Rangers Look For Sweep Against Brew Crew

Incredibly thrilling win last night, one that we'll probably all remember for a long time, and the Rangers are now in position to sweep the Brewers.

Mark Teixeira will apparently miss more than just 15 days, as his left quad strain is now being described as "severe." Hard to say what this will do to the trade market for Tex, as there could be some lingering effects from the injury even after he returns. I'm starting to suspect, though, that the Rangers are going to demand a pretty big package for Tex, and if they don't get it they're not going to deal him. Brad Wilkerson will serve as his replacement at first base in the meantime.

With Kameron Loe now in AAA, it appears as though Jamey Wright will get his rotation spot back. Wright made his third rehab start today against Round Rock, giving up six runs on ten hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. He struck out just three, but still picked up the win as the Redhawks won 8-6.

The Rangers will not need a fifth starter until Saturday against the Reds, at which point they plan to activate Wright. If Loe had pitched even remotely decent, he would probably still be in the big leagues, but it just hasn't worked out that way.

Adam Melhuse was officially added to the 25-man roster today, with Chris Stewart being optioned to AAA. To make room on the 40-man roster, Jamey Wright has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list, but that's simply a temporary move. When Wright is activated, Oklahoma's Freddy Guzman could find himself being designated for assignment.

Evan Grant says that the Rangers will essentially pick up the rest of Melhuse's $815,000 contract, and that the Rangers hope Melhuse will serve as a "tutor and mentor" to starting catcher Gerald Laird. There seems to be growing concern that Laird's gamecalling ability isn't totally up to par; I don't know how much stock I put into this theory, but when you're on pace to have the worst starting rotation ERA in baseball history, I suppose you have to wonder.

Travis Metcalf is expected to get regular time at third base until Teixeira returns from the disabled list, with Ramon Vazquez being relegated to a bench role for now.

As far as the Jason Botts watch goes, he went 1 for 4 today with an RBI single. Last night, Botts went 3 for 3 with 2 HR, two walks, two runs scored and three RBI. His stat line on the Redhawks website hasn't been updated yet to reflect today's performance, but as of last night he was hitting a whopping .317/.421/.513.

Bob Hersom of the Daily Oklahoman has a nice piece out discussing the addition of a new leg kick to Botts' batting stance, which Jason says has made his swing shorter and quicker. It would also help explain Botts' poor start to the season, as he batted just .200 with 1 HR in the month of April. I'd like to see Jon Daniels and Co. try to justify leaving Botts in AAA if he continues to kill the ball at this pace.

And finally, Sunday is Dog Night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Texas defeated Oakland on Dog Night last year, 4-3. Curiously enough, Jason Botts hit his first major league home run that night, a three run blast that landed in the upper home run porch.

Let's see if the Rangers have what it takes to win three games in a row.

Sunday, June 10th Game Preview

Milwaukee Brewers (33-29) at Texas Rangers (23-39)

Dave Bush (3-6, 5.67 ERA) vs. Vicente Padilla (2-8, 6.45 ERA)

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

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

A Francisco Cordero Story

Wow. Just wow.

For 26 outs, the Texas Rangers were beaten. Brandon McCarthy had put together an excellent start, Joaquin Benoit had thrown three shutout innings, and despite a major hiccup from Frankie Francisco in the top of the 9th inning, Texas had allowed just three runs to one of the best slugging teams in baseball this season.

And the defense was superb, with the Rangers committing no errors and Marlon Byrd making two fantastic catches in right field, including a diving catch that saved at least one run in the 8th inning and kept the game at 1-0.

But despite playing so well defensively, Texas was finished. The Rangers were down 3-0 coming into the bottom of the 9th inning against Francisco Cordero, who had a 0.36 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, .089 BAA, 35 K, and just one earned run allowed in 24.2 IP this year. He had converted all 22 of his save opportunities, equaling the Rangers' win total for the season. Cordero was on pace to have the greatest single season ever put together by a closer in the history of baseball.

And Francisco quickly retired Frank Catalanotto and Ian Kinsler, putting him just one out away from closing out his former team. His former team, which Cordero ripped in November of last year, saying more or less that the Rangers were "stupid" to trade him for Carlos Lee, and that they had forgotten about what he had done for so long.

Never mind the fact that Cordero blew five saves in April of 2006, setting a new major league record for blown saves in a month, or that he posted an ERA in Arlington of 6.56. Never mind that he was appointed the nickname "24/7" by a poster on the Newberg Report forum, a subtle jab referring to the fact that, just like an all-night convenience store, he "never closes." No, the Rangers were the stupid ones.

Tonight, the Rangers turned the tables on good old Coco.

Brad Wilkerson began one of the most improbable rallies in Rangers history by looping a single into left field, with two outs and nobody on base. Ramon Vazquez got ahead in the count 2-0, and for a brief second it appeared things might get interesting, but Cordero pounded in two strikes to even the count at 2-2. However, Cordero failed to finish off Vazquez, instead throwing two more balls to put him on first base - and the tying run at the plate.

Here's where the improbable turns into the nearly impossible: Gerald Laird would fall behind in the count 0-2, took a 97 MPH fastball outside, and then pulled a trademark Coco slider on the outside corner into left field, scoring the Rangers' first run of the game.

Kenny Lofton would follow, again falling behind 0-2, and again taking a 97 MPH fastball outside. On the 4th pitch of the at-bat, Lofton slapped a grounder to first baseman Prince Fielder, who grabbed it and appeared ready to flip it to Cordero for the final out of the game.

But Fielder lost his balance - perhaps partially due to his 260 pound frame? - and fell over, while Cordero was late getting to first base. With Lofton sprinting the whole way, Fielder attempted a desperation shovel pass to Cordero, and it might have beaten Lofton if not for Cordero being off the bag.

Instead, Lofton beat Cordero by half a step, making the score 3-2 and putting runners on 1st and 2nd. At this point, there was no turning back. If Texas had failed to finish the comeback here, it would have been more crushing than if they hadn't rallied at all.

But on this night, the Rangers wouldn't fail. Marlon Byrd stepped into the box, who was 0 for 3 on the night but had a pair of magnificent defensive plays to his credit. Once again, Cordero got ahead in the count 0-2, and attempted to finish Byrd off with stuff low and outside of the strike zone.

But on the 6th pitch of the at-bat, Byrd drilled a slider through the middle, just beyond the reach of both Cordero and second baseman Tony Graffanino, to tie the game. This is the point where I started to lose it, jumping up and down in the middle of my living room and screaming "HE DID IT!"

As Laird crossed the plate, Cordero had the same dumbfounded look on his face that seemed to plague him throughout his final four months with the Texas Rangers. He knew the same demons that haunted him in Arlington during 2006 had returned, despite him being on a different team, in a different uniform.

With Cordero's confidence completely shattered, all it would take was one more base hit to strike the death blow. And Texas had just the man at the plate to do it - the $80 million man, the face of the franchise, Michael Young.

Cordero went ahead in the count yet again as Young waved at a low slider, but his next pitch would be his last. He fired a 96 MPH fastball up in the zone, and right down the heart of the plate. Mike wouldn't miss this one, smashing a trademark opposite field single to right field. Outfielder Corey Hart tried to snag it on the bounce, but not even a perfect throw would have nailed the speedy Kenny Lofton as he sprinted across home plate and leaped into the arms of a jubilant Sammy Sosa.

The Rangers' dugout streamed onto the field, mobbing Lofton and Young in a fashion eerily similar to that following David Dellucci's walkoff double in 2004. Cordero slowly walked off the field, head down, removing his cap and wiping his brow. Brewers GM Doug Melvin looked on in astonishment as his former ballclub celebrated.

I'm certainly not going to sit here and pretend that this win is a precursor to a miracle run that puts the Rangers back in contention. But in a season filled with so much losing and disappointment, this has to be considered a magical moment. For one game, at least, the Texas Rangers are winners, and they defeated the pitcher who had caused them so much grief a year before.

As for Cordero, he was delivered a stinging blow at the hands of his former teammates. Perhaps he'll revert to his 2007 shutdown form as soon as the Brewers' team plane leaves the Metroplex, and he'll dominate the league the rest of the way. But on the other hand, perhaps tonight will mark the beginning of a collapse for Cordero. Heck, Cordero should know all about collapses.

After all, he'll always be "24/7" in my book.

NEWSFLASH: Adam Melhuse traded to Texas

Per the Associated Press, the Oakland Athletics have traded catcher Adam Melhuse to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations. Apparently, the Rangers had expressed interest in acquiring Melhuse at least a month ago.

The 35-year-old Melhuse appears set to become Gerald Laird's backup catcher, with Chris Stewart probably going back to the minors to get more playing time. Melhuse is 6 for 26 at the plate this year with just one extra-base hit (a double), but with four walks as well.

There's also this quote worth noting from the AP story:

"I'd have to think anywhere would be better than here," Melhuse said before packing up his locker and saying goodbyes. "It's weird, I've been here for five years now. I'm comfortable here but playing time is tough to come by for me. The other day I was joking with my agent, saying 'I can barely feel a pulse anymore career-wise. Pretty soon, I'm going to flat line. It's like I'm dying a slow death over here.' Hopefully this will be an opportunity to play. ... It's bittersweet."

Melhuse had played with the Athletics since the beginning of 2003, so he's quite familiar with Ron Washington by now. It'll be interesting to see if some better backup will give Laird more opportunities to rest, and maybe get his season back on track.

NEWSFLASH: Teixeira to DL, Loe to AAA

Per Jamey Newberg, the Texas Rangers have placed first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15-day disabled list due to the strained left quadriceps muscle he sustained during the 6th inning of last night's 9-6 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, #5 starter Kameron Loe has been optioned to AAA Oklahoma City, with the Rangers apparently wanting Loe to develop his breaking stuff more while he's with the Redhawks.

Taking their spots on the active roster are outfielder Brad Wilkerson, who has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, and third baseman Travis Metcalf, who has been recalled from Oklahoma City.

There promises to be some fairly major fallout from these latest transactions. First of all, Teixeira's consecutive games played streak has ended at 507, which had been the second longest streak among active players behind only Miguel Tejada whose streak sits at 1,142 consecutive games. Teixeira's streak dated back to May 20th, 2004.

Secondly, there's a huge offensive impact involved here: the Rangers are going to badly miss Teixeira's .302/.405/.554 batting line. Seeing how the team does over the next two weeks could be a big preview as to how life with Teixeira gone permanently would really be like. Hopefully, Wilkerson can keep the offense from going to complete garbage in the meantime; Brad says that his leg is finally healthy, so we'll see.

It remains baffling as to why Jason Botts has still not gotten a real chance at the big league level in this organization, and it looks like it'll remain that way for the time being. I would think that with the season already lost, the Rangers would use Teixeira's injury as an opportunity to see what Botts can show over a two week period in the majors, but I guess not. Incidentally, Botts is hitting .308/.410/.480 in 221 AB with the Redhawks this year.

I lobbied hard for Kameron Loe to be in the rotation coming into the season, but let's face it: he's been a disaster. In ten starts this year, Loe is 1-6 with a 7.71 ERA, and a terrifying 1.68 WHIP. Opposing batters have an OPS against Loe as a starter this year of .884. Completely unacceptable, and after the Snake's latest abomination of a start against Detroit, I don't think management really had a choice.

It'll be interesting to see who the Rangers go with as their #5 starter in the meantime; I suspect Jamey Wright will get another chance, but I still don't think he's got much of anything.

Saturday, June 9th Game Preview

Milwaukee Brewers ( 33-28 ) at Texas Rangers ( 22-39 )

Ben Sheets ( 6-3, 3.51 ERA ) vs. Brandon McCarthy ( 4-4, 6.35 ERA )

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

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Rangers Day 1 Draft Recap

On a night where the Texas Rangers' rotation ERA climbed even closer to the 7.00 mark, it's good to have something else to talk about.

Although the MLB draft is perhaps the biggest gamble of any professional sport, today nonetheless marked a key moment in the organization's future. The Rangers came into today's draft holding five of the draft's first 54 picks, a bounty made possible mainly through the departures of Carlos Lee (picks #17 and #35), Gary Matthews Jr. (pick #24 and #44) and Mark DeRosa (pick #54). Would Jon Daniels and the scouting department come out of Day 1 successfully, or choke in the eyes of the draft experts?

Let's find out.

#17 | RHP Blake Beaven

School: Irving, Texas (HS)

6'7", 210 lb. | Born 1/17/89

Irving High School senior Blake Beaven was linked with the Cleveland Indians (who ended up selecting Beau Mills at #13 overall) before the draft, so the Rangers were fortunate to have Beaven slide to them. The 18-year-old right-hander was widely considered as one of the top high school pitchers coming into the draft, with his repertoire including a mid-90's fastball which can touch 96 MPH, a low-80's slider which projects to be a plus pitch, and a low-80's changeup, although he relies much more on his slider. He has excellent command of his fastball.

Beaven's a very confident young pitcher, and knows how to win: he went 8-2 with a 0.21 ERA, four walks and 124 strikeouts in 66 innings for Irving. He also threw a complete game shutout against Cuba in the pressure packed IBAF World Junior Championships while pitching for the USA Baseball Junior National team. There are some concerns about his mechanics, particularly that he doesn't utilize his legs enough in his delivery. However, these issues aren't regarded as a major drawback. He's committed to play for the Oklahoma Sooners, but he's regarded as a fairly easy signing at this point. At this slot, I don't think the Rangers could have done much better than they did.

Grade: A

#24 | RHP Michael Main

School: DeLand, Florida (HS)

6'1", 171 lb. | Born 12/14/88

Continuing their recent trend of drafting high school pitchers in the first round, the Texas Rangers selected right-hander Michael Main at #24 overall. Main is an incredibly gifted athlete, who has second or third round talent as an outfielder. Main's biggest asset is his devastating mid-to-high-90's fastball which has been clocked as high as 99 MPH, and has late movement on it. He also has a mid-80's slider and a changeup, both which have good movement on them as well. Most importantly, he has learned how to pitch, and his command is solid.

It sounds as though Michael Main was Texas's first choice at #17 if Beaven had been picked before then, so Jon Daniels must be thrilled to have snagged him at #24. However, despite Main's incredible talent as a baseball player, the fact still remains the Rangers passed on Rick Porcello, who was considered as the top high school pitcher in the draft, but slipped due to signability issues and his agent being Scott Boras. The pitching rich Detroit Tigers snapped him up at #27 instead, and while his price tag will undoubtedly be high, Texas could regret passing on Porcello.

Grade: B+

#35 | CF Julio Borbon

School: Tennessee

6'1", 190 lb. | Born: 2/20/86

Vladimir Guerrero. Ichiro Suzuki. David Ortiz. Those are some names that strike fear into the hearts of Ranger fans, but none of them seemed to scare Ranger fans as much coming into the draft as Julio Borbon. Borbon was projected by several sources to be taken by Texas at #17 or #24, and while he was consistently ranked within the top 25 players available, taking Borbon with one of those two picks would have garnered a lot of criticism. Indeed, Texas dodged several bullets, as the DMN reports they would have taken Borbon higher if Beaven or Main had been selected by another team. Yikes.

The 21-year-old Borbon was probably the best college outfielder in the draft, but that's not saying much considering it was a relatively weak crop. He offers excellent speed, bat control and bunting ability, and is considered a plus defender in center field due to his great range. However, he has little power, a below-average throwing arm, and questionable plate discipline. Borbon broke his ankle in January of this year and was forced to miss several months, leading to perhaps his worst season with the Tennessee Volunteers.

Despite these question marks, Borbon is a much more tolerable pick at #35 than he would have been at #17 or #24, and he's expected to be a fairly easy sign, even though he is advised by Scott Boras. At best, Borbon could evolve into a Johnny Damon or Kenny Lofton type player. It will be interesting, to say the least, how the Rangers approach the coming offseason with such a strong crop of free agent center fielders available when they just selected their center fielder of the future - well, for the moment anyway.

Grade: B

#44 | RHP Neil Ramirez

School: Kempsville, Virginia (HS)

6'3", 190 lb. | Born: 5/25/89

Neil Ramirez came into his senior season as one of the top high school pitchers in the country, but mechanical issues and a back injury hurt his stock and dropped him to the supplemental round. He possesses an explosive sinking fastball which he can run up to 96 MPH, an 11-to-5 curve which ranges from the mid-to-high-70's, and a low-80's changeup, although it lags well behind his plus curve. He has above average command of his fastball, but he'll have to gain better command of his secondary pitches if he wants to move to the next level.

Ramirez's biggest mechanical flaw is that he rushes his delivery a bit, leaving his arm behind and causing his pitches to flatten out too much. Nonetheless, he is regarded as quite polished for a pitcher of his age, and if the Rangers can work the kinks out, they'll have a very exciting young pitcher on their hands.

Grade: B�

#54 | RHP Tommy Hunter

School: Alabama

6'4", 250 lb. | Born: 7/3/86

Tommy Hunter was perhaps the biggest reach the Rangers made in their first day of the draft, but make no mistake: the guy can play. Hunter has four pitches, including a solid fastball that sits in the low-90's but can run up to 94 MPH, a decent changeup, and a power slurve from 82-84 MPH. The Jonathan Broxton comparison has been thrown around considerably with Hunter, due to his great size on the mound - and that's not exactly referring to his height, either. Scouts aren't high on his body, but he's more athletic than he appears, considering he won two Junior Olympic judo championships.

Hunter likely projects as a future setup man in the bullpen, but there's also the chance he could evolve into a #4 or #5 type starting pitcher. He's a draft eligible sophomore, and he plans to decide whether he'll sign with the Rangers or go back to Alabama for his junior season sometime next week. Tough to say which way he's leaning at this point, but I'll give a slight edge to him probably signing with Texas.

Grade: C�

I'll recap the final picks of the Rangers' first day of the draft tomorrow.

Overall Day 1 draft grade: ?

Rangers' Draft Updates

Draft day has arrived, and the Rangers have taken pitchers with four of their first five picks. Here's a quick review of who they've taken so far:

Pick #17 - Blake Beaven, RHP, Irving HS

Pick #24 - Michael Main, RHP, Deland HS

Pick #35 - Julio Borbon, CF, Tennessee

Pick #44 - Neil Ramirez, RHP, Kempsville HS

Pick #54 - Raymond Hunter, RHP, Alabama

Pick #80 - Matt West, SS, Bellaire HS

Two rounds are in the books, with some major surprises coming down. Here's a few miscellaneous thoughts on what's happened so far:

• Beaven and Main seem to be getting praise as good, solid picks. Borbon would have been a disaster at #17 or #24, but he's tolerable at #35 considering that he was projected as a first round talent, despite his offensive concerns. Neil Ramirez sounds like a bit of a project, but with major upside. I have nothing on Hunter, although Evan Grant compares him to Jonathan Broxton on the DMN blog.
• Detroit's starting pitching is now even further loaded with their pick of Rick Porcello at #27, who was widely considered the top high school pitcher in this draft. Obviously, general manager Dave Dombrowski isn't afraid of the huge signing bonus that Porcello will command with Scott Boras as his agent. With the Tigers picking up even more young pitching talent in the draft, they may be even more willing to sacrifice pitching prospects in return for Aki or Gagne.
• Matt Harvey, who was considered a top-10 pitching talent, has yet to be selected after 67 picks, and seems to be headed to college at this point and thusly unsignable. He is also represented by Boras, and his signability issues seem to have scared teams completely away.

More draft coverage forthcoming as Texas prepares for their second round pick...

Rheinecker Called Up; Cruz Optioned, Kata DFAed

Per Jamey Newberg, the Rangers have scratched Vicente Padilla from tonight's start against the Detroit Tigers due to irritation in his right triceps muscle, and have activated left-hander John Rheinecker from the 60-day disabled list to make tonight's start. Jerry Hairston Jr. has also been activated from the 15-day disabled list.

To make room on the roster for Rheinecker and Hairston, Texas optioned Nelson Cruz to AAA Oklahoma City and designated Matt Kata for assignment.

Assumedly, Padilla is not going on the disabled list, and Rheinecker will likely be optioned back to Oklahoma City after tonight's start. Matt Kata's career as a Ranger may very well be over, and Nelson Cruz's future seems a bit cloudy, as well.

Ken Rosenthal discussed some of the tension in the Rangers' clubhouse today, with one paragraph being of particular note:

With the Rangers, he (Ron Washington) has been particularly hard on Laird, who is in his first season as a regular. The team's ace, right-hander Kevin Millwood, interceded during one especially tense moment, according to a source, telling Washington, "Gerald's trying. It's the pitchers' fault, too." Shortly after that, Washington held a clear-the-air session with several players.

Interesting.

Finally, the latest All-Star voting returns are out, with Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Sammy Sosa all being buried even further in the voting than they were in the last update.

Tuesday, June 5th Game Preview

Detroit Tigers (32-24) at Texas Rangers (20-37)

Nate Robertson (4-5, 4.25 ERA) vs. John Rheinecker (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

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

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Monday Night Rangers Notes

Relatively quiet day in Arlington, with Texas opening up a three game set against Detroit tomorrow night. The Tigers lead the AL wild card race by 2.5 games over the Mariners, and are 12.5 games ahead of the Rangers. At this point, I'll be happy if we can just win one game.

The biggest story of the moment is John Rheinecker being pulled from today's start for Oklahoma City as a precautionary move, in case Vicente Padilla is unable to go tomorrow night. Padilla has silently developed arm irritation, and while Jon Daniels thinks he'll be fine, Rheinecker is being kept on notice anyway.

Although John has thrown 11 scoreless innings for the Redhawks since returning from the disabled list, Texas shouldn't be looking at giving him a rotation spot anytime soon; he seems to be a classic AAAA-type player. As for Padilla, I'm beginning to wonder if he's really healthy.

Jerry Hairston Jr. will return from the disabled list on Tuesday, with either Matt Kata or Nelson Cruz being sent down to make room. Evan Grant suggests that whoever survives the roster cut will be demoted anyway when Brad Wilkerson returns, although he has yet to begin his rehab assignment. Since Victor Diaz has been playing in right field lately, I'm betting Cruz gets sent down first - although that's probably for the best. Right now, Cruz needs to go back to AAA and try to get his game back together.

Speaking of Cruz, here's a disturbing quote from Nelson on T.R. Sullivan's blog:

"My swing is getting better, but I can't show it if I'm not playing."

As some of you may recall, former Ranger Kevin Mench complained about his lack of playing time under the Buck Showalter regime in 2005. On the contrary, Mench played 150 games and got 557 ABs that year.

I may be a Nelson Cruz fan, but Ron Washington has given Cruz ample opportunities and playing time, and only benched him when his miserable offensive production and defensive mistakes became too much to bear. I don't like hearing quotes like this, and Cruz better watch out, because his major league career is hanging by a thread right now.

By the way, Cruz went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in Sunday's series finale against the Mariners. The Rangers' lineup on Sunday, in fact, has to be up there as one of the worst lineups this team has put out there in recent memory when using career numbers as a benchmark. Somehow, I don't think the front office was sitting around before the season started and envisioned Ramon Vazquez, Victor Diaz, Marlon Byrd, Matt Kata and Nelson Cruz all being in the same lineup on June 2nd.

On the topic of Victor Diaz, Scott Lucas tracked down this statistical nugget: Diaz has not drawn an unintentional walk at the big league level since September 10th, 2005. That's 125 consecutive plate appearances. Victor has been one of the few bright spots for the Rangers this year, but this could be a big warning sign.

Brandon McCarthy reported no problems after throwing a 40-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, as he looks to return from a blister on his right middle finger. He's expected to throw a simulated game Tuesday, and is still expected to start on Saturday against the Brewers if things go as planned.

And finally, here's an eye-opening piece from Evan Grant detailing the poor talent evaluation by the Rangers over the last few years.

I'll go more in-depth into Thursday's draft tomorrow. A critical moment in this organization's future lies less than 72 hours away.

A Few Late Night Rangers Thoughts

Victor Diaz needs to get regular playing time for the next several months, if not the rest of the season. And this isn't just based off of his nice two HR day against the Mariners, either - Diaz is showing something. I'm going to refrain from getting too excited, though; he has yet to draw a walk in 60 ABs this year, and you can only go so far with a .290 OBP.

As much as I loved Nelson Cruz and Matt Kata coming into this season, they're simply killing this lineup. Adam Morris makes some interesting observations concerning Washington's usage of Kata, and it reminds me a bit too much of how Buck Showalter fell in love with certain spare players.

Robinson Tejeda allowed seven earned runs in just 5.2 innings in Sunday's 11-6 loss to the Mariners. Texas's starting rotation ERA is now 6.58 on the year; the record is 6.64, set by the 1996 Detroit Tigers. A few pitchers who made starts for that team include Justin Thompson, Jose Lima, C.J. Nitkowski, and Todd Van Poppel.

Make sure to take a look at MVN's MLB Draft University, where various MLB writers are mock drafting the first round of this week's draft. I represented the Rangers, and went with Jarrod Parker and Casey Weathers at picks #17 and #24, respectively. I'll have much more to say about the draft in the coming days.

Peter Gammons said during tonight's ESPN Sunday night game that Eric Gagne was attracting a great deal of interest from teams around the league. The way this season is going, Texas will be selling players like Gagne a lot sooner than the July 31st deadline.

Friday Noon Rangers Update

Last night, I said that Texas's starting pitching was performing at a historically bad pace, but I wasn't sure exactly how bad. Thanks to Evan Grant's article in today's Dallas Morning News, now I know.

Among the 10 highest full-season rotation ERAs since the stat was first recorded in 1957, only four rotations had higher ERAs this deep into the season. That's right, the Rangers are on pace this season to have the 5th worst starting rotation of the past 50 years.

Texas is now 19-35 through 54 games, exactly one-third of the way through the season. They're on pace to finish 57-105, which would tie the 1973 Rangers for the worst record in club history. Coincidentally, that 1973 team began the season 19-35 as well.

Prorating out their current runs scored/allowed, the 2007 Rangers are on pace to score 789 runs and allow 915. Using the Pythagorean winning percentage formula, Texas would go 70-92 if they retain that level of production. The Rangers haven't beaten their Pythagorean record since 2004, when they finished two games better than their projected record of 87-75.

Last night's loss to the Mariners marked the first 20-loss month since June 2003, and the first 20-loss May in club history.

In other news, Brandon McCarthy is aiming for a June 9th return from the disabled list, which would put him starting against the Milwaukee Brewers next Saturday. McCarthy is expected to throw a bullpen session this weekend and pitch in a simulated game on Tuesday as he tries to recover from a blister on his right middle finger.

Jerry Hairston Jr. went 1 for 4 last night for the Redhawks, and will return to the big league club early next week from the disabled list. Victor Diaz, Nelson Cruz and Matt Kata are again named as the potential roster causalities, but JHJ hasn't played real hot himself this year. Diaz certainly wouldn't be the guy I'd send down, as his power production this year has made him a decent outfield option.

Brad Wilkerson was scheduled to play last night as well, but he felt some soreness in his hamstring and is out indefinitely. The Rangers will re-evaluate him later in the weekend; his offensive production, like Diaz, has been relatively solid. I don't expect him to be on this club next year, so getting him back healthy and letting him hit would really help his trade value.

Jamey Wright allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in 4.2 innings of work last night for the Redhawks. Jason Botts reached base three times, and finished the month of May with a .361/.458/.546 batting line. Can you guess which one of these players deserves to be back on the big league roster?

The following quote is from Mark Teixeira, who is perhaps the hottest trade commodity in baseball right now:

"We�ve just shown that we are not a very good team," Mark Teixeira said. "We need to play better, and that�s one through 25. I felt like I was on a pretty awful team my rookie year [2003] and we lost 91 games. It says a lot that we�re on a pace for 105-loss season."

Interpret that any way you like.

Friday, June 1st Game Preview

Texas Rangers (19-35) at Seattle Mariners (27-26)

Kevin Millwood (2-4, 6.62 ERA) vs. Jarrod Washburn (5-4, 3.22 ERA)

9:05 PM CST in Seattle, Washington (Safeco Field)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Rangers Rotation Woes Continue

After tonight's 9-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers starting rotation now has a 14-28 record on the year, with a horrifying 6.44 ERA. To put this in context, the 29th worst rotation ERA in baseball belongs to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, at 5.58.

Yes, the Rangers rotation has given up nearly a full run a game more than the next worst rotation in baseball. Not surprisingly, the rotation is also next to last in innings pitched, ahead of only the New York Yankees.

We're not just talking about typical "Yeah, the Rangers have no pitching" type struggles right now. Texas's starting pitching is performing at a historically bad level.

Below is a quick statistical snapshot of the starting rotation, ordered by their rotation slots:

• Kevin Millwood (7 G/7 GS, 35.1 IP) - 2-4, 6.61 ERA, 1.81 WHIP
• Vicente Padilla (12 G/12 GS, 67 IP) - 2-8, 6.45 ERA, 1.63 WHIP
• Brandon McCarthy (11 G/10 GS, 45.1 IP) - 4-4, 6.35 ERA, 1.65 WHIP
• Robinson Tejeda (10 G/10 GS, 51.2 IP) - 4-5, 5.75 ERA, 1.51 WHIP
• Kameron Loe (13 G/8 GS, 54 IP) - 1-4, 6.17 ERA, 1.52 WHIP

Mike Wood has chipped in four starts with a 5.40 ERA, making him in effect perhaps the team's best starter this year. John Koronka has thrown in a couple of mediocre starts, giving up 9 ER in 10.1 IP, and Jamey Wright...well, we all remember how his only start of the season went.

As for Padilla, he coughed up seven runs on nine hits and a walk in just three innings of work tonight. The Rangers gave him a three year, $33.75 million extension before the season, along with a $12 million club option for 2010. Two thoughts pop to mind here:

1. Hey Vicente, the way you're pitching this year, you can forget about that option being exercised.

2. $33.75 million sure doesn't buy as much as it used to.

Somehow, I missed the news on Monday that Texas signed 2006 All-Star (and that's using the term "All-Star" in its loosest form) pitcher Mark Redman, and assigned him to Oklahoma City.

Despite his struggles this season with Atlanta, and his 5.71 ERA with Kansas City in '06, he may very well be an improvement over the pile of garbage that is the 2007 Texas Rangers starting rotation.

Yeah, this team is bad.

Early Texas All-Star Voting Returns

Major League Baseball released their first update on the American League All-Star balloting on Wednesday, and things don't look particularly bright for the Rangers' All-Star chances - not that they should, anyway.

Ian Kinsler leads the club with 207,170 votes, sitting in 3rd place behind Robinson Cano and Placido Polanco for the voting at second base. However, Kinsler's having a miserable May, with a .180/.267/.236 line and just 1 HR in 89 at-bats this month. Ian's also 115,824 votes behind Cano, so he's a major long shot to win.

Sammy Sosa is 11th in the outfield balloting with 195,549 votes, but he's 166,696 votes behind Ichiro, who is in 3rd place and would win the final starting spot if the voting ended today. Sosa's been decent but nothing great offensively, and I would suspect most of his votes are based off of his name rather than his performance.

Michael Young is the final Ranger listed in the results, sitting in 5th place with 129,307 votes. He's more than half a million votes behind Derek Jeter, so there's no competition here.

Personally, I'm having a hard time coming up with a strong candidate for the Rangers' All-Star representative in San Francisco this July. On the pitching side, relievers C.J. Wilson, Aki Otsuka and Eric Gagne have the best chances of making it, but none of them have a real strong case - Gagne and Otsuka only have seven saves between them, while Wilson is a middle reliever.

Despite their excellent performances this season ERA-wise, they don't have many innings on their respective ledgers, and saves are a major factor in determining which relievers make the All-Star rosters (not a single non-closer made it last year).

Offensively, only one guy stands out - Mark Teixeira, who has improved his batting line to .298/.391/.520 after a poor start, and has belted a respectable 9 HR. I suppose Sosa could make it as a nostalgic reserve pick, but I doubt it. Other than Wilson, Gagne, Otsuka and Teixeira, there's not really anybody on this team who deserves to go to the All-Star game.

If I had to guess, Teixeira will be the Rangers' lone All-Star representative as a reserve. The odds aren't looking real great for the Rangers to continue their recent All-Star dominance - Texas players have won two out of the last three All-Star MVP awards, and Hank Blalock hit a game-winning home run off of Eric Gagne in the 2003 All-Star Game.

The Rangers Aren't Very Good

When I left for Round Rock on May 19th for vacation, the Rangers were 16-27 and 9 games out of first place.

Today, they're 19-34, 13.5 games out of first place and half a game better than the worst team in baseball, the Kansas City Royals. And on Monday, they had the title all to themselves, as they sat at 18-33 after a 5-3 loss to Oakland.

In fact, as Jamey Newberg noted in his report this morning, it was the first time the Rangers held the worst record in baseball since June 1st, 1990, when they began the season 19-29.

I don't think there's any question that this team's playoff dreams are effectively over. I'd be ectastic if Texas can finish at .500. I'm not going to openly advocate rebuilding this entire ballclub like my writing partner Chip Orton, but there are certainly players on this team which can bring a useful return for 2008 and beyond. I'll probably be focusing a bit more on trade rumors surrounding the Rangers in the weeks to come.

According to Evan Grant, Nelson Cruz's big league job is in serious jeopardy, as Jerry Hairston Jr. will likely come back from the disabled list Friday or Saturday. Cruz put together a nine game hitting streak after his dramatic walkoff home run on May 13th against the Angels, but is mired in a 1 for 19 slump right now. Manager Ron Washington had this to say about Nelson:

"I don't see him making the adjustments he should be making," said manager Ron Washington, who added that the club has made no decisions on what the roster move will be. "He's not hitting off-speed stuff. He's not been able to use the ability that we see. We'll get a gauge on where Jerry is and then we'll talk about any decisions."

Matt Kata is named by Grant as the other option to be sent down to the minors. Kata put together an excellent April after his monster spring, but has a horrific .158/.238/.211 line in 38 at-bats in May. His versatility may keep him on the roster, though.

In late February, I wrote a piece where I predicted a .270/.330/.470 line and 20-25 HR for Cruz this season, and I said I'd be surprised if he fell much below that mark. Yeah, I'm surprised. And I'm also concerned that I was completely wrong about Cruz, and maybe he truly is a AAAA type player. Perhaps Oklahoma City is the right place for Cruz right now, because he's got to get things ironed out, and fast - he turns 27 on July 1st.

According to Jayson Stark, the Devil Rays are floating the name of Elijah Dukes to rival executives, and are seeking a decent bullpen arm in return. Adam J. Morris of Lone Star Ball thinks a deal could get done in exchange for Scott Feldman, or Joaquin Benoit.

The 22-year-old Dukes comes with a ton of baggage - since 1998, he has been arrested six times on charges varying from possession of marijuana to assault to resisting arrest. A week ago, his wife filed a restraining order against him after Dukes threatened to kill her, and on Wednesday she filed for divorce. In early August 2006, Dukes threatened to quit baseball.

At the same time, Dukes is loaded with talent - he has a .223/.347/.473 OPS as a rookie with Tampa Bay, along with 10 home runs., and some scouts feel he could evolve into one of the game's best players. In many ways, Dukes reminds me of Oakland's Milton Bradley, another highly talented outfielder with off-field problems. If you're the Rangers, with a surplus of relief arms but a shortage of young, talented outfielders, do you make a trade if all it takes is Feldman or Benoit?

Despite the risks involved, I'd probably do it. I'm not real proud about that stance, but if it would help the Rangers win ballgames, I'm on board. Of course, if trade discussions start entering C.J. Wilson and Frankie Francisco territory, that's where I hang up the phone.

And finally, the feel-good story of Alex Rodriguez's great start to the season is coming unglued. After hitting .355/.415/.882 with 14 HR and 34 RBI in April, Rodriguez has a much less stellar .782 OPS in May. Earlier this week, the New York Post came out with a story that Alex was touring various strip clubs with an unknown woman, and his wife allegedly packed her suitcases and left their Park Avenue apartment.

And today, Alex is coming under fire for verbally interfering with a Toronto infielder while he tried to make a catch during last night's game, with Blue Jays manager John Gibbons calling it a "bush league" move. It's hard to pass judgment without knowing the full story, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time Rodriguez pulled a cheap move - remember the "Chop-Rod" incident in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, when Rodriguez slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's hand?

Needless to say, the odds of Rodriguez opting out of his contract at the end of this season appear to be growing, which would free up about $8 million per year in payroll from 2008-2010 for the Rangers. That's money that could be spent on Torii Hunter, or another member of an incredibly strong 2008 free agent class.

Or perhaps, a contract extension for Mark Teixeira?

Thursday, May 31st Game Preview

Texas Rangers (19-34) at Seattle Mariners (26-26)

Vicente Padilla (2-7, 5.77 ERA) vs. Cha Seung Baek (2-2, 4.60 ERA)

9:05 PM CST in Seattle, Washington (Safeco Field)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

P.S. - Sorry for the long absence, and I should be back for regular Rangers coverage.

Rangers On The Rebound?

After a nauseating sweep at the hands of the Devil Rays, the Rangers are still down. Way, way down.

But they're not out yet.

Texas took two out of three in their weekend series against the Houston Astros, and blew out the Twins last night in Arlington, 14-4. The Rangers are still nine games behind the first place Angels, and ten games out of the AL wild card, but at least they're not totally dead in the water.

I don't have a whole lot of time to write this, as I'm busy visiting family in Round Rock, but there are a few notes before tonight's game:

• Frank Catalanotto was activated from the disabled list before yesterday's game, his first appearance since April 29th. He went 1 for 3 with a solo home run and three runs scored, as he drew a walk and was hit by a pitch as well. Good signs, considering how badly he said his timing was off earlier last week at Frisco.
• Yesterday's 14-4 win marked the first time the Rangers had scored 10 or more runs in consecutive games since September 2004, and was just the fourth time that the Rangers have scored 14 or more runs in back-to-back games in franchise history. I've felt all along that this offense has the potential to be league average or better, so it's nice to see the hitting start to pick up.
• Vicente Padilla worked quickly and threw first pitch strikes last night - and it showed. Padilla pitched well, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. It was just his second win of the season, with the first coming on May 5th against Toronto.
• Hank Blalock had successful surgery to remove a rib in his upper right chest at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas on Monday. Blalock's expected to be released from the hospital on Wednesday, and is still expected to be out 10-12 weeks.

Texas faces Johan Santana on Tuesday night, who lost last year in his only appearance against the Rangers. He allowed five runs in seven innings at the Ballpark, as well as a pair of home runs.

Hopefully, this recent surge from the Rangers continues.

Tuesday, May 22nd Game Preview

Minnesota Twins (20-24) at Texas Rangers (18-27)

Johan Santana (4-4, 3.26 ERA) vs. Kameron Loe (1-3, 6.21 ERA)

7:05 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

NEWSFLASH: It Gets Worse - Blalock Out 2-3 Months

WFAA.com is reporting that Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock will be out 2-3 months after having surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. If Thoracic Outlet Syndrome sounds familiar to Rangers fans, it's because Kenny Rogers had surgery for the same condition back in 2001. Blalock hopes to return to the Rangers lineup around the middle of August.

Third Baseman Travis Metcalf has been recalled from AA Frisco and is headed to Houston for the series with the Astros. If Metcalf makes it in-time for tonight's game, he will be activated tonight. If Metcalf does not make the start of the game, he will be activated tomorrow.

I'm not sure things could get any worse for the Rangers right now, but maybe some youth will infuse the roster with a little bit of youthful exuberance. It can't hurt.