Andrus SS
Profar 2B
Beltre 3B
Cruz DH
Kinsler RF/1B
Murphy LF
Moreland 1B/RF
Soto C
Gentry/Martin CF

Darvish
Harrison
Holland
Ogando
Perez

Our strength is now pitching. Our weakness is now hitting. We are a team w/out balance. .500 baseball is the goal again!

Small ball is not a way the Rangers should go with their ballpark and the strength of the American League.

Don't forget about Mike Olt

Didn't the Giants just win the World Series with a lineup less fearsome than the one you have listed above...relying on the strength of their pitching?

The strength of thei pitching being they key, Rangers pitching is nowhere close to theirs to be able to carry this lineup through the American League.

Profar will not be in the starting lineup....kinsler at second......Olt and Moreland at first

Also I would like to see Robbie Ross as the 5

Either way this looks like 84 wins.

laroche would be interesting

The Rangers could negate the loss of Hamilton, by signing Laroche and Pierzinski for the same money that Hamilton got. They could also limit there esposure to 3 years. Throw in Swisher and you have a better lineup than the Angels. That would also free up Moreland and Olt to be traded for a starting pitcher.

LaRoche has been a choice of mine, but I fear it would take a 3yr, to pry away from NATS 2yr sign. No thanx.
Pierzynski will do a 2yr. That won't tie our hands, being a power LHB/C. Thome LH/DH -1yr/$1mm fills a hole.
Choice of Upton, Stanton or C.Gonzales, is an expensive dream, but I will never underestimate our front office.
Finding a needed arm, is THE challenge. An R.A. Dickey add, would be a great story & ticket seller- take the risk.

A's did more with less this past season. Rangers will probably finish on the north side of .500, and still could have a fight on their hands just to finish third.

But as Harold Reynolds said yesterday, "Last year the Angels had the best team on paper, and the third best team in the AL West."

How about:

Murphy LF
Andrus SS
Beltre 3B
Cruz RF
Kinsler 1B
Moreland DH
Soto C
Martin CF
Profar 2B

Clear? Looks rather muddy to me. It does keep us busy writing odd scenarios & what if'ss in forum.
Yep, it must be Winter, Everyone is ready for some Baseball. Going to be an interesting spring camp.

Not great, but how about this permutation:

vs RHP

Andrus SS
Kinsler RF
Murphy LF
Beltre 3B
Cruz DH
Martin CF
Profar 2B
Moreland 1B
Soto C

Vs LHPS

Gentry CF
Kinsler RF
Beltre 3B
Cruz DH
Olt 1B
Andrus SS
Profar 2B
Murphy LF
Soto C

Definitely light on LHBs. Power light unless Kinsler rebounds and Martin, Olt, and Profar produce. Don't know where to put Kinsler with Elvis and Profar in the lineup. Murphy and Cruz seem to be without a great spot, especially since Murphy is unlikely to repeat his offense.

If wishes were horses than beggars would ride

The Cardinals pretty much destroyed the "MUST HAVE LEFTIES" theory last year, just as the Twins went nowhere with a glut of lefties. I admit it's helpful to have LHB in Arlington but Murphy, Martin, Moreland, and Profar (S) all figure to get regular ABs and while they may not mash like Hamilton they will do damage. What's the franchise record for team doubles I wonder?

FWIW Ben Rogers says the LaRoche rumor is propaganda by the agent and he won't be a Ranger. I know, I know, but Ben's Ranger "sources" have been pretty solid recently. Personally I'd strongly consider signing Swisher, using Kinsler/Martin in LF and seeing if we could trade Murphy and/or Moreland for a P/C. This Kins-at-1st thing seems forced.

So a fairly average looking offense, a bullpen that doesn't have nearly the depth of last year, and a pitching rotation that drops off to question marks starting at pitcher 3. Also, few FAs of any impact left, and we are out on trading for Dickey.

From World series dreams to an off chance we might be sellers at the trade deadline. Not sure what was the bigger gut punch, choking down the stretch last year or this offseason.

Not sure what koolaid you are drinking guy...right field is not and never has been discussed as a position for Kinsler except by a few press writers and this forum. Kinsler has had a SERIOUS ankle problem for two years and his durability in the outfield is nil, as would be his range.

Thank you, T.O, for such mastery in prognostication.

As for the lineup (assuming no moves) :

vs. RHP

1. Kinsler - LF
2. Murphy - RF
3. Cruz - DH
4. Beltre - 3B
5. Moreland - 1B
6. Andrus - SS
7. Profar - 2B
8. Soto - C
9. Martin - CF

vs. LHP

1. Kinsler - LF
2. Andrus - SS
3. Cruz - DH
4. Beltre - 3B
5. Murphy - RF
6. Olt - 1B
7. Profar - 2B
8. Soto - C
9. Gentry - CF

I'm going strictly SABR on this. I've identified my three best bats against righties (1. Kinsler, 2. Murphy, and 4. Beltre), and lefties (1. Kinsler, 2. Andrus, and 4. Beltre). The rest of the pieces fall into place accordingly. I've pegged Cruz as my 4th-best hitter in each rotation, slotting him in the 3-hole.

And yes, in case there's any doubt, this offense is without a bunch of bang. Quite frankly, I hate both lineups. Imagine how sweet it would be to add an Upton and a Swisher to that mix. Then you could platoon Murphy, and possibly avoid the outfield logjam by having Kinsler at his natural position, with Profar at SS.

The way I see it, as it stands, this lineup will need to manufacture a ton of runs. We need 25+ stolen bases from all of Kinsler, Andrus and Gentry, and perhaps squeeze 15-20 out of Martin and Profar. There's no question we would have a dominant running team with solid above-average to elite defense.

As for me, I need more punch. I don't trust Murphy or Beltre to duplicate what they did last season. At the minimum, we need Nick Swisher and his 120+ wRC+.

THIS IS ALL BY DESIGN> Go for it all in 2012, get the gate over 3 mil, then crack down on team salary. After all and above all, this is a BUSINESS, as all good American business, in it for the profit. Above all look good in doing the plan. Thus the smoke screen with Grienke, knowing there is no way in outbidding LAD. Then letting three players, who had numbers of .359, .338. and .320 averages with high RBIs in the last three seasons leave for a minimum pay relief pitcher, ps Adams joins MY in Phillie. This is a savings from 2013 projected budget of an astonishing $49 mil, or greater than the TAMPA BAY team budget. OH, BY THE WAY, Dempster just signed with Boston for 2/$26 as did Uehara for +$4, SAVINGS NOW UP TO $66 MILL. So the real PLAN A is a rousing success. This is a greater sell off than Boston in July and Miami in November, and along creating the appearance this is not what the team is doing. However there is an extended long term plan, and explanins the heavy investments in non-drafted signees over the last three years. It will just take a long time before realization, 2015 the earliest. So do not trade prospects but play them regularly the next two seasons: Martin in center, Olt at DH until Beltre is moved for prospects in July, Profar at ss, unless Andrus is signed to a large extension, unlikely with Boras. Start both Perez and Ross behind Darvish, Harrison and Holland, leaving Ogando in relief. DO not be surprised if the Rangers are not the Twins of 2013.

T.O. 80 proof Canadian koolaid. It would be interesting to see what I would find with 200 mics of the electric brand. I put Kins in right because he has a better arm than Murphy. Wherever he goes, the lineup lacks pop, conscripting Kins out of lead off. He has power and speed so I like him number 2 to advance runners. Elvis, Murphy, and Cruz are the odd men out. Whether Ian goes to the OF or 1B, it is a desperate mangling of his positioning. Either the Rangers up their trading or start buying power ball tickets.

les, baseball is not a business, it is a game, just ask the ghosts of the Supreme Court justices who declared it so when they gifted MLB with the antitrust exemption.

The Rangers have built our hopes and dreams on the narrow shoulds of a handful of young players: Profar, Moreland, Olt, Gentry and Martin. While i have no reason to doubt the talent evaluation group of the Rangers the chances of these guys all coming through the same year are pretty slim. I can seee Profar coming through if he flops all of baseball got it wrong. Moreland has proved to be an above average 1B. Olt is unproven and i doubt he will break out, He should be traded while hit is stock is high. Gentry is as good of defensive player centerfielder as there is, rated above Trout, and he he hit ,300 last year with no pop. Martin has all the tools and should play against right handed pitching.

So there we have it the 2013 Rangers are designed to be young, fast, play defense and CHEAP! I look for Darvish to be better, Harrison to repeat last year. Holland to bounce back from a tired arm after huge increase in innigs in 2011. Ogando i look at as solid starter. Perez for a few months until Colby Lewis comes back. is scary. We could use another inning eater starter, maybe Edwin jackson.

The bullpen could still use help . Soria is a great pitcher, but he is coming off TJ surgery. I look for him to be turned into a starter in 2014. I have not heard anything about Feliz and when he will be back, but i hope he maakes it by the allstar break,

Not excited about this team. Will i buy season tickets? Frankly, No I will not!

Primi, hate to burst the bubble but Pro Baseball is a business, sports entertainment, but a business none the less. Enjoy it for what it is, a sports entertainment business with many a participant completely dedicated and enamored with the game. I have been a Pro Baseball fan since 1953, it did help to be delusional and believe those Senators/Rangers could take those 'Damn Yankees' ( there was even a top Broadway play years ago titled that). So look for the Rangers to really sign no big names or for that matter trade for anyone, unless to maintain credibility= gate attraction. So look for the Rangers to do little, however they have signed a plethora of potential future super stars, knowing most will fail to make it to ALL STAR level. But there is hope with: Buckel,L. jackson, Mendez Mathews, D. Perez, Y. Mendez, Payano, Alfaro, Guzman,Odor, Garcia, Sardinas, Alberto, Gallo, Brinson, Mazaral Akins, and possibly Herrera, Pinto, West, Skole, Cone or Deglan. All years away.

@les: while I appreciate your points, I'll throw this out there: quoting batting average and RBI is not how to get through to the denizens of this site, and all those seasons you quoted were at least 1 year ago anyway. Nap and Young this year weren't near what they were in 2011.

Actually, I can't wait to see Lil' Joseph Ortiz in Spring Training relief. At 5'7" he's a bulldog.
He's due soon, if not this year.

I am excited about our 2013 Rangers....why ?

1. Will be an energized ball club rather than a "sit back and wait" team.
2. Our Farm is stocked full of "miracles...ie great talent. Play 'em !
3. Pitching will be wonderful. Yu and Matt and Holland will be excellent.
Just get us a defensive catcher the pitchers "LOVE" !
4. If mgmt. does not "fold/ cave", this team will slowly develop and be a significant competitor in the last 110 games.
5. NEW stars = Profar, Martin, Gentry, Moreland....not sure re Olt + others if #2 above is allowed to show their wares.
6. Keys to "13 are in Madgan and the Maddux Bros.