us for years and years like Smoak will. Giving up 2nd-tier prospects - ok to trade them to an AL team. Giving up awesome prospects - trade them to an NL team only please.

Kristen~
That's always been an old wives tale. Think of it this way... you play against them
long enough, you know their tics. You can exploit weakness' more, say over a scouts
assessment before a NL play.
Smoak's got us a couple of times, but a good hitter will rise to any occasion. I'd hate to
face Holland multi-times and maybe a pitcher holds closer to your view. With all the film
etc, most pitchers spend 2-4+ hours, plus the charts they've accumulated.
Great pitchers even know the quirks of Umps,from inning to inning, and play to it.
Just a thought to add- take it or leave it.

And likewise, batters study pitchers and pick up on quirks or indicators, which often tip them off to the next pitch coming. It's not so much that I worry about, say, a Danks or Beavan beating us. It is just that when they're doing very well, we are much more cognizant of it when they are in the AL, and it does tend to sting!

HubZ - Riddle me this?

We (the Rangers) still have until 8/15 to sign this years draftees, correct? Does it look good for Derek Fisher (Who I like), Pentecost, etc.? And while I know some (Fisher) had collegiate commitments, they all seem to say money talks, i.e. Purke a few years ago.

What effect, if any, do you think the recent international free-agent signings have on these guy's psychii and decisions? Both position & competition wise, but also when they see the dollar amount the Latin players are receiving?

Here are guys a couple years younger, playing similar positions (at least in Fisher's case), and receiving multi-millions.