Last year’s record and finish in parenthesis with projected improvement/decline indicated by plus or minus
Texas Rangers (80-82, 3rd in AL West) – 5 games
Get Crunked: You have two of the better players in the game at their positions between Michael Young and Mark Teixeira. Tex is one of the premier power hitters in the game and blew up in the 2nd half after a slow start to the season last year. Michael Young is one of the most under-rated players in the game and a stellar shortstop with an awesome stick. Kevin Millwood is one of the top starters in the AL, and Akinori Otsuka is probably the best closer in the game who most people don’t know about.
Party Foul: The outfield is one of the weakest in baseball (I’m not alone here) – Brad Wilkerson struggled through a shoulder injury last year and ended up hitting just .222, Kenny Lofton is still a .300 hitter but he’s a platoon guy, and Nelson Cruz is unproven and doesn’t boast stellar minor-league numbers. The rotation drops off after Milwood and Padilla (I’m not a Brandon McCarthy believer) and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bruce Chen or Jamey Wright steal a spot in the rotation. Except for Otsuka and Wes Littleton, the bullpen continues to be a weak point.
What’d my GM do: Overall he lost much more than he gained. Both Carlos Lee and Gary Matthews Jr. departed in free agency (but at the prices they commanded it probably wasn’t a bad loss). Keeping Rod Barajas around would’ve been a bargain, but Gerald Laird should work out fine. Padilla was the only big free-agent acquisition (and at a hefty price), Wilkerson and Otsuka were retained at good prices in arbitration. I like the Frank Catalanotto and Bruce Chen deals, but I’m not a big fan of the Eric Gagne and Kenny Lofton signings — $6 million is far too much for either. Oh yeah, since it must be addressed, Sammy Sosa won’t be a factor.
Lay it on me Straight: It’s a weaker lineup than what we’ve traditionally had in Texas for the past 10 years or so (and apparently Jon Daniels agrees with me) — relying heavily on the bats of Young and Teixeira. The pitching staff is sub-par and the bullpen isn’t very strong. There are just too many spots on the team filled by below average players for the Rangers to have a good year.
So where my boys gonna finish right now: Last in the AL West, but not by an embarrassing margin. They’ll be surpassed by the Angels, A’s, and Mariners who are all much better.
Can we be better than that: If Brad Wilkerson and Hank Blalock return to their ’04 form, Ian Kinsler hits like he did pre-injury, and Nelson Cruz develops a stroke, they could win a few more games. ’07 doesn’t look bright for Texas.
