Time for a change in Arlington, owner Tom Hicks opened the cash register the past two seasons and way overspent to stock his team. The result was 72 wins per season and consecutive last place finishes. This offseason, Hicks big free agent pickup was new manager Buck Showalter. Showalter built championship teams in New York and Arizona, plans to go with youth the Rangers have in the farm system to turn things around. He feels he has the right mix of veterans to help, but in all honesty the John Hart/ Showalter regime will need a few years to show results.
Rotation:
Chan Ho Park 9-8 5.75 era
John Thomson 7-8 4.88...........with Colorado
Ismael Valdes
Doug Davis 3-5 4.98 10 gs
Joaquin Benoit 4-5 5.31 13 gs
Ryan Drese 10-9 6.55
Not a good rotation at all, really banking on the kids this year. Park, the big FA signing last year got rocked often. He did go 6-4 4.28 era in the second half, but still those are not No.1 type stats. He needs to find his Dodger ways or else another 15 mill will go down the drain this yr. Thomson and Valdes are more suited as 4 and 5 guys, yet are pitching 2 and 3. Hart is high on Benoit and Davis, both showed good stuff at times. Another year of major league experience will determine their future. Drese, was acquired from Cleveland, was hammered in the second half after an impressive first half. He will prob pitch in the five slot, needs to cut down on the long ball, esp at the Ballpark which does not favor fly ball pitchers- see Chan Ho Park-. Colby Lewis will get some looks this yr, Hart is high on him but plans to bring him along slowly.
Bullpen:
Ugueth Urbina 1-6 3.00 era 40 sv.........with Boston
Esteban Yan 7-8 4.30 19 sv 55 g................with Tampa Bay
Jay Powell 3-2 3.44 51 g
Danny Kolb 3-6 4.22 34 g
Aaron Fultz 2-2 4.79 43 g................with SF
Francisco Cordero 2-0 1.79 39 g
Urbina will now take the closers position for a team that blew 33 sv opps last year. Yan and Cordero will battle for the setup job, with Yan also capable of closing if Urbina struggles or is injured. Powell appears set as the middle relief man, with help from lefty Fultz. Rudy Seanez and Todd Van Poppel are in camp looking to make the roster after horrendous 02' seasons. Rangers hope that Jeff Zimmerman will be able to return by August. 22 yr old lefty Ben Kozlowski may get some time as well, but will prob begin the year at AAA.
Infield:
Alex Rodriguez .300 57 hr 142 rbi
Rafael Palmerio .273 43 hr 105 rbi
Herbert Perry .276 22 hr 77 rbi
Michael Young .262 77r 62 rbi
A-Rod will look to crack the 60 hr mark this year. He crushes the ball at home, so its a possiblilty. Defense, no problems there either, prob the best overall player in MLB. Palmerio, averaging 38 hr 104 rbi over the last 8 seasons. Incredible, may see some time at DH, as the Rangers will need to move players around if Hank Blalock wins the 3rd base job. Perry will play either at 1st or 3rd had a career year after coming over from Cleveland. Young, who A-Rod has tutored is solid with the glove. His weakness is with the stick, as his OBP was horrible last yr. Einar Diaz will be the starting catcher replacing Ivan Rodriguez. And he will not be an upgrade on either end. Diaz is a defensive minded catcher, and hopes to help lower the Rangers league leading 5.15 era. Todd Greene is the backup, nice bat but a defensive liability. Mike Lamb- .283 in 115 g and Donnie Sadler will round out the infield roster. Im sure we'll see the major league debut of propect and 1st round pick Mark Teixeira sometime this season.
Outfield:
Juan Gonzalez .282 8 hr 35 rbi 70 g
Carl Everett .267 16 hr 62 rbi 105 g
Doug Glanville .249 19 sb............with Philadelphia
Kevin Mench .260 15 hr 60 rbi
Ruben Sierra .270 13 hr 60 rbi
The starting outfield appears to be Mench in left, Gonzalez in right, and right now Everett over Glanville in center. Sierra will start the year as the designated hitter. This may be Juan-Gone's last chance, contract year for him, if healthy and returns to form that will be a dangerous 3-4-5 in the lineup. Mench will get a chance to stick in left, had a good rookie season, showed show power, although he faded during Aug/Sept. Everett had a nice second half after a really slow start. He did not look good in centerfield though, but def hits better than Glanville, who has slumped the past three seasons. Not sure what happened to Sierra, at the break last year Sierra had 51 rbi...he finished with 60. His offensive swoon prob led to Seattle not offering him a contract this summer. Sierra can also play the outfield, but is not the quickest anymore and will see more time in the DH slot.
Things are not good in Texas right now. The lineup with the exception of Rodriguez and Palmerio has holes, the rotation is filled with question marks, the bullpen is pretty much brand new. Just what Buck Showalter likes....a challenge. Can the Hart/ Showalter connection turn the Rangers back into a contender....maybe, but not this season. Another last place division finish for Texas.
Tim Steffes.
Rotation:
Chan Ho Park 9-8 5.75 era
John Thomson 7-8 4.88...........with Colorado
Ismael Valdes
Doug Davis 3-5 4.98 10 gs
Joaquin Benoit 4-5 5.31 13 gs
Ryan Drese 10-9 6.55
Not a good rotation at all, really banking on the kids this year. Park, the big FA signing last year got rocked often. He did go 6-4 4.28 era in the second half, but still those are not No.1 type stats. He needs to find his Dodger ways or else another 15 mill will go down the drain this yr. Thomson and Valdes are more suited as 4 and 5 guys, yet are pitching 2 and 3. Hart is high on Benoit and Davis, both showed good stuff at times. Another year of major league experience will determine their future. Drese, was acquired from Cleveland, was hammered in the second half after an impressive first half. He will prob pitch in the five slot, needs to cut down on the long ball, esp at the Ballpark which does not favor fly ball pitchers- see Chan Ho Park-. Colby Lewis will get some looks this yr, Hart is high on him but plans to bring him along slowly.
Bullpen:
Ugueth Urbina 1-6 3.00 era 40 sv.........with Boston
Esteban Yan 7-8 4.30 19 sv 55 g................with Tampa Bay
Jay Powell 3-2 3.44 51 g
Danny Kolb 3-6 4.22 34 g
Aaron Fultz 2-2 4.79 43 g................with SF
Francisco Cordero 2-0 1.79 39 g
Urbina will now take the closers position for a team that blew 33 sv opps last year. Yan and Cordero will battle for the setup job, with Yan also capable of closing if Urbina struggles or is injured. Powell appears set as the middle relief man, with help from lefty Fultz. Rudy Seanez and Todd Van Poppel are in camp looking to make the roster after horrendous 02' seasons. Rangers hope that Jeff Zimmerman will be able to return by August. 22 yr old lefty Ben Kozlowski may get some time as well, but will prob begin the year at AAA.
Infield:
Alex Rodriguez .300 57 hr 142 rbi
Rafael Palmerio .273 43 hr 105 rbi
Herbert Perry .276 22 hr 77 rbi
Michael Young .262 77r 62 rbi
A-Rod will look to crack the 60 hr mark this year. He crushes the ball at home, so its a possiblilty. Defense, no problems there either, prob the best overall player in MLB. Palmerio, averaging 38 hr 104 rbi over the last 8 seasons. Incredible, may see some time at DH, as the Rangers will need to move players around if Hank Blalock wins the 3rd base job. Perry will play either at 1st or 3rd had a career year after coming over from Cleveland. Young, who A-Rod has tutored is solid with the glove. His weakness is with the stick, as his OBP was horrible last yr. Einar Diaz will be the starting catcher replacing Ivan Rodriguez. And he will not be an upgrade on either end. Diaz is a defensive minded catcher, and hopes to help lower the Rangers league leading 5.15 era. Todd Greene is the backup, nice bat but a defensive liability. Mike Lamb- .283 in 115 g and Donnie Sadler will round out the infield roster. Im sure we'll see the major league debut of propect and 1st round pick Mark Teixeira sometime this season.
Outfield:
Juan Gonzalez .282 8 hr 35 rbi 70 g
Carl Everett .267 16 hr 62 rbi 105 g
Doug Glanville .249 19 sb............with Philadelphia
Kevin Mench .260 15 hr 60 rbi
Ruben Sierra .270 13 hr 60 rbi
The starting outfield appears to be Mench in left, Gonzalez in right, and right now Everett over Glanville in center. Sierra will start the year as the designated hitter. This may be Juan-Gone's last chance, contract year for him, if healthy and returns to form that will be a dangerous 3-4-5 in the lineup. Mench will get a chance to stick in left, had a good rookie season, showed show power, although he faded during Aug/Sept. Everett had a nice second half after a really slow start. He did not look good in centerfield though, but def hits better than Glanville, who has slumped the past three seasons. Not sure what happened to Sierra, at the break last year Sierra had 51 rbi...he finished with 60. His offensive swoon prob led to Seattle not offering him a contract this summer. Sierra can also play the outfield, but is not the quickest anymore and will see more time in the DH slot.
Things are not good in Texas right now. The lineup with the exception of Rodriguez and Palmerio has holes, the rotation is filled with question marks, the bullpen is pretty much brand new. Just what Buck Showalter likes....a challenge. Can the Hart/ Showalter connection turn the Rangers back into a contender....maybe, but not this season. Another last place division finish for Texas.
Tim Steffes.
