How do you think they will do this year? Will Diaz effectively fill the 9 spot? Who will fill out the other 4 spots in the rotation?
Who will man the hot corner, Teixiera, Blalock or Perry?
How about them in spring training? Didn't they lose like there 1st 5 games and now they are 4-5. What are you opinions on any of these questions?

The Rangers will continue to lose every year until they realize the importance of a good pitching staff. As fun and great as offense is, pitching wins titles and more often it's just a matter of which great pitching team has the better offense.

Just my opinion.


BGray

Living in DFW, it sounds like Texiera might be the guy. They still have hopes for Blalock, but he doesn't have the defensive skills of Texiera.

Talk is they will move Blalock to first after Rafi is done (or at least a full-time DH).

I thought they were going to move Blalock to second. It'll be interesting to see how their season plays out with Showalter managing. I also agree with BGray that pitching is what separates playoff contenders from others.

Pitching may be the key to winning but look how the A's big 3 has done the last couple of post-seasons. Blalock better not move to 2nd. I like Michael Young there.

I think its still gonna take a couple years to turn them around. I think Blalock will play the hot corner.

Texiera should be at 3rd. Just a matter of seasons for Buck to turn things around and then he'll get the boot like with the Yanks and the D'Backs.

Nothing beats positive thinking.

And patience.

Teixeira had 2 homers and I think 5 RBI in the 12-8 win against the Brewers. Looks good for Teixeira so far.

they're horriable and don't understand what a good pitching staff is, the one decent of their team is arod.:hop: :hop: :hop: :hop: :fro: :explicit: :explode: :guns: :disco:

Your are right about the pitching but otherwise don't know what your talking about. Palmeiro hit 40 and drives in 100 every year,
so does Gonzalez when healthy, Everett should be healthy, Mench could do a lot over 162 games and I look forward to seeing what Teixeira can do in the bigs. I wish they had at least re-signed Kenny Rogers though.

I say the Rangers trade Alex Rodriguez and that $25M/year salary and use the salary to pay 2 great pitchers.

I'll take Schilling and Randy Johnson now (even in their late 30s) over Rodriguez any time.

The 1988 Dodgers proved you don't need much offense to win the title.

However, the Braves also proved that pitching dominance alone doesn't mean squat. You need good clutch hitters.

Kinda like the Angels last year.

For the past two years, A Rod has done as much for the Rangers as you or I.

A-Rod has done a lot for the Rangers and not just offensively.
He won his 1st gold glove last year and would have more if not for Vizquel. Plus a guy like that who has had so much success could help out the young players like Young, Blalock and Teixeira a lot. It's a bit odd using the word experience with someone who is not even in their late 20's yet. Just too bad he can't steal 40 bases anymore.

Molina -

A-Rod was brought in to help the Rangers win.

Q: What have the Rangers done for the last 2 years he's been there?

A: last place, or near there.

Why won't the Rangers win?

B/c when you give $25M per year to one player, that limits how much you can spend on outstanding pitching.

Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson ---- these pitchers all come at a price, and you can't pay 4 players an average of $20M.

Remember, you have to account for all the other players.

If you have to choose, you ALWAYS pick average, but clutch hitting and super pitching.

Just ask the 1988 Dodgers....or even the 2002 Angels.

Trying to win ball games by scoring 10 runs a game, and hoping the other team scores 9 runs or less is not gonna work.

The Rangers can't deal off A-Rod, because nobody is willing to pay for his salary outright. Likely, they'll be able to deal him off with cash, and somehow work a 2 team trade to deal off him and his salary, in exchange for pitching and a replacement for him. When could this happen? Maybe after another losing year in TX...?

It's too bad A-Rod won't take a paycut. It would make the difference in affording a quality starting pitcher . . . or two.

Too bad players don't do what actors do in Hollywood: take lesser pay for a % of the profits. Too bad A-Rod won't do this and too bad the owners of baseball are too greedy to even consider this.

I trade A-Rod and see how many pitching prospects I get in return.

How many more years must Rangers management endure of "being disqualified from play-offs by July" before they get rid of that contract?

Man, only two players deserve a contract of that largess -- Jordan and Shaq. Someday, Kobe.

But in basketball, one player can dominate.

In baseball, ain't nothing Bonds can do if he's walked 200+ times.