I think Koji Uehara is about to be the next domino to fall for the Rangers.

Fills a need, they like him, the next tier of relievers are starting to go off the table. If he wants his money, and he does, it's probably time for him to do a deal and for the Rangers to step up and get him signed.

He really seemed to round back in to form at the end of the year. Showed us signs of who we believed he was when the Rangers first signed him. I'd absolutely love it, especially considering the Angels need for relievers.

We just paid $8M for Soria. I think Uehara is off the table now.

Time to pick up our 2nd catcher. Kelly Shoppach.

I believe that the Rangers could afford to bring in both Shoppach and Uehara to lock up the secondary needs of the team.
With those signings, the Bullpen is as good as locked up with Nathan, Uehara, Ross, Scheppers, Font, and Kirkman with Feliz, Soria, and either Ogando or Lewis (assuming we bring in a frontline starter) coming in as midseason reinforcements. Additionally I think at least 20 other teams would be envious of a Shoppach/Soto backstop platoon given the shortage of major league catchers in today's game.
With those moves accomplished, Texas can focus on resigning Hamilton (Greinke is an unrealistic and expensive pipe dream) and pursue one or perhaps two of the following 3 trades:
Elvis/Olt for Upton/Bauer
Young/Perez/Cruz for Lee
Moreland/Perez/Gentry for Shields
**Disclaimer** additional prospects and tweaks are obviously necessary to make these deals work but these outlines serve as the core pieces of the trades.

Koji. We need one more bullpen piece. Nathan, Soria, Uehera, Ross, Scheppers, Kirkman looks good to me

We still need 2-3 more pieces since Soria probably won't be ready til May or June or whenever. TJ usually takes more than a year to come back from. Since this is his second TJ who really knows how long til he's full strength again.

comments about Grienke being an unrealistic pipedream are annoyingly frustrating to me. It's the easy thing to say because more than likely, he won't sign and you'll say "I told you so." But the truth is, that's not the case at all. There are many teams vying and only one wins. The rangers have big market resources, a phenomenal front office, a great state taxwise, a talented team and farm system, and has expressed clear interest in Grienke for years. If that's a pipe dream, what isn't?

I think you wait for a RP to slip through the cracks. A "value" will be available later in FA.

if we can trade moreland/perez/gentry for shields, I will buy all four plane tickets today!

TB signed Looney... Moreland is a NoFit.
Id like to see JD mix up a 3 way with KC,
to obtain Shields.

Haren signs with DC.
The bargains fall early.
Money escaltes for the next signing.
Definately for Pitchers.
Grienke's money will be sick.

@ Aggiecurt

Maybe people are pessmistic because we couldn't get Cliff Lee to re-sign despite those arguments, and we might be in worse position in terms of competitiveness (with Hammy possibly gone) than we were in then.

Now they are saying Greinke will get 180+...
Umm, yeah... NO.
If the guy misses over 15 starts over the course of that deal, it's probably a bust. Seriously, I wouldn't touch that thing.
Cliff Lee for 6 years at 120 sounded better than that.

Bid your best and win or drive the price up for the eventual winner and thus possibly turning the win into a loss by wrecking their salary structure. These players are often athletic giants and mental midgets afa what they are worth.

???

??????

I got signed by TB?

Cool!

When do I report?

ROFL! Sorry, typo... Well itz NOT Joe Don Looney, Ed... maybe James Loney?