Rangers Lose Series Finale To A's, 6-3

I'm sorry, but when you're beaten nearly single-handedly by a backup catcher who boasts a lifetime .209/.305/.355 batting line, you don't deserve to be talked about. What a disappointing start to the nine game homestand.

The DMN's Tim Cowlishaw held a chat session on Wednesday, although about 90% of the questions Cowlishaw answered were about the Mavericks and (of course) the Cowboys. Mainly, though, Tim believes Texas should sign Torii Hunter over a "strikeout artist" like Adam Dunn, and thinks that the Rangers should have held onto Gagne and signed him to an extension this off-season.

While the latter could still come true, I'm not at all enamored with the idea of the Rangers bringing Gagne back with a long-term commitment - way, way too much risk, and not a real great use of the limited payroll resources available.

As far as the former is concerned, I'm just not understanding the fascination in the local media with Torii Hunter - nor the immediate disregard of Adam Dunn solely because of his high strikeout totals. Dunn's four years younger than Hunter, and is toeing the line between being a good and elite offensive left fielder, batting .262/.362/.552 this year. Hunter may be having a very good season, but to expect him to continue to produce at this level through his age 33-37 seasons is a major stretch.

The rest of my post was just wiped out by some bad handling of the keyboard on my part, so as I attempt to control my rage at my stupidity, here's a quick summary of what I had written: Jerry Hairston's headed to the DL with a bad back, Evan Grant has a rundown of Baseball America's latest rankings on the Rangers' prospects, and BA's Jim Callis has a summary of where the Rangers' farm system now stands after the trade deadline.

Sigh. You know it's a bad night when you've lost an hour of writing and your baseball team loses in such miserable fashion.

Rangers Break Losing Streak With 8-6 Win

It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done.

Kason Gabbard won his Rangers home debut, as Texas squeaked past the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night, 8-6. Gabbard was solid, allowing just three runs on five hits and three walks during six innings of work. He also struck out four, while throwing 107 pitches on the night.

It was an encouraging performance from Kason, despite a two-run HR from Mark Ellis which tied the game at 3-3 in the 6th inning. His fastball continues to sit in the high-80's while barely scraping 90 MPH on occasion; he has the ability to survive at the major league level, but he'll have to continue to make up for his sub-par fastball with above-average command and strong off-speed pitches. It's still far too early to tell whether he's capable of doing that on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, Texas pounded Oakland starter Chad Gaudin for seven runs in just five innings. Marlon Byrd put the Rangers on the scoreboard with a three-run blast to left center field in the 4th inning, and in the 6th inning, Texas got RBI doubles from Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Gerald Laird and Frank Catalanotto to go up 7-3.

Things got really dicey after that, though. Wes Littleton led off the 7th inning by allowing three consecutive singles, loading the bases with nobody out and earning a quick exit from the game. Frankie Francisco miraculously worked out of the jam without giving up a run, but instead gave up three runs of his own in the 8th inning via an RBI single and a two-run shot from Shannon Stewart. All of a sudden, the lead was down to 7-6.

Fortunately, the Rangers got a huge insurance run in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Nelson Cruz beat out what would have been an inning ending double play, scoring a run from third base. C.J. Wilson came on for the save opportunity in the 9th inning, and set down the A's in order to give the Rangers a much-needed win.

Jon Daniels expects Michael Young and Ron Washington to receive minimal fines from the league, following their ejections from Monday night's game by home plate umpire Bill Miller. Not surprisingly, Daniels doesn't seem too thrilled about Miller's decision making:

"I was surprised how quickly Young was ejected," Daniels said. "Here's a guy who is widely respected, carries a lot of class and dignity and never shows an umpire up. I thought it was a little quick given the circumstances of his track record."

It was Young's first ejection since last June, when he was ejected for throwing his bat in San Francisco. Incredibly, Washington's ejection was his first ever in baseball, including his playing days.

On the injury front, Vicente Padilla threw a regular bullpen session on Tuesday with no setbacks, and is scheduled to throw 65 pitches during his next rehab start at Double-A Frisco on Friday. Aki Otsuka began his rehab schedule on Tuesday with 35 throws, and according to pitching coach Mark Connor, will hopefully return no later than September 1st. And finally, Kameron Loe is expected to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

Evan Grant's latest DMN Rangers newsletter has been released, which I highly suggest checking out.

Finally, outfielder Eric Byrnes agreed to a three year, $30 million extension with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. He's having a solid 2007, but this is a guy with a career .268/.329/.457 batting line who's played only about 20% of his games in center field this season. At this rate, Aaron Rowand will be looking at 5/55, Torii Hunter at 6/90 and Andruw Jones at...well, I don't even want to think about that.

With each day that passes, Marlon Byrd becomes a more attractive option for the center field job in 2008.

Wednesday, August 8th Game Preview

Oakland Athletics (54-60) at Texas Rangers (49-64)

Lenny DiNardo (5-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Kevin Millwood (7-9, 5.98 ERA)

7:35 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Young, Washington Ejected In Frustrating 9-7 Texas Loss

Ah yes, another maddening evening of Rangers baseball.

Texas rallied from an early 7-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th on a Michael Young homer, but eventually fell to Oakland on Monday night, 9-7, in 13 innings. Thirteen very frustrating innings, I might add.

John Rheinecker got the start for the Rangers, and struck out the first two batters that he faced in the top of the 1st inning. Three singles, a walk, a grand slam and a solo home run later, it was 6-0. Shades of R.A. Dickey, I tell ya.

Rheinecker managed to eventually escape the 1st inning, and pitched four more innings, while allowing just one more run. I guess it's nice that John showed some resiliency, but he didn't exactly go into shutdown mode after the 1st inning, either. He finished the evening with nine hits and four walks permitted in five innings, while allowing seven earned runs.

Seeing as how Cleveland pummeled him badly in his last start, I'm thinking Rheinecker should have a very, very short rope on his job in the starting rotation. He's shown promise of being a suitable LOOGY out of the bullpen, but he's never shown himself over an extended period to be anything more than a 5.50 ERA starter at the major league level, at best.

To the Rangers' credit, they certainly fought back. Texas scored three times in the 3rd and 8th innings, while Mike Wood pitched four brilliant innings of hitless baseball to keep the Rangers in the game. Michael Young led off the bottom of the 9th with his game-tying home run to right field that barely cleared the wall, marking the first time Young had homered in exactly three months.

Marlon Byrd doubled with one out, and Nelson Cruz was intentionally walked, but Jason Botts and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were unable to finish the job, and the game went to extra innings.

That would be something the Rangers would dearly regret.

Texas got three shutout innings from Joaquin Benoit and C.J. Wilson through innings 10-12, but the offense was unable to deliver against A's relievers Alan Embree and Andrew Brown. To be fair, Brown had some absolutely filthy stuff working, including an explosive 98 MPH fastball and a vicious, biting slider. However, one of his pitches would lead to some very heated controversy.

Michael Young led off the bottom of the 11th inning for the Rangers against Brown, and was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Bill Miller on a 3-2 pitch, which appeared to be out of the strike zone. Young turned to Miller and began protesting angrily, earning him a nearly instantaneous ejection and setting off a livid crowd that was already sick of Miller's strike zone.

Ron Washington, who had to hold Ramon Vazquez back from getting in Miller's face during the previous inning on a borderline 3-2 strikeout call, came charging out of the Rangers dugout. Seconds later, he received his first ejection as Rangers manager; needless to say, he certainly got his money's worth, as the classic screaming match between Washington and Miller was on par with Buck Showalter's and Gary Darling's tangle back in 2005.

During his post-game press conference, Washington said that he didn't believe that Brown "earned that strike." I think it goes without saying that it takes a pretty awful strike zone call to spark such a violent protest from Young, who is one of the more soft-spoken and respected players in baseball. Bill Miller's strike zone was inconsistent at best and completely miserable at worst on Monday night, and that goes for both the Rangers and A's.

Willie Eyre came in to pitch the top of the 13th inning, and coughed up a pair of two-out runs, which eventually sank the Rangers after one final rally fell short in the bottom of the 13th inning. Don't get me wrong, Eyre's a decent mopup reliever to have lying around - however, his 8.04 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and .353 BAA in 15.2 IP (not including tonight's game) since the All-Star break are just brutal, and that's only amplified when he's forced into pitching during critical situations - like tonight.

And so, the book has closed on another disappointing night of Rangers baseball. Texas has lost five straight and eight out of ten, which has undone most of the recent progress the Rangers had made in the standings. But hey, at least it's fun to watch Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz tear the cover off the ball, right?

There's been little of note as far as Rangers news since the trade deadline, but I'll end tonight's rant with one very concerning quote from T.R. Sullivan's latest article about first-round pick Blake Beavan:

If a deal does not get worked out, Beavan will attend Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, one of the top junior college baseball programs.

"It definitely would be an option," Beavan said. "I could play there a year and maybe be in the top-five next year and get twice as much."

I don't know if this is yet another negotiating ploy from Blake, but I will say this: he's really starting to tick me off.

Tuesday, August 7th Game Preview

Oakland Athletics (54-59) at Texas Rangers (48-64)

Chad Gaudin (8-7, 3.88 ERA) vs. Kason Gabbard (3-1, 3.86 ERA)

7:35 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

NEWSFLASH: Loe To DL, Wood Called Up

Per the DMN's Richard Durrett, starter Kameron Loe has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 30th) with what is being described as a "sore lower back."

He originally injured his back during a bullpen session on Wednesday; while he'll miss his next two starts, it doesn't sound like it will be a long-term issue:

"I've had back pain there before, but it hasn't forced me to miss a start," Loe said. "Better safe than sorry at this point. But my back felt better today, so I'll be OK."

Making Loe's previously scheduled start on Saturday is Mike Wood, who threw 81 pitches during an eight-inning performance on Wednesday for Triple-A Oklahoma. No doubt, the bullpen will waiting for an early call on Saturday night.

Pitching coach Mark Connor says not to read too much into Vicente Padilla's poor first inning during his rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Thursday night, because the unsuitable weather conditions in Midland made the mound difficult to pitch from. Padilla will throw again on either Sunday or Monday.

Oh yeah, and the Rangers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, 6-4.

But let's not talk about that.

Saturday, August 4th Game Preview

Texas Rangers (48-61) at Toronto Blue Jays (54-54)

Mike Wood (1-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Shawn Marcum (7-4, 3.67 ERA)

12:07 PM CST in Toronto, Ontario (Rogers Centre)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Kason Gabbard Loses Rangers Debut In 5-0 Shutout

Well, at least Texas still won the series.

Kason Gabbard pitched decently, but a lack of run support spoiled his Rangers debut, as Texas was shut out on Thursday afternoon by the Indians, 5-0.

Gabbard allowed three runs in 5.2 innings of work, while giving up eight hits and a walk and striking out four. He boasted a very impressive 12-1 ground-to-fly ball ratio on the day, but three wild pitches, a passed ball and a HBP sort of lessened the benefit of all those ground balls. Basically, he was a lot more wild than his one walk indicated, as he also threw just 57 of his 95 pitches for strikes.

Kason's stuff was basically as advertised; MLB Gameday showed his fastball velocity topping out at around 89 MPH, while the FSN radar gun showed at least one 92 MPH reading; however, I'm more inclined to believe MLB's radar gun readings.

Gabbard's curve worked in the mid-70's for the most part, and while his breaking pitches did indeed seem to be above-average as far as break and movement, his command left something to be desired. Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve can compare him all they want to Kenny Rogers, but he'll have to be a lot more sharp if he's going to meet those kind of lofty expectations.

For his part, Gabbard admits he wasn't that great on Thursday:

"I wasn't really too sharp with everything," Gabbard said. "I'm a ground-ball pitcher and I got a lot of ground balls and some of them found holes and that hurt me. Overall, I'm not mad about it. I kept the team in the ballgame and went as long as I could."

Unfortunately, the offense couldn't say the same. Texas had a man on third with less than two outs in each of their first two innings, but were unable to capitalize on either occasion. The Rangers formed one last big threat in the top of the 6th inning with men on first and second and one out; Marlon Byrd hit a sinking liner to right-center field, but Franklin Gutierrez ran the ball down, and Nelson Cruz followed with a groundout to end the inning.

If there was one encouraging thing to take away from the Rangers' dismal offensive showing on Thursday afternoon, it was the strong performance from Jason Botts. He had three ABs of six pitches apiece to begin the game, the final of which he drew a walk on, and then laced a double to left-center field in his last AB, which was a five pitch long affair. Really nice to see Jason's plate discipline at work - too bad his first two ABs, which both came with a man on base, ended with pop outs.

With Aki Otsuka still out until late August or early September, C.J. Wilson is hoping to assume the role of closer. Wilson has publicly commented in the past that his dream is to be a closer; he certainly seems to be in the right mindset for the job:

"I feel like a closer when I brush my teeth," Wilson said. "I want to do it. If I'm holding a spot, it's my spot until someone takes it away."

Gold. Ron Washington says that Joaquin Benoit will get save opportunities as well during Aki's absence, but with Wilson earning the save in each of the Rangers' last two wins, C.J. certainly seems to be closing in on getting the majority of the save opportunities moving forward.

Have I mentioned how happy I am that Jon Daniels didn't trade C.J. Wilson? In all honesty, keeping Wilson and Benoit while dealing Gagne was the best thing Daniels could have done for the bullpen, as far as 2008 and beyond are concerned.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has gone 0 for 8 since yesterday's first inning RBI single, is going to the Instructional League in October with third base coach Don Wakamatsu to work on his catching skills. With Salty and Gerald Laird handling the catching duties through the last two months of the season, Adam Melhuse is apparently feeling rather left out:

"That's the way it goes," Melhuse said. "That's the direction they decided to go. It looks like AB's are going to be tough to come by in the next two months, but next year might look good. The way I see it, I don't anticipate them bringing Saltalamacchia in here to back up. They'll either have him playing behind the plate every day or playing first base every day. I just need to be patient."

After being dealt to Texas from Oakland on June 9th, Melhuse went through a 9 for 22 hot streak, during which he hit .409/.435/.636. Since that point (not including Thursday's 1 for 4 effort), Melhuse has gone 3 for 22 with a .103/.188/.138 batting line. Overall, his batting line as a Texas Ranger (again, not including Thursday) now stands at .235/.291/.353 in 51 AB.

When you include the fact that Melhuse is a below-average defensive catcher to the equation, there is no real reason for him to be back on this team next year. After all, a backup catcher who can't hit or defense isn't very useful, clubhouse leader or not. But hey, according to T.R. Sullivan, there might be some playing time for Melhuse after all!

The plan is for Saltalamacchia to catch two games a week and Gerald Laird to do the rest. Melhuse might get a game at third or first, but that's about it.

Melhuse at third base? Yikes.

The DMN's Evan Grant published the latest edition of his weekly Rangers newsletter on Thursday, with the usual excellent information included. Among other things, Grant calls for Tom Hicks to give Ron Washington a contract extension (which I'd have no problem with), and says that Jon Daniels should start gearing up for an aggressive pursuit of one of the "Big Three" in the free agent center field market this offseason - Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, or Aaron Rowand.

Adam Morris has an nice analysis explaining why giving Torii Hunter a five year, $75 million contract or thereabouts would be a bad idea - simply put, Torii Hunter is not an elite player (and never has been), he'll be 33 next July, and the odds of him living up to that kind of contract are pretty lousy.

Even though Marlon Byrd has been noticeably slumping lately, I still think he could be a very viable starting option in center field next season - I like the range that he's shown thus far in center field, and if Byrd can hit something like .290/.350/.450 next year, he'll be an above-average center fielder for the Rangers. And all while being two years younger than Hunter, at about $12-13 million less per year over a much shorter contract.

While an .800 OPS is far from a lock when considering Byrd's career .273/.335/.388 batting line, it's obvious that hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has had a major positive impact on his offensive production, and that's why Byrd could very well continue this season's torrid pace into next season. One caveat, though: his .419 BABIP in 2007 suggests that his batting average will probably not stay this high.

Mark Teixeira confirmed on Wednesday that he rejected Tom Hicks' contract extension offer of eight years, $140 million, which was offered to Teixeira two weeks ago in Anaheim.

Although Ken Rosenthal ripped Hicks for going public with his offer, the fact that Teixeira and agent Scott Boras did not even bother to make a counter-offer tells you all you need to know about the Rangers' chances of keeping Teixeira around after 2008. In my opinion, 8/140 was a more than fair starting point for starting contract negotiations, and if that didn't even get Teixeira to the bargaining table, then Jon Daniels was right to trade him now for maximum value.

The Rangers have botched many things during their 36 years of existence, but they played this entire Teixeira situation as well as they possibly could have.

By the way, Teixeira went 2 for 7 on Thursday night with a double, a walk and a home run, as well as two runs scored and two RBI. However, it wasn't enough for the Braves, who lost to the Astros 12-11 in 14 innings.

Vicente Padilla gave up four runs during the first inning of his rehab start Thursday night at Double-A Frisco, but there's no further details on exactly what happened yet, as the game was suspended in the top of the 2nd inning after a lengthy rain delay out in Midland.

Newly acquired left-hander Matt Harrison has been assigned to Surprise, Arizona to continue rehabbing his injured left shoulder; meanwhile, outfielder David Murphy has yet to report to Triple-A Oklahoma because his wife is expecting a child within the next few days, and because the Rangers apparently haven't decided exactly what to do with him yet.

Kevin Millwood, who has been battling an upper-respiratory infection for the last couple of days, is still scheduled to make his start on Friday night against Toronto's Roy Halladay. Back on April 30th, Halladay hurled a 110-pitch complete game victory against the Rangers in Toronto, but gave up nine runs to the Rangers in Arlington just five days later.

I know which Roy Halladay I'm hoping shows up.

Friday, August 3rd Game Preview

Texas Rangers (48-60) at Toronto Blue Jays (53-54)

Kevin Millwood (7-9, 5.95 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (11-5, 4.04 ERA)

6:07 PM CST in Toronto, Ontario (Rogers Centre)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

The Jarrod Saltalamacchia Era Begins

The Jarrod Saltalamacchia era has started with a bang.

Saltalamacchia laced the first pitch he saw in a Rangers uniform into center field for a two run single against Cleveland's Paul Byrd on Wednesday night, and Texas would go on to win in 10 innings, 9-6.

The night marked the beginning of a new chapter in Rangers baseball, as Jason Botts would also make his first 2007 start in a Rangers uniform. Despite his 0 for 5, three strikeout season debut, there are hopefully many more opportunities right� around the corner for Jason. And hopefully, some base hits too.

For all the excitement surrounding the revamped Rangers on Wednesday night, John Rheinecker did his best to put a wet blanket on the festivities. After the Texas offense staked him to an early 3-0 lead, Rheinecker promptly gave it away, as Cleveland rallied quickly to take a 4-3 lead.

He came back to retire eight straight Indians after Casey Blake's two run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but four consecutive base hits with one out in the 5th inning prompted his departure from the game. His final line for the night? Just 4.1 innings of work, during which Rheinecker surrendered six runs on eight hits and a pair of walks.

All in all, it was a pretty brutal night for Rheinecker, whose normally mediocre stuff seemed even worse than usual. And herein lies the reason why I can't get too excited about the addition of Kason Gabbard to the rotation, despite his early success this year; by most accounts, he has a marginal set of pitches, really isn't a strikeout pitcher, and seems to be a somewhat enhanced version of John Koronka. Hopefully my instincts are wrong about Gabbard, though.

Texas came back to tie the game twice - once after falling behind 4-3, when a very controversial "error" by first baseman Ryan Garko allowed Marlon Byrd to score from second base. Rangers TV announcer Tom Grieve has been very critical of Jacobs Field's official scorer during this series, and to be honest, he has every right to be - the ball which Garko "misplayed" was a laser beam off the bat of Ramon Vazquez, which I'm not sure Garko ever even saw.

The Rangers tied the game again in the 7th inning, when Frank Catalanotto lined a two out, two run double to left center field that scored Ramon Vazquez and Nelson Cruz. The game eventually came down to a battle of the bullpens, and when it's between Cleveland and Texas, you have to like the latter's chances. Indeed, the Rangers' bullpen would not surrender another run on the night, with Willie Eyre, Wes Littleton, A.J. Murray, Joaquin Benoit and C.J. Wilson teaming up for an impressive 5.2 innings of shutout baseball to end the game.

In the 10th inning, things went quickly downhill for Cleveland. Ramon Vazquez led off with his third single of the night, and a poor throwing decision by reliever Jensen Lewis on a Frank Catalanotto sacrifice bunt allowed Cat to reach base as well.

Ian Kinsler followed with another sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher, which ended in some great defensive comedy: Lewis double-clutched as he considered throwing to third base for the force out on Vazquez, but decided he didn't have enough time. As Lewis suddenly realized that Kinsler was about to be safe at first base, he fired a poor and very rushed throw to first base, which went sailing past first baseman Ryan Garko into foul territory.

Texas took a 7-6 lead on Jensen's error, and they would never look back. Jason Botts hammered a deep RBI sacrifice fly to center field that scored Catalanotto, and Marlon Byrd hit an RBI single to center field with two outs. Joaquin Benoit got into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the 10th inning, but C.J. Wilson came in with two outs to face his teammate from a week prior, Kenny Lofton. Lofton represented the tying run at the plate, but Wilson struck him out looking on four pitches to end the game.

Is it just me, or was tonight's lineup one of the best lineups the Rangers have run out there in a while? With the return of Ian Kinsler from the disabled list, Nelson Cruz's red hot bat and the addition of Jason Botts, I don't really consider there to be a single easy out for opposing pitchers - well, with the possible exception of Gerald Laird. I know we're only two games deep into the post-Teixeira era, but I really do think this offense will be fine, even with his .297/.397/.524 batting line no longer around.

I was originally going to write a lengthy Adam J. Morris-like diatribe complaining about why Jason Botts wasn't up here yet, since it was already August 1st. However, Jon Daniels and the Rangers took care of that today during a 10-minute pregame meeting with Sammy Sosa, Ron Washington and Rudy Jaramillo, where the Rangers informed Sosa that he would no longer be an everyday player. Sammy, for his part, has taken the news in full stride:

�I�m very proud of the chance that they gave me,� Sosa said. �I came through like a slugger. I produced a lot of runs and it�s something that I feel great about. On the other side, I have to understand that they want to see the young kid here. They told me that Jason Botts is going to be the DH and once in awhile I�ll be playing. That�s the role that a veteran has to deal with. I don�t have a problem with that because I understand that they have to see that young prospect.�

While Sosa's offense has been downright miserable lately, I feel that Sammy showed a great deal of class with his comments, and for that I commend him. He'll apparently get limited playing time against left-handed pitchers (which there's nothing wrong with) and some pinch hitting opportunities, as well. However, since the organization is strictly against the idea of releasing Sammy, don't be surprised if he's still traded within the next few weeks - most likely, to a contender.

The DMN's Evan Grant conducted a great chat session on Wednesday afternoon, fielding questions on topics ranging from Jon Daniels and his rebuilding of the farm system, to Hank Blalock's future with the Rangers.

There's also some very eye-opening stuff on Mark Teixeira from the normally mild-mannered Grant, who seems to stop just short of calling Teixeira a hypocrite during his answer to one question; Evan also seems to infer that Teixeira wasn't the greatest person to be around in the clubhouse during his final weeks as a Ranger. Excellent stuff as always, and definitely worth checking out.

Speaking of Teixeira, he went 1 for 4 with a bases loaded walk and a three run HR in his Braves debut on Wednesday night, as Atlanta crushed the Astros at Turner Field, 12-3.

Meanwhile, Jean-Jacques Taylor has an article out about how the "future is now" for Texas, as Nelson Cruz and Jason Botts attempt to prove that they can be part of the Rangers' long-term future. Or something like that.

Kason Gabbard will make his Rangers debut on Thursday, as the 25-year-old left-hander will square off against Cleveland's Jake Westbrook. Oddly enough, he made his last start in a Red Sox uniform at Jacobs Field back on July 26th, when he allowed five runs in 4.2 innings of work.

With the Rangers on the verge of completing yet another sweep of a second-place team, I sure hope Gabbard brings more to the table on Thursday than that.

Thursday, August 2nd Game Preview

Texas Rangers (48-59) at Cleveland Indians (60-47)

Kason Gabbard (4-0, 3.73 ERA) vs. Jake Westbrook (1-6, 5.85 ERA)

11:05 AM CST in Cleveland, Ohio (Jacobs Field)

TV: KDFW/Fox 4 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

NEWSFLASH: Littleton Up, Feldman Down; Botts Recalled?

Lost in the excitement of yesterday's trade deadline madness were several fairly significant 25-man roster moves made by the Rangers:

Left-handers A.J. Murray and Kason Gabbard took the spots of Ron Mahay and Eric Gagne, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia obviously took the place of Mark Teixeira. In addition, Desi Relaford was designated for assignment, and Ian Kinsler was activated from the 15-day disabled list after missing four weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot.

According to today's Oklahoma Redhawks game notes, right-hander Wes Littleton has been recalled from AAA, while Scott Feldman has been optioned back to the minors.

And finally, per ESPN 103.3 FM's Randy Galloway, the Rangers are reportedly calling up Jason Botts from Triple-A Oklahoma, and are going to bat him in tonight's lineup. I'm not sure what the corresponding 25-man roster move would be here, though; could Jerry Hairston Jr. be DFAed? The Rangers are apparently moving Jamey Wright to the bullpen, and Tom Hicks already said Sammy Sosa would not be released, so this is the only idea I can think of.

Needless to say, Salty, Cruz and Botts all showing up on tonight's lineup card would be extremely exciting.

4:40 PM Update: Botts is batting cleanup tonight against Cleveland's Paul Byrd, Cruz is batting sixth, and Salty is batting seventh.

So it begins.

5:05 PM Update: Per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Richard Durrett, Travis Metcalf has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma to make room for Botts. That's somewhat disappointing; wouldn't the recent youth movement conducted within the last few days make it logical that Metcalf would play regularly at third base until Blalock returns?

In any event, Ramon Vazquez is starting at third base tonight for the Rangers.

Analyzing The Eric Gagne Deal

Before I begin tonight, I'd like to thank Mike Delchamp for helping me out by filling in for the last three posts here at BTiA while I was away at work on Tuesday. Working during the trade deadline really, really sucks.

As you've already heard by now, the Rangers dealt closer Eric Gagne to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday afternoon for starter Kason Gabbard, outfielder David Murphy and outfielder Engle Beltre.

Gagne, who waived his no-trade clause to Boston for financial considerations, will apparently set up for closer Jonathan Papelbon, and may get some save opportunities on the nights Papelbon isn't available. Thanks for 33.1 innings of great pitching, I guess.

Kason Gabbard, a 25-year-old left-hander, went 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA in seven starts this year for the Red Sox, and also compiled a 7-2 record with a 3.24 ERA in 14 starts during several stints at Triple-A Pawtucket. Before you get too excited, however, bear this in mind: Gabbard's potential likely tops out as a back of the rotation type starter. One reason for that could be due to Kason undergoing an astonishing four elbow surgeries thus far, as well as the fact that he boasts mediocre stuff at best.

Gabbard's pitches include a high-80's sinking fastball which can touch the low-90's, as well as a supposedly above-average changeup and curve. Unfortunately, you need excellent command and pinpoint control to survive with that kind of arsenal in the big leagues, and I'm just not sure he has that - yet.

Not surprisingly, PECOTA really doesn't like Gabbard, and the fact that he hasn't cracked any top prospect lists doesn't really bode too well for his own long-term prospects. Nonetheless, he will join the Rangers rotation immediately, and could eventually turn into a #4 starter with some hard work. And a lot of luck.

Baylor product David Murphy, who was Boston's first round pick in the 2003 draft, came in at #14 on John Sickels' pre-season Red Sox prospect rankings; however, he failed to break any other lists. The 26-year-old Murphy was hitting .280/.347/.423 with 9 HR in 400 AB at Triple-A Pawtucket before Tuesday's deal. Murphy, a left-handed hitter by trade, has yet to harness his tremendous batting practice power, and may never do so at his current rate of progress.

Baseball America says that Murphy can handle center field defensively thanks to "good instincts," but that he's better suited for right field. His .300/.368/.468 batting line against right-handers in AAA this year could make him an attractive 4th outfielder option for the Rangers in 2008; then again, don't the Rangers have enough players that are only helpful in platoon situations?

To top it all, PECOTA pegs Murphy as a very marginal major league player at best (.240-.250 EqA over the next five seasons), and believes he'll actually fall below replacement level during that time span. If Murphy makes it as a Ranger over the long haul, it'll be because of his ability to provide some positional flexibility in the outfield and hit right-handed pitching at perhaps a slightly below league-average clip, and that's about it.

Despite the less than glowing reviews of the above players, it is outfield prospect Engle Beltre who is the prize of this trade. The 17-year-old Dominican Republic native signed with the Red Sox in 2006 for $600,000, and quickly caught the attention of scouts around the league. Described as a classic five-tool player, Beltre has already been compared to future Hall of Famers Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr.

Beltre profiles as a future center fielder with an already excellent throwing arm and plus speed; his power potential, however, seems to be virtually limitless as he fills out his 6'1", 170 pound frame. Beltre was hitting just .208/.310/.400 with 5 HR in 125 AB with the GCL Red Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League this season, but that's against competition that's generally a year or two older than him. Although he's probably still four or five years away from the majors at the earliest, Beltre has as high a ceiling as any prospect in baseball.

While Jon Daniels' return on the Gagne trade isn't quite as exciting as that of the Lofton and Teixeira trades, there's still value to be found here. Having a young, cheap and left-handed starting pitcher under your control for at least five more years is a nice thing to have - ignoring, of course, the relatively low ceiling of said pitcher. David Murphy does not do a whole lot for me, but he's a nice organizational guy to have lying around the farm. And while Engle Beltre is years off, he appears to be as electric as it gets.

I must admit, I'm somewhat disappointed that the Yankees, Mets and Brewers refused to step up and make a better offer than what the Red Sox made. Unfortunately, Brian Cashman was too busy applying the "untouchable" label to every Yankee prospect within his reach to make a deal, Omar Minaya was hunkered down somewhere in a Shea Stadium toilet stall trading spare parts for Luis Castillo, and Doug Melvin was apparently satisfied with his acquisition of Scott Linebrink.

Somehow, I have a feeling that Mark Shapiro and the Indians are going to regret not showing more interest in Gagne during the final 48 hours before the trade deadline, especially when it appeared early Tuesday afternoon that Boston's proposed package could be fairly easily topped. However, it might take Joe Borowski blowing two saves in the ALCS before Shapiro realizes that.

While I'm hesitant to call this trade a win for Jon Daniels, I'm certainly not willing to call it a loss. I can't help but shake the feeling that there was perhaps more value that could have been extracted from Eric Gagne; at the same time, however, this was apparently the best deal out there, and the alternative (which consisted of keeping Gagne and signing him to a multi-year contract extension) was not a proposition I was too thrilled about the Rangers doing.

Unfortunately, I just don't have the time or the energy anymore tonight to recap Tuesday night's brilliant 3-1 series opening win against the Indians, or the latest in the Jason Botts/Sammy Sosa DH fiasco, or Mark Teixeira turning down an eight year, $140 million contract extension offer from the Rangers several weeks ago. I'll try and touch on some of those topics tomorrow evening.

However, I will leave you with this thought: Brandon McCarthy is going to be very, very good in the not-so-distant future. And not for another organization, either.

OK, one last thought: Thank goodness the trade deadline is over. I'm exhausted.

Wednesday, August 1st Game Preview

Texas Rangers (47-59) at Cleveland Indians (60-46)

John Rheinecker (1-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Paul Byrd (9-4, 4.40 ERA)

6:05 PM CST in Cleveland, Ohio (Jacobs Field)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Gagne deal is official; Teixeira update

ESPN's Buster Olney and NESN's Tom Caron are reporting that Gagne has waived his no-trade clause and the deal is official. Boston will pay Gagne $2.1M in performance bonuses, and the Rangers will chip in $400k.

Teixeira update: The deal has been announced and there is a fifth prospect included in the deal, former supplemental round pick Beau Jones. Jones struggled at high 'A' Myrtle Beach earlier this season as a starter. He has since been moved down to the bullpen in low 'A' Rome where he has been more effective.

Evan Grant is also reporting that the Rangers made Teixeira an eight-year/$140 million contract offer that he turned down.

Rosenthal is reporting Gagne to Boston

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox and Rangers have agreed to a trade that would send the Rangers' closer to Boston. The deal is pending Gagne's willingness to waive his limited no-trade clause and a review of his medical records. Rosenthal is now reporting that one of the players would be Kason Gabbard.

Gabbard, a former 29th round pick, has pitched in seven games for Red Sox, including four starts. In 41 inning, he's allowed 28 hits while walking eighteen and striking out twenty-nine.

ESPN is reporting that David Murphy and Engel Beltre are the other prospects headed to Texas if this deal gets completed. Murphy is a former first round pick(2003) from Baylor who is also playing at Pawtucket where his line is .280/.347/.423.

Beltre was signed as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2006. He is playing for the GCL Red Sox where his line is currently .215/.315/.413.

Gagne Rumors

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Yankees are no longer interested in obtaining Gagne, and that it's down to three teams, the Red Sox, Mets, and Brewers. With the Mets unwilling to include Carlos Gomez, they might not be a good fit either.

Peter Abraham of the Journal News agrees that the Yankees seem to be out of the hunt despite trading Scott Proctor today to the Dodgers for Wilson Betemit. But he mentions a possible new trading partner, the Cubs, who could use Gagne as their closer.

Blockbuster In Texas: Analyzing The Mark Teixeira Trade

When Mark Teixeira flipped his cap into the Kansas City crowd after Sunday's 10-0 loss to the Royals, many wondered if it was a sign that Teixeira knew that he wouldn't need it again. Or in other words, that he knew that he was good as gone.

36 hours later, it sure looks like that was the case.

Although Monday's blockbuster trade has yet to be finalized, the deal is basically done: the Rangers have agreed to send former All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira, along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, to the Atlanta Braves for catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, right-handed pitcher Naftali Perez and a player to be named later. T.R. Sullivan is reporting that the PTBNL will be left-hander Matt Harrison, so for the purposes of this article, I'll assume he's the final piece of the deal.

Texas fans already know the story from cover to cover on Teixeira and Mahay, so I'll touch on the somewhat unknown, that being the four players the Rangers are getting in return from Atlanta.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the 22-year-old centerpiece of Atlanta's trade package, was listed as the 36th best prospect in the game on Baseball America's Top 100 rankings this spring (as well as the Braves' best overall prospect, and the best catching prospect in baseball), and 51st on Baseball Prospectus's Top 100 rankings. "Salty," a switch-hitting catcher by trade who has received some work at first base this year, hit .284/.333/.411 with 4 HR in his first 141 career at-bats with the Braves in 2007.

While many feel he has tremendous upside, PECOTA projects him to develop 20 HR power with a batting line resembling something close to .260/.350/.460 over the next five years; however, given that he's just 22, he has plenty of room and time to really break out. Although his defense behind the plate still needs improvement, the sky's nevertheless the limit with Salty, who will apparently get work at both catcher and first base during the last two months of the season to see where he fits in the Rangers' long-term plans.

Elvis Andrus, a phenom shortstop prospect out of Venezuela, was ranked #65 on BA's Top 100 this spring. Andrus was batting just .244/.330/.335 in 385 AB in the Carolina League this season before the trade - however, he's only 18 years old, and has been playing nearly half his games at high-A Myrtle Beach, one of the worst hitter's parks in all of professional baseball.

Andrus is a classic "toolsy," highly projectionable prospect; BA has praise for his above-average defense, but notes he'll need to improve his strength and plate discipline to continue progressing offensively. PECOTA believes he could be quite valuable by his age 22 season, to the tune of a .287/.342/.439 batting line at the major league level. By the time 2011 rolls around, Michael Young could be just about ready to move from shortstop to a less demanding position, such as third base.

Matt Harrison, a 21-year-old left-hander, was ranked by both BA and BP as the Braves' best pitching prospect this spring, as well as coming in at #90 on BA's Top 100 and #79 on BP's Top 100. The 6'5", 210 pound Harrison profiles somewhat similiar to another former Rangers pitching prospect in terms of size and stuff - John Danks. Harrison's sinking fastball, which he complements with a plus changeup and curve, runs in the high-80's and can touch the mid-90's.

Harrison has had very good walk and home run rates throughout his minor league career (1.91 BB/9 and 0.66 HR/9 in 547.1 IP), but his middling strikeout rates and inability to miss bats consistently prevent him from profiling much higher than a #3 or #4 starter. Although PECOTA isn't bullish on Harrison in the least, he does seem to be just the kind of pitcher who could thrive in hitter-friendly Arlington.

One quote to remember: before the season, BA said that Harrison was "the closest thing Atlanta has had to Tom Glavine since Glavine left as a free agent."

A dip in velocity during Harrison's most recent start for Double-A Mississippi apparently led the Rangers to check into his health records; he has reportedly been placed on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis, meaning he cannot be traded until he is activated - hence, the PTBNL label. T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers will double-check all of his medical records before officially announcing the deal, but they seem to believe that Harrison will be fine.

The final piece of the deal is 19-year-old Dominican Republic native Neftali Feliz, a flamethrowing right-hander who currently has a 2.05 ERA in 26.1 IP for the Danville Braves in the rookie Appalachian League. Feliz came in at #98 on BP's Top 100 this spring. Although he has yet to progress to full season ball, Feliz's fastball has been called the best in the Braves' minor league system, working consistently in the mid-90's and occasionally touching triple digits.

Feliz also possesses a slider and changeup, but has yet to harness the command of his pitches, as evidenced by his high walk rates thus far in his professional career. Nevertheless, this is exactly the kind of guy you want to see the Rangers getting at the back end of a blockbuster trade such as this: a young, raw and extremely talented pitching prospect, who could become a dominant starter or reliever someday.

So to recap from both major online baseball publications, Baseball America ranked Salty, Andrus and Harrison in order as the top three prospects in the Braves' organization this spring, while Baseball Prospectus ranked Salty, Harrison, Feliz and Andrus as the Braves' first, second, third and fifth best prospects, respectively. This is the kind of high impact, potentially franchise altering return that could eventually turn around the fortunes of the habitually struggling Rangers.

Obviously, I'd like this deal better if the Rangers would deal Gerald Laird and put Salty behind the plate full-time. Barring a major offensive breakout, he's going to lose quite a bit of value playing regularly at first base, as I outlined several days ago. However, according to club officials, the Rangers have no intentions of dealing Laird before the trade deadline, so we're probably going to be seeing a platoon situation develop.

In a perfect world, Ron Washington would bat Catalanotto (LF), Salty (C) and Wilkerson (1B) against right-handers, and Wilkerson (LF), Salty (1B) and Laird (C) against left-handers over the final two months of the season. That would be the best way to optimize the Rangers' offensive production; then again, this is the same guy who put Jerry Hairston Jr. and his "gritty" .247 OBP in the leadoff spot this past weekend against the Royals, so I'm not holding my breath.

Realistically, this is likely the best possible return Jon Daniels was able to get for Teixeira; the L.A. Daily News reported early Monday that the Dodgers never offered James Loney or Andre Ethier to the Rangers, and the Diamondbacks were apparently reluctant to step up their offer beyond Conor Jackson and Carlos Gonzalez.

The Teixeira deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal at approximately 10:00 AM CST on Monday, and that would seem to correspond with the rumor late last night that Braves GM John Schuerholz would not let this thing go too far past noon EST on Monday.

With the Angels not budging from their Kotchman/Saunders offer, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks refusing to step up, and a possible Schuerholz-imposed deadline staring him in the face, Daniels probably decided it was time to pull the trigger. Wise decision, and I don't think you can argue that Daniels played this thing out as far as he possibly could.

Reactions from around the baseball world seem to be quite positive in favor of the Rangers - although realistically, this is a solid trade for both clubs. The Braves desperately needed an upgrade over Julio Franco's fossilized remains at first base, while the Rangers needed a big-time return that could fortify the farm system, as well as the big league club, for 2008 and beyond.

Congrats to Thad Levine, Don Welke, Ron Hopkins, AJ Preller and everybody else in the scouting and personnel departments for a job well done. And thumbs up, JD. You're two-for-two so far this week.

And farewell, Tex.

Finally, Evan Grant is reporting tonight that the Rangers are likely done in the trade market before Tuesday's 3:00 PM CST deadline, even though they hold perhaps the most powerful trade piece still on the market in Eric Gagne. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Brewers are all reportedly in on Gagne.

No word on Sammy Sosa, Jamey Wright, Brad Wilkerson, Joaquin Benoit or any of the other Rangers who have had trade rumors attached to their names in recent days.

Somehow, I have a feeling Jon Daniels has one or two more tricks up his sleeve that he's going to pull before this is all said and done.

14 hours until the trade deadline.

NEWSFLASH: Teixeira To Atlanta Done

Wow. It's finally happened.

Per Dave Sessions and Jim Reeves of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, Mark Teixeira has been traded to the Atlanta Braves, along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, for catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, right-handed pitching prospect Neftali Feliz, and a second pitching prospect to be determined.

Much more on this in the coming hours, including a complete breakdown of each player on the Atlanta side of the equation, and my views on the whole situation.

11:40 AM Update: Per Ken Rosenthal, left-hander Matt Harrison is indeed the second pitcher in the deal, after undergoing an MRI which showed no structural damage to his injured left shoulder.

So, it's Teixeira/Mahay for Saltalamacchia/Andrus/Harrison/Feliz.

12:50 PM Update: Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News confirms Saltalamacchia/Andrus/Feliz, but is saying that the 4th player is a PTBNL at this time. Ken Rosenthal has backed off of the Harrison report, saying that he's "believed" to be part of the deal. The Rangers are likely still reviewing Harrison's medical records, which would explain the discrepancies between media reports.

1:35 PM Update: Still waiting to hear confirmation on the 4th player in the deal, I'm holding off writing a detailed description of the players involved until we see if Matt Harrison is indeed included.

Meanwhile, a few quick takes on the deal:

• Baseball Prospectus's Joe Sheehan has praise for Jon Daniels and his handling of the situation, saying this was the best deal available to him and that it provides considerable value.
• ESPN's Buster Olney calls the deal a win-win for both teams, which I certainly feel describes the situation well.

10:20 PM Update: SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Braves have approved the deal after reviewing Teixeira's medical records, meaning it will likely be officially announced sometime tomorrow morning.

Latest Rangers Trade Rumors

As of the time of this article being posted, the trade deadline is just over 36 hours away. Expect business in the Rangers front office to pick up dramatically - and soon.

T.R. Sullivan reports tonight that Texas and Arizona are discussing a deal that would send first baseman Conor Jackson, AA outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and a pitching prospect to the Rangers for Mark Teixeira. The Arizona Republic also confirms the Diamondbacks' interest.

Meanwhile, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that according to major league sources, left-hander Matt Harrison has been shut down due to left shoulder tendinitis, and is no longer part of the Braves' offer. Atlanta has reportedly sent the Rangers a list of pitchers to consider as Harrison's replacement, which does not include Jo-Jo Reyes, and Rosenthal writes that the deal could potentially become a 4-for-2 swap, with Teixeira and a reliever presumably headed Atlanta's way.

Although Rosenthal says that Arizona's offer comes up short of Anaheim's and Atlanta's, I'm not quite so sure. Conor Jackson projects as a solid, if not spectacular first baseman, with PECOTA projecting him for an EqA in the .285-.295 range over the next five years. Jackson is hitting .274/.372/.430 with 7 HR in 277 AB for the Diamondbacks this year; he projects to top out at around 20 HR, but his ability to draw walks and hit doubles could make him an above-average offensive first baseman in Arlington.

Carlos Gonzalez is a toolsy corner outfield prospect, who ranked 18th on Baseball America's Top 100 rankings this spring and 31st on Baseball's Prospectus's Top 100. He's been less than great this year at Double-A Mobile, batting .271/.312/.469 with 15 HR in 377 AB, but the fact that he's just 21 years old certainly plays a big factor here. John Sickels ranked him as the 3rd best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization last December, rating him a B+ and noting that "weak plate discipline prevents A- grade."

PECOTA isn't too crazy about Gonzalez, projecting him as a 25 HR type power hitter but with less than optimal walk rates, and with EqAs in the .265-.270 range over the next five seasons. His questionable plate discipline is probably the biggest knock against him at this point. Meanwhile, Adam Morris thinks that the pitching prospect is the key to Arizona's offer, while naming Brett Anderson as a player of interest.

Anderson, a 19-year-old lefty who was just drafted last summer, has compiled a 3.18 ERA in 116.1 innings between low-A South Bend and high-A Visalia this season. He's struck out 120 batters, and has walked just 19; I think that ratio speaks for itself. Jamey Newberg notes that Anderson would have to be included as a player to be named later in any trade, since he just signed last September 7th and cannot be traded until this September 7th.

If the Rangers have no intentions of dealing Gerald Laird, there is a reasonable argument to be made that the Diamondbacks' offer may be close to surpassing Atlanta's and Anaheim's, especially if Brett Anderson is among the pitching prospects made available by Arizona. Although there are reports to the contrary, I have a gut feeling that the Harrison injury may be a dealbreaker for the Rangers. That's all conjecture right now, though.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News believes that Arizona's entry into the Teixeira sweepstakes could bring the Dodgers back into trade discussions, although GM Ned Colletti is still refusing to part with Highland Park's Clayton Kershaw. However, he's apparently willing to deal James Loney and Andre Ethier. At this point, I don't think you can argue that Kershaw is the Rangers' #1 target, and if Los Angeles puts him on the table, Teixeira is likely going to be a Dodger.

Grant also says that Anaheim's offer of Casey Kotchman and Joe Saunders is still standing; unless Angels GM Bill Stoneman steps up with Nick Adenhart or Brandon Wood as the third player, I seriously doubt Anaheim will get Teixeira.

For what it's worth, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and MLB.com's Mark Bowman still believe that Teixeira will be traded to Atlanta.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark also believes Teixeira will go to the Braves in the end, and includes this curious quote:

So now it's time for the Rangers to close this deal, because yet another front-office man who is close to Braves GM John Schuerholz predicted Sunday that Schuerholz won't wait much longer, saying: "This is just my gut feel, from knowing John for so long. But I'll be very surprised if he lets this thing get past midday Monday. Midday on Monday leaves him 24-28 hours to go complete another deal, using one or more of the same players. And I can just about guarantee you he's working on something else."

As I said yesterday, Schuerholz putting a deadline on this whole thing really wouldn't surprise me, because it shifts the pressure back onto the Rangers. However, if Jon Daniels believes he can successfully create a bidding war between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, then that deadline may very well come and go without a trade being consummated.

And finally, from the original T.R. Sullivan story at the beginning of this piece, there's this quote:

The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and New York Mets are pushing hard for closer Eric Gagne. A source described the situation as "pretty warm."

Gagne can veto a deal to the Red Sox, but cannot block a deal to the Yankees.

I'll close out this trade rumor wrapup with a quote from one of Jayson Stark's updates on Sunday, which seems to perfectly describe the kind of leverage the Rangers have right now in the baseball world:

"My theory," said one AL executive Saturday, "is that Texas is controlling the market, and may even be stopping the market. They've got the best reliever and the best player on the market. So until they act, everything is stalled."

Bold prediction: Expect to see Texas make at least one trade on Monday.

Even if it's only to rid the Rangers of Sammy Sosa, once and for all.

Royals Sweep Rangers In 10-0 Rout

As the bottom of the 7th inning came to a close on Sunday afternoon, with the Royals having just scored four more times to take a 10-0 lead, KRLD radio announcer Eric Nadel quipped that "this is shades of April and May all over again."

How right you are, Eric.

Kameron Loe surrendered six runs in just 5.1 innings on Sunday, and Texas was blanked for the first time since July 7th, when Erik Bedard dominated the Rangers in Arlington with a complete game shutout.

However, the pitcher starting for Kansas City on Sunday was not exactly Erik Bedard. 23-year-old right-hander Leo Nunez, who came into the game with just one career major league start under his belt, crushed the Rangers offense with six strong shutout innings. Texas managed only five hits on the day, with two of those coming from the bat of Gerald Laird. Reliever Joel Peralta picked up where Nunez left off and pitched three innings, earning him his second career save.

On the other side of the coin was the Rangers pitching staff. Ugh. Loe allowed eight hits and three walks in his 5.1 innings of work, while striking out just two. Four doubles by the Royals in the 2nd inning enabled them to take an early 4-0 lead, and they obviously never looked back.

Ron Mahay relieved Loe in the 6th inning, and proceeded to do wonders for his trade value, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk in one inning of work. Granted, two of those runs scored when Scott Feldman was unable to handle his inherited baserunners, as he gave up an RBI single and a bases loaded walk after Mahay was removed from the game. Personally, I've had about enough of Scott Feldman to last me a long time.

The DMN's Evan Grant has some notes in his game story about how the Rangers utterly failed in all facets of the game this weekend, in the wake of the Kenny Lofton deal:

If the Rangers had planned to make an 11th-hour pitch to management to tone down the number of deals that could be made, they did a poor job. They followed a four-game sweep of contending Seattle by losing three in a row to Kansas City, which entered the weekend as one of three AL teams with a worse winning percentage than themselves.

And it wasn't just that the Rangers lost three in a row. It was how they lost that could impact management's thinking. After six weeks of playing very strong baseball, the Rangers reacted to the trade of veteran leadoff man Kenny Lofton on Friday by reverting to the brand of non-competitive baseball that got the team into this mess in the first place.

Grant also notes that this is the worst Rangers loss to Kansas City since a 12-0 beating in 1995, as well as being the first time the Royals have shut out Texas since 2003.

What a miserable way to begin a nine-game road trip.

Vicente Padilla pitched two scoreless innings during his rehab start in Frisco on Saturday, with his fastball registering between 92 and 97 MPH. He experienced no stiffness in his right triceps muscle during or after the game, which is definitely a good sign. He's scheduled to make a 60-pitch outing on Wednesday or Thursday, as well as a 75-80 pitch outing on August 7th. If everything goes well, he could be activated from the disabled list in mid-August.

Ian Kinsler went 2 for 4 in his final AAA rehab game on Sunday, and will be activated from the disabled list before Tuesday's game in Cleveland. Desi Relaford, who has gone 3 for 26 at the plate during Kinsler's absence, will likely be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma. At least he has his music label, 6 Hole Records, to keep him occupied while he works on improving his mediocre .731 OPS for the Redhawks.

Robinson Tejeda allowed four runs in five innings of work during his first AAA start on Saturday, while walking four and striking out eight. I'm going to assume this means his pitching mechanics are still busted.

With Monday's off day, the Texas clubhouse will have two full days to think about their lousy play in Kansas City this weekend. However, it appears likely that there will be a few Rangers who won't have to think about that after 3:00 PM CST on Tuesday.

Or perhaps sooner than that.