Rangers Are in Great Shape Part 2

The Rangers have scored more runs than any other team in baseball believe it or not. People should be talking about this being one of the best lineups in baseball and quite possibly of all time.

Ok fine of all time maybe exaggerating some, but it proves my point. Its unfortunate because no one sees that because of the pitching staff. Again, though there is a good explanation why the pitching staff appeared so bad as described above.   

The infield is probably set for next year with Chris “crush” Davis, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young. That’s an infield that’s capable of putting up twenty home runs at each position-something very few teams have done.

Davis has done nothing short of rookie of the year if he played a full season. He currently has 16 home runs in about half a season. His average is a healthy .275. Imagine what he could have done in a full year. He probably will make Ranger fans forget about Mark Teixeira before too long.

Hank Blalock is finishing his season strong after numerous injuries and most likely solidifying a spot in the lineup come next year. When Blalock is on the field, he is one of the most feared hitters.

Everyone knows about Ian Kinsler and Michael Young at this point in the season so there’s no need to go into detail. They are certainly two of the best at their position.

Catching is an interesting thing to discuss. Catching is likely to be a hot commodity this offseason and the Rangers have a huge surplus.

Gerald Laird probably is the odd man out at least in the long term. He is putting up one of his best seasons, but the younger catchers have potential to be even better.

Saltalamacchia didn’t look very good this year, thus limiting his potential trade value. He still has a good chance of being dealt solely because of the Rangers huge surplus at the position.

Taylor Teagarden looks to be everything scouts have said and he has even added power early on with six home runs in 15 games. He certainly is in the middle of a possible trade in the offseason along with Laird. The Rangers will have to decide on experience or youth with more potential when making a move.    

Max Ramirez defense this year certainly won’t be overlooked although Teagarden is supposed to be the better defender. If Ramirez stays with the Rangers its probably as the designated hitter and backup catcher. Teagarden’s potential is too high not to give him a chance at catching.  

All in all, it’s likely to be Laird or Teagarden who is traded and Saltalamacchia is likely to be gone too regardless of what happens. It’s a really tough choice and I’m glad I’m not the one making the decision. Both Laird or Teagarden appear to be more than capable of handling the job.  

Ramirez’s famous play at the plate is still fresh in my mind. He held on to the ball after a collision at the plate and then had the nerve to get back up after appearing to be injured and throwing out a runner trying to get to third base.  

Outfield is also a new Ranger strength partly due to injuries.

Milton Bradley needs to be resigned by this team because when he is in the lineup he does so much to help protect other hitters. Even if he only manages to play in 81 games I’m okay with it. This guy doesn’t deserve as much media negativity as he gets. He is a very solid ballplayer.

Because of Bradley’s injuries people like Brandon Boggs have gotten a chance to play. Boggs may not be that great but he certainly is good enough to be a defensive replacement with his arm. Teams found that out the hard way this year.

Nelson Cruz has worked himself back into the mix after a strong finish to the season. He appears to have finally succeeded in his final chance with the Rangers. Now the Rangers have a tough choice with him. He certainly has some trade value, and ultimately I think the Rangers will have to move him based on the other outfielders on this team.

David Murphy was a rookie of the year candidate until he got injured. That’s good enough to have a position to play next year.

Josh Hamilton doesn’t need an explanation about his status. The Rangers will lock him up and give him a nice payday. Hamilton needs to be better in the second half of the season though. His second half numbers took him out of the MVP race.

Marlon Byrd is another interesting player right now. He has had one of the best finishes of any player this season bringing his batting average back to nearly .300.

I remember early on in the season Byrd was working himself out of the equation after a terrible slump. Kudos to management for sticking with him throughout his slump.

Byrd isn’t going to be a star by any means but his batting average his good enough to be in the lineup as a consistent base runner. The Rangers defiantly could use a guy like that in their lineup, but if the good offer is there for Byrd the Rangers have to take it.

To summarize parts one of two the Rangers have some choices to be made this offseason in regards to the team. Most years I can say who is likely to be on the Rangers roster come opening day, but going into next year I honestly have no clue what it might look like. There are too many possibilities.

In the next article I’ll take a deeper look at why the Rangers are set for the future and a sustained run.