Texas Rangers

The Rangers took a step backwards after a breakout '04. They finished third in the West with a 79-83 record after many tipped them for a playoff birth.

Pitching

The club tried to patch up the rotation by getting last years ERA king Kevin Millwood but he has struggled whenever he’s been asked to be an ace and you can be sure his numbers won’t get better in Arlington but the real question is how much has he matured since those days in Phillie?

The back end of the rotation looks like its waiting for the likes of John Danks, Edison Volquez and Thomas Diamond to mature and only Volquez really looks likely to see time in Texas this year.

None of the returning starters had an ERA of less than 5.50 last year.

The bullpen should be strong with top tier closer Francisco Cordero joined by Akinori Otsuka who could close if needed. The rest of the pen is less inspiring with the likes of lefty Brian Shouse and righty Kameron Loe who had a good first year.

Defence

In general the Rangers team D looks decidedly average. Rod Barajas is a good catcher but would usually be a reserve on a good team, Michael Young is a standout on the infield and needs to be playing alongside Hank Blalock who is probably the most immobile player in baseball today. The outfield will be lead by Brad Wilkerson in centre but he is middle of the road in terms of Major League centerfielders.

Offence

Mark Teixeira, Mark Teixeira, Mark Teixeira. That’s pretty much what you need to know when you face the Rangers. He really has stamped himself among the elite sluggers in baseball combining power (43 HR, 144 RBI) with average and a good approach (.301 avg, .379 OBP). Expect more punishment from his big bat this year too.

The top of the line-up should give Teixeira plenty of opportunity to rack up the RBI. Even though the leadoff spot was a bit of a revolving door last year it yielded good results and Michael Young won himself a batting crown batting second.

Hank Blalock may be slow but he can hit. He is plenty capable of hitting more than the 25 long balls he had last year and along with Phil Nevin will be the main support behind the big man, not that the likes of Kevin Mench, Gary Matthews, David Dellucci and Mark DeRosa can’t carry their fair share as well. I’m sure Nevin is chomping at the bit to strut his stuff away from Petco and he could hardly have gone somewhere more contrary to his former home field.

Rookie Watch

Ian Kinsler is a front runner to claim the second base job at the beginning of the year. He isn’t the most gifted of athletes but he has developed a reputation for having a strong work ethic and for making the most of what he’s got. He will likely only be a stopgap measure until Joaquin Arias is ready and he is a livewire with great speed and great defensive skills.

Thomas Diamond and John Danks might get a late season call up in view to trying to crack the rotation in ‘07 but Edison Volquez should get see time if there is an injury or if his form simply demands it. He has a good fastball with good sink that gets into the mid-90’s and he’ll pull the chord on a great change-up that baffles hitters. He struggles a little with his curveball but some people are already comparing his mix of stuff, personality and his slight build to none other than Pedro Martinez…that might be a bit of a stretch though.

Management

Buck Showalter is one of the most respected managers in baseball and certainly has a keen baseball mind but the club took a bit of a backward step last year as the pitching staff failed to respond. Showalter knows how to motivate his players and if he gets the guns he knows how to fire them.

John Hart built a powerhouse in Cleveland and then came to Texas and he really hasn’t been able to get it right. He’s doled out big money to pitchers who haven’t performed as hoped (Chan Ho Park was always a fly ball pitcher so why sign him to play games in a homer friendly park?) and has seemed reluctant to deal from his dearth of hitting talent to help the rotation. You also have to wonder about the decision to lose assistant GM Grady Fuson who had implemented a strong farm system that was starting to produce a number of quality arms. Without Fuson controlling the farm a lot of their best pitchers looked like they might have been pushed too high too soon.

Outlook

This team will score runs and not just in the launching pad that is Arlington but the rotation is still awaiting most of its key components and as it stands lacks the quality to carry them into the post-season. They have enough that they could beat up on lesser teams and play .500 ball.