[legend]

They have a great infield with Blalock, Young, Teixiera, and a kid named Kinsler who had 94 RBI in AAA ready to play if De Rosa doesn't hit at second.. The outfield is solid. The pitching, oh yeah, the pitching. It has to be better-no one has ever said this before about Texas- with Millwood, Adam Eaton, Vincente Padilla. Their bullpen is solid, especially if Frank Francisco returns to pre Tommy John surgery velocity. I think the West is up for grabs, and everyone in it will be right there come late August.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by legend

They have a great infield with Blalock, Young, Teixiera, and a kid named Kinsler who had 94 RBI in AAA ready to play if De Rosa doesn't hit at second.. The outfield is solid. The pitching, oh yeah, the pitching. It has to be better-no one has ever said this before about Texas- with Millwood, Adam Eaton, Vincente Padilla. Their bullpen is solid, especially if Frank Francisco returns to pre Tommy John surgery velocity. I think the West is up for grabs, and everyone in it will be right there come late August.

Hey Legend tell me more about this kid Kinsler?...Is he going to get to play much?.. or is he head back out to AAA?

[legend]

Kinsler is 23. He hit .274 at AAA last year with 28 doubles, 23 homers ,94 RBI and had 19 stolen bases. He was a shortstop in the minors, but has been made into a second baseman. He is from Arizona State. So far this spring, he is 3-11 with a double and a homerun and a stolen base. He must be almost ready for the majors, or they wouldn't have wanted to get Soriano out of there.

[ThePundit]

Legend: That's wishful thinking. The Rangers don't have even close to the pitching the A's have. If they finish over .500, that would be a good year for them.

[Vladman]

I could see the Rangers creating a bit of a buzz at the beginning of the season with a fast start. They have some serious hitters in that lineup, and most of them are still young and learning more every year. Padilla is a good fit for that team, however, pitching will still be an issue. Sorry to say for all you Ranger hopefuls, but, just not gonna happen this year.

[Calder]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

Legend: That's wishful thinking. The Rangers don't have even close to the pitching the A's have. If they finish over .500, that would be a good year for them.

I would agree with that. Padilla's gonna get absolutely rocked. He just came from a hitter's park in Philadelphia and stumbled to a 9-12 mark with an ERA of 4.71. Eaton's a solid thrower but I wouldn't get too excited about him being part of a nucleus determined to turn it around. It will be interesting to see how a guy like Millwood does in that launching pad. My guess is that he'll struggle just like the lot of them. I'm sorry, I just don't see it. I think Seattle is going to be better, and I predict that the Rangers won't get out of the cellar this year.

[desertrat]

I see Texas battling Seattle for 3rd in the AL West. Angels and A's are the class of this division.

[xdavidwattsx]

Originally Posted by desertrat

I see Texas battling Seattle for 3rd in the AL West. Angels and A's are the class of this division.

Sure enough. The Rangers playoff chances can be summed up in two words..."slim" and "none".

[EmpireWF]

The Rangers would need a lot of things to fall right to contend for the playoffs as far as their pitching goes. I'm of the mindset that no team that plays in a serious bandbox will ever make a run at the World Series. Sure, some years you'll have your Colorado Rockies (from when they made the playoffs early on) and so forth...but teams like the Phillies (who are pushing back the fences), Cincinnati and so forth...no chance their pitching will ever be straight enough to do that great.