Second Half Shopping List: What the Texas Rangers Need for a Play Off Push

Texas Rangers fans find themselves in very unfamiliar territory these days.

It's the beginning of the second half of the season and their favorite team in the MLB is flirting with contention.

No one around the metroplex knows whether to fully commit to this team or be wary of their recent success. As the second half kicks off tonight against the Minnesota Twins in the "house that Kirby built", there are still many unanswered questions the Texas Rangers need to answer before a verdict is returned.

I have taken the liberty to put together a shopping list of the Rangers second half needs. What you read may shock you, and some points might seem very well known amongst you die hard fans, but all Rangers fans deserve to be fully educated.

Pitching:

• Kevin Millwood is not earning his paycheck. He needs to start performing like the ace of the staff that he is being paid to be.
• Vicente Padilla has to bounce back from his rough finish and re-establish the command of his fastball he showed for the majority of the first half.
• Matt Harrison, although only two starts in to his Major League career, has shown he can help this team compete. Harrison's success erlies heavily on his location as well. His fastball clocks at 90-92 mps and that isn't going to blow any one awyay. If he continues to locate and make necessary adjustments, he can provide consistency to this rotation.
• Eric Hurley has roughly the same outlook, although he has the ability to strike out a few more batters than Harrison. His development the rest of the season could signal his rise to the top of the rotation. The Rangers might have found a bit of succes in developing pitchers through the minor league system. Hopefully they don't give another one away.
• C.J. WIlson has shown he has the ability to come in to a game and finish off the ninth inning, however, he needs to lower his pitch count considerably. Too many time have I tuned in to a game and seen bases loaded in the ninth inning with his pitch count in the 30's.

A decision on catcher: Who stays and who goes?

• When Gerald Laird returns form injury, the Rangers will not keep three catchers on the everyday roster. Max Ramirez has earned the opportunity to stay in the big leagues with his hitting and toughness behind the plate.
• Gerald Laird was finally coming in to his own before his injury, hitting .306 and throwing out almost everyone who attempted to steal on him.
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia, although talented, may have worn out his welcome after only a year with the club. His inability to establish and kind of consistency at the plate could be his ticket out of town.

Third Base:

• Can Hank Blalock make that throw across the diamond? Is his swing strong enough to make people forget about the job Ramon Vazquez was doing before the trade deadline?

Overall Team Health:

• Can the Rangers maintain the relatively good health they were blessed with in the first half? All-Star trainer Jamie Reed has quite a task on his hands this second half with the notoriety of Milton Bradley and company on this roster not staying health for a full season.

If, and that's a big IF, all these things pan out, don't be surprised of you see this team finally playing meaningful games in September.

Why not us?