I spent the majority of my childhood going in and out of the emergency room for numerous injuries that I would suffer. I had a broken femur bone which required me to be hospitalized for 6 weeks and then be placed into a full body cast. I had broken arms, toes, fingers, cracked elbow, broken nose, back injuries, etc. Let’s just say that the doctor’s became very familiar with me in the emergency room. My wife has also spent a good amount of time with different doctors after she had undergone 6 different heart surgeries, and as we get closer to our son being born our biggest hope and prayer is that our little Nolan will be healthy.

The Texas Rangers have a similar story from their 2009 campaign, in which they managed to compete up until the last month of the season. The Rangers surprised many and might have fared better had they not hit the injury bug with Josh Hamilton missing the majority of the season and Michael Young’s late season injury. Hamilton and Young were two critical pieces and the Rangers simply didn’t have enough offense without them being present.

In 2009, Vladimir Guerrero played in only 100 games, Josh Hamilton played in only 89 games, and Rich Harden appeared in only 26 games last season. Rangers fans may want to breathe a sigh of relief that they didn’t
spend $10million on a guy like Ben Sheets who didn’t appear in ANY
games in 2009.

It’s pretty safe to say that the Rangers success in 2010 will be
largely impacted on the team can remain healthy, and this is anything but a certainty.

If the Rangers can remain healthy and keep their stars on the field then we may see great things. If not then….

Let’s just remain positive and say a little prayer for Jamie Reed, Jose Vazquez, Dr. Keith Meister, and crew as they try and keep the players on the field and healthy.

“My expectation is we will be extremely competitive and if we don’t win
our division, I will be disappointed because I think we positioned
ourselves to be right there with everybody else,” club president Nolan
Ryan said Tuesday. “It will be very competitive. There is a lot of
balance. It’s going to come down to which organization stays the
healthiest and which team plays up to their capability.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
No surprise here it has to be the Oakland A’s signing Ben Sheets for $10million plus $2million in incentives. The A’s with or without Sheets don’t appear to be a strong contender in the AL West in 2010. Even if the A’s were to try and trade Sheets at the deadline they probably won’t get enough in return to warrant the signing. I would imagine that contending teams will still proceed with caution in trying to trade for a guy who has a history of breaking down towards the end of the season. I’m a fan of Sheets and there was even a part of me that was kind of getting giddy with the thought of him pitching in Texas, but I could only justify such a move in the realm of $4-5million with incentives. Jon Daniels did a great job of not getting into this bidding war.

My wife works as a manager for a tanning salon. She gets to experience the joy of working inside of retail. One of the issues she constantly battles is it better to open the store before 6am and get off early? Or is it better to go to work in the afternoon and close up around 11pm? Both opening and closing have their pros and cons.

The Rangers are facing a pretty similar situation with young phenom Neftali Feliz. Do they see him as a late inning guy to close out the game, or do you want him to start? Both options can be heavily debated, and I’m not sure there is a clear cut answer.

In 2009, Feliz pitched in 20 games in the majors with an ERA of 1.74. He threw a total of 31 innings games and had a remarkable 39 strikeouts. In 3 save opportunities he had 2 saves and 1 blown save. While up in the majors with the Rangers Feliz walked only 8 and gave up only 6 earned runs.

In 2010, the Rangers have a long list of candidates in the starting pitching pool. Neftali Feliz is expected to come into training trying to compete for a spot as a starter, but will more than likely end up back in the bullpen.

As a starter in AAA Feliz went 4-6 with an ERA of 3.49 pitching 77.1 innings through 25 games. He had a total of 75 strikeouts. The numbers don’t jump out at you but still prove to be pretty decent stats for a pitcher that is just 21 years of age.

Which role would you prefer to see Feliz in? Should he start or should he close? He will probably be effective in either role. Eventually the Rangers will probably have to decide or risk the chance of having what happened to Brandon Morrow with Seattle. He never had a clear identity and was shuffled back and forth before eventually being traded to the Blue Jays.

Adam Wainwright started out as a closer but he transitioned pretty nicely into the starting rotation.

I doubt the Rangers decide on bullpen or starter in the 2010 season but it should be interesting to see how Feliz’s career shapes up and which role the Rangers decide to put him in.

Say it ain’t so Fergie! Just read Ferguson Jenkins comments on steroids and Mark McGwire. Nuff said

One thing that I have learned over the 9 months of being married is that there are certain chores that the husband hates doing and certain chores that the wife hates doing. It truly has to be a team effort in order to make it work. Every time that put on clean sheets on our bed my wife has a difficult time trying to put them on. She’s convinced sometimes that they don’t fit. After a little maneuvering of the sheets she see’s that the bed and the sheets are a perfect fit. She just has to adjust the parts of the corners to make it work.

On Tuesday, Ben Sheets will be auditioning for approx 8 to 10 clubs. A few teams that are expected to be in attendance are the Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Brewers, and Diamondbacks. I would not be surprised to see the Mariners jump into consideration and I’m a little shocked that the Angels won’t at least be among the teams to watch him throw on Tuesday. Outside of the Blue Jays all the teams have a hole in their rotation where Sheets could potentially fit in.

How does Sheets fit in the already crowded Rangers rotation? Sheets has a career 3.72 ERA. In 2008 he had 13 wins and earned a spot on the NL All-Star Team. He has proven to be an ace in his career, and at 31 years old he is entering into his prime years.

The questions that surround Sheets are not how he performs. The questions are all centered around his health and that he is injury prone. Sheets had a deal in place with the Rangers in 2009 but failed his physical and had to have surgery that cost him the entire 2009 season. The Rangers remain interested and have kept the door open for a 2010 signing. Sheets has ties with pitching coach Mike Maddux when he pitched for him while with the Brewers. Sheets is also from Louisiana and Texas would not be far from his home.

The question remains does Sheets fit with the Rangers?

Let’s take a look at the candidates for the 2010 Ranger Rotation:
-Rich Harden (lock for the rotation)
-Scott Feldman (lock for the rotation)
-Colby Lewis
-Tommy Hunter
-Derek Holland
-Brandon McCarthy
-Matt Harrison
*Other candidates include Nippert, Feliz, Wilson. Although they appear to be set in place in the bullpen.

Without Sheets the Rangers have 5 guys competing for 3 spots. It can be argued that Colby Lewis may be close to being a lock for the rotation when he signed a 2 year $5million deal. If the Rangers were to add Sheets then that would leave 1 open spot in the rotation with 4 worthy candidates to fill it. The Rangers could always trade one of these candidates to fill their need for an extra catcher. It’s clear that the Rangers have depth and that’s not a bad thing. It’s very rare that a team will end a season with the same rotation that it started with. If the Rangers were to add both Sheets and Harden then it would be safe to assume that they will need that depth at some point during the season. Adding Sheets could also give the Rangers more time to develop Holland and give Harrison more time to rehab from his injury last year. Both could be excellent options in the bullpen or could go down to Triple A and get more work as a starter. Derek Holland showed signs of breaking out last season but he also struggled. The most likely candidate to fill the rotation would have to be Tommy Hunter. Also, if Colby Lewis were to struggle then the Rangers would have the depth to fill his shoes.

It’s hard to argue against the Rangers signing Sheets. A top of the rotation with Harden, Sheets and Feldman looks awfully enticing. The Rangers already have the best lineup in the AL West and if the Rangers were to add Sheets then that may be enough to separate them from the pack.

We should find out soon if the sheet fits. Economics may be the biggest factor lying in the way of the Rangers reeling him in….

ARE YOU KIDDING ME OF THE WEEK????
It’s clear this week that it has to be the situation surrounding the New York Mets and Carlos Beltran. It’s mind boggling to think that the Mets would be going public against one of their star players. If reports are true then the Mets knew about the surgery and someone on the team had to authorize it with the doctor’s office or it would not occur. It leads one to wonder how much longer will the Mets stick with Omar as their GM.

On Monday the Rangers made it official by signing Vladimir Guerrero to a one year deal worth about $5.5 million dollars plus performance based incentives. There is a mutual option for 2011 believed to be around $9 million with a $1 million dollar buyout if the Rangers choose not to pick up the 2011 option.

The scene around the ballpark was quite impressive with players Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Darren Oliver, and captain Michael Young in attendance for Vladimir Guerrero’s press conference. Vladimir Guerrero was welcomed with open arms into the Rangers lineup.

It’s not typical that you will see a group of All-Star players attend the announcing the signing of a free agent, but the Rangers aren’t your typical team. The Rangers have one of the best clubhouses around the league. This isn’t just a club that plays 9 innings together, but this is also close outside of the locker room as well. They have a chemistry that is hard to describe into words. Although part of that chemistry is now with the Chicago Cubs with the departure of Marlon Byrd.

Fans marveled watching the Rangers young duo of Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus turning remarkable double plays. Fans were also treated to a team that went beyond expectations and competed up until the very end of the 2009 season. Step by step the Rangers kept up with the Angels at the top of the AL West Standings. They were with the Angels until the end when Michael Young suffered an injury that kept him out a good part of the last month of the season.

The AL West is going to be even tighter in 2010 with the resurgence of the Seattle Mariners. Captain Michael Young made a very good point though, “It still goes through the Angels…” You can’t be the best until you beat the best, and the Angels have proved over the past few years that they are the best in the AL West. The Rangers have stolen a couple of key players from the Angels in Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero. The Mariners signed Figgins away and the Red Sox signed the ace John Lackey.

One word of caution…

The Angels aren’t necessarily finished this offseason, and even if they don’t make any other additions they are still the Angels and they haven’t been beaten yet.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME OF THE WEEK
I have taken the approach to bypass the steroid talk that is currently the talk around baseball. Opinions vary across the board but are very passionate. Some feel that Mac is a Hall of Fame baseball player and feel his admission to taking steroids is good enough for them to forgive him and move on. Others feel that all his stats should be wiped away and he will always be a cheater in their eyes. Regardless of how one feels about Big Mac this isn’t a topic that is likely to go away anytime soon. We will re-visit this conversation through the upcoming years as Palmeiro, Bonds, A-Rod, Sosa, and Clemens come up for election.

My simple stance is this. I don’t agree with what was done and I do agree that these performance enhancing drugs did have an impact on their careers as a whole. Whether the steroids were taken for the sole purpose to help rehab from an injury, or if they were taken to give one an upper hand against fierce competition. It does not matter to me what the reason the player took the steroid. The bottom line is that the steroids were taken. I choose to believe that steroids did not make or break someone from becoming a Hall of Fame player. Agree or Disagree with me is fine. I’m just ready for baseball to move on and get back to the amazing things that are going on in the game.

Quote from For Love at the Game
Billy Chapel:

“The game doesn’t stink Mr. Wheeler. It’s a great game.”

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

I think we can all remember times when we sat in the backseat of our parents cars along side of our brothers/sisters while on our way to a much anticipated vacation. For me it was long 14 hour car rides to Coloardo to go snow skiing. About the time we hit New Mexico I became very restless while sitting on the edge of my seat counting down the hours and minutes until we were expected to arrive at our landing spot. My brothers and I would continue to ask the same question every hour to my mom…”Are we there yet? How much longer until we get there?” Usually we would get the same response…”WE WILL GET THERE WHEN WE GET THERE AND WE ARE ONLY A FEW HOURS AWAY!” 

As Rangers fans we can’t help but ask the same questions. Are we there Yet? How much longer until we get there? We are all anticipating the day when the Rangers will be playing meaninful basebal in October. We dream of getting to hear Michael Young talk to the media about the long journey to the playoffs and that the dream is not complete until they bring home the World Series Championship. We dream of hearing baseball getting talked about on local media outlets at a time when the NFL season is kicking off, and getting to hear as much about the Rangers as we do about the Cowboys. We dream of that buzz. We dream of that fever. We dream of seeing that Ranger red and that Ranger blue.

Could 2010 be the year? Are we there yet? Is this the team that the Rangers will be going to battle AL foes with?

The Rangers are about to wrap up the signings of Vladimir Guerrero and Khalil Greene. Vlad should be taking his physical today in Arlington. Both will be great additions to the ballclub.

Are the Rangers finished this offseason?

Sure fans would like to see the Rangers bring in a top tier pitcher like Ben Sheets or maybe take a chance on Erik Berdard. Maybe even see the Rangers sign an innings eater like Jon Garland. However, with a limited budget I’m not sure how practical it is to see the Rangers make another big move. Maybe they will make a trade with some of their pitching depth to get another frontline starter. For the most part though the Rangers offseason may be inching closer to being completed.

So we get back to the question, “Are We There Yet?” 

We may not be there yet but it sure feels as if we are driving through New Mexico and getting closer to reaching Colorado. 

It’s going to be an interesting and fun drive…   

According to a couple of sources the Texas Rangers have offered Vladimir Guerrero a contract. According to a tweet from Enrique Rojas from ESPN Deportes the offer is for $7million for a 1 year contract. Jerry Crasnick reports that the Rangers aren’t going more than $5million per year, and the team does not appear to be interested in anything more than 1 year.

Vlad is a 34 year old designated hitter. He is more than likely restricted to strictly being a designated hitter. Keith Law with ESPN warns Texas against signing Vlad, “You hate to say it, but I don’t think Vlad has much left to offer at the plate. His legs and back are broken down to the point where he struggles to drive the ball, and he can’t play the field at all.”

I disagree…

Let’s take a look at Vlad a little closer. He’s 34 years old and has a career batting average of .396 against the Texas Rangers. Last season he only hit 15 home runs and had 50 RBI’s. He only had 383 AB’s last season and had a batting average of .295. Not his best season by any means, but let’s look at the previous 3 years. In 2008 27 HR’s, 91 RBI’s, and batted .303. In 2007 27 HR’s, 125 RBI’s, and batted .324. In 2006 33 HR’s, 116 RBI’s, and batted .329.

If we take the average over the past 4 seasons then Vlad averaged 25.5 HR’s, 95.5 RBI’s, and batted .313. That’s not to shabby. Last season Vlad battled injuries for the good part of the year. His body is a little banged up and he’s not going to get you the stolen bases that he used to. However, the guy can still hit. Last season he even hit a ball that bounced. Vlad still has power and can drive in runs.

Yes, Vlad is 36 years old but it’s not like he is 40 years old and the Rangers aren’t talking about signing him for 3-4 year deal. We are talking about a 1 year contract for a guy that is a proven hitter against the Texas Rangers. An argument can also be made that Vlad would be highly motivated to beat up on his former team the Angels for signing Matsui over re-signing him.

Vlad doesn’t appear to have many clubs interested and with many guys left on the market. I suspect that we shall find out soon if the Rangers and Vlad are indeed a match.

The Rangers aren’t sure if Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be healthy enough to be the starting catcher, and they knowingly have concerns about Taylor Teagarden ready to step in and be the primary catcher. The Rangers will look to add a veteran catcher to at least share the catching duties with Saltalamacchia and/or Teagarden. The question comes down to which catcher will they go out and get? The Rangers are without question strapped financially so you won’t see them go out and make a flashy sign. So you can rule out Molina. Some of the other best available are Rod Barajas and Yorvit Torrealba, but both of them seem to be seeking multi-year deals and will look at Pudge Rodriguez deal as the standard for any deal at 2 years $6 million dollars. Accordingly to local reports the Rangers have about $7million to spend and they still have other holes to fill. The Rangers still want to add another starting pitcher and a right handed bat.

1. How important is it for the Rangers to go and get another catcher? Which catcher do you want them to get?
2. Do the Rangers need to go after another starting pitcher?
3. Which middle of the order bat would you like to see the Rangers sign?
4. Is Feliz a starter or a reliever?

The “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” of the week (during the offseason this will primarily be focused to questionable signings and/or trades)
-The Mets signed Jason Bay to a contract for four-years $66MM deal with a vesting option. Their ballpark doesn’t jump out to me as a place where Jason Bay is going to have a lot of success. New York is trying to gain some of their fan base back, but is this signing really going to make that much of a difference? 
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