Regardless of that or the lack of being nowhere close to his 2011 numbers in 2012, Napoli brought something to the team that we had been sorely missing. We had Michael Young’s quiet lead by example leadership, but Napoli was the on-field cheerleader. He could get the team and the crowd fired up at the drop of a dime.  Who does that now? Kinsler? Andrus?

Will anyone step up with Mike Napoli like fire?
(photo credit: wija.com)

It’s an important asset that you can’t just assume. But the fans bought it. There was the chant NAP-OH-LI. It worked. He was active on Twitter and his battle with C.J. Wilson as the season started last year set the tone and gave us a real “knock this off I dare you” mentality.  We watched Napoli basically do that for the Angels against us in the years leading up to his Ranger time. There was no chant at the Ballpark then. In fact he was so lethal against us, it was a simple but resounding chorus of boo birds.

It remains to be seen if it was good or bad for the Rangers to not be able to give Napoli what he needed to stay a Ranger. Right now, it looks like sound judgment in erring on the side of caution. That was our theme during all of the off-season.  But losing Napoli we lose over 20 homers which is probably replaceable, but something that isn’t as easily replaced.

Wrapping things up, you have to wonder if the Diamondbacks weren’t insistent on Andrus or Profar until they ultimately traded Justin Upton to the Braves. Whatever the reason, according to reports we were in it until the end of Kevin Towers self-imposed “I have to go on my vacation Friday” deadline. But now the question for Ranger fans to ponder. Do we give up a draft pick and Boras dollars for Bourn? Do we try to make a deal for Jason Kubel when Towers gets home from vacation? Or do we stand pat and pray Nellie Cruz has strengthened his legs even more and going with Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin in center field?

Still some things to ponder in the remaining 27 days before pitchers and catchers report.

This is one of those times.

As it stands today, the Rangers will roll with a center field platoon featuring Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry. Under this blueprint, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz will be on either side, respectively, if you look at the outfield like you’re reading a book. But who reads books?

/Blahblahblah

Adding Michael Bourn to this convoluted outfield mixture probably means one thing: Either David Murphy or Nelson Cruz will be traded. But if you subtract one of those two bats, then you’re looking at starting Leonys Martin in a corner outfield slot, and his potential offensive value isn’t even in the same area code as either of the two veterans. So I don’t think that makes sense.

If you combine the above information by the fact that, if we add Bourn, we’d have about 27 light-hitting leadoff types instead of 26, then you’re really screwing with conventional logic as it relates to Arlington offense. Yes, the Rangers have Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Jurickson Profar, Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin — who could steal 20-25 bases apiece — but how much is too much? Like pitching, speed and defense don’t take days off. That said, it’s inherently simpler to mask offensive malaise when you have guys that can bop a three-run homer now and again. Right now the Rangers are severely lacking in that department.

Michael Bourn generated 6.4 fWAR in 2012, good for 13th of all players at any position in all of Major League Baseball. Try to wrap your head around that. Because his agent is Scott Boras, many pundits opined that he may stand to match Jayson Werth‘s 7-year, $126 million deal he inked with the Nationals a couple years ago. Yeah, right. That’s like giving Vernon Wells … no, Albert Pujols … wait, no, Josh Hamilton … uhm … Barry Zito? . . .

Whatever it means, it means that much money is ridiculous over that many years. Because of inflation, and the boku bucks various television networks are delving out, $100 million contracts being a rarity are a thing of the past. I wish I was funny, then I’d have a sweet analogy to posit right now.

Basically, Michael Bourn’s primary value is his speed. His legs. His wheels. For him, you might even call them “burners,” but I’m not talking about potheads in any sense of the word. Because he’s already on the wrong side of 30 (as of about 4 days ago), it’s reasonable to project that his speed will slowly erode over the next 5 years. You don’t pay $100 million to a dude who can only run and play defense. It’s illogical. It’s like selling off your best prospects for James Shields, wait, hold on, R.A. Dickey? Oh yeah, those things happened.

I need to find better transitions.

With all this rudimentary knowledge in your memory bank, let’s say the Rangers could ascertain Bourn for two years, maybe three, at $15 million per season. Would it then be worth it? I think that may be a different discussion.

Last year Michael Bourn saved 22.6 runs in center field, according to Fangraphs’s UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating). It was the best total, by about 6 runs, in the Majors.

If you can envision a lineup with Bourn in center, and some combination of Craig Gentry and either of Nelson Cruz or David Murphy in the outfield, then more power to you. I don’t see it happening. I know a lot of Rangers’ fans are pretty torn up at the fact that the Rangers haven’t done anything by way of big name acquisitions, but if Michael Bourn is that guy, we can’t say we didn’t see his declining production in advance.

Everyone wants to fall in love with Josh Hamilton signing elsewhere, or Albert Pujols, but they never want to take into account the sunken costs that accrue over time. $100 million contracts don’t seem like a lot when the players are still producing, but what happens when they stop? Then the fan base cries foul about how stupid their front office is, how much of a waste the player is, and how in the hell the higher-ups didn’t think twice before giving out such an outlandish deal.

Remember, the front offices don’t know what they’re doing. The fans are always right.

Right?

A lot of Rangers followers are calling this the worst offseason in club history, a notion I refuse to acknowledge based upon how poorly the franchise performed for so long. But nonetheless, there is no doubting that this winter has stung a little bit.

Hamilton, Mike Napoli, Zack Greinke and James Shields are all now off the board for the team, so it will now explore other options. In addition, all signs point to the Diamondbacks holding on to Justin Upton, so that’s basically out the window as well.

General Manager Jon Daniels and CEO Nolan Ryan have both said that they feel comfortable with the current roster, but the problem is that no one actually feels that way, especially with the Angels now having arguably the best lineup in the Majors. And it is ridiculous to believe that the team will not make any more moves before spring training. It will happen. It’s just a matter of who will be signed and how much longer the frustrated fan base will have to wait.

Right now, Ian Kinsler is moving to first base, Jurickson Profar is at second, Mitch Moreland is the primary DH and David Murphy is hitting third in the lineup. That’s not awful but it can’t match the other American League powerhouses.

The team has a few notable free agent targets left on the board in Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, A.J. Pierzynski, Adam LaRoche and Edwin Jackson.

The Rangers primary need is a left-handed power bat, so Pierzynski and LaRoche make a lot of sense from that standpoint.

Pierzynski, who I have targeted in the past as being a villain of the MLB, is making more and more sense with the team’s current starter Geovany Soto and the backup being Eli Whiteside. Unless Soto has a “comeback player of the year”-worthy season and Whiteside all of the sudden decides that he can consistently produce at the Major League level, the team will not have much offense from behind the plate in 2013. I’m on board if Daniels and Co. pursue Pierzynski.

LaRoche is coming off one of the best seasons of his career as he slugged .510, posted a career high 33 HRs, knocked in 100 runners and had a WAR of 3.8. He would be the perfect fit for the No. 3 hole in 2013.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Though he is not a “power bat,” perhaps the best fit for the team at this point is Nick Swisher. I’ve been all over the Swisher-to-Texas idea since I realized he was going to be a free agent. He’s a fit every way you look at it. He could hit in the No. 2 or No.5-8 spot in the lineup, is a switch hitter and can play RF and 1B. He would allow Nelson Cruz to make the much-needed move to DH and could sub in for Kinsler or Moreland (or LaRoche) when needed. Though another villain of the game, he is a tremendous clubhouse guy and always seems to be having a good time. He could add that off-the-field spark that the Rangers might need.

The addition of Bourn would possibly make the Rangers the speediest team in the Majors with Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Profar, Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry already on the squad, but he is not exactly what the team needs at this time because the team lacks power.

After pursuing Greinke and kicking the tires in a trade for R.A. Dickey it seems that the team will look to add a mid-rotation starter, rather than the prototypical ace it sought early on. Jackson would be just that: a solid starter that would come in behind Matt Harrison in the rotation. But, with the market for starting pitchers so high, Jackson may command too large a contract if the team is looking to add some offense as well.

Through trade, they could look at Chris Capuano of the Dodgers — a team that has about eight rotation candidates with the addition of Greinke.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Now, Rangers faithful will remain optimistic that the team has some sort of blockbuster in the works, whether it be swinging Upton after all, trading for a pitcher like David Price or forking over the entire farm for a big time duo like the Marlins’ Logan Morrison and Giancarlo Stanton. The team very well could pull off something like this, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Whatever the case, count on Daniels keeping a cool head despite the buzz going on around him. The cards are stacked against the Rangers front office at this time, but it’s their turn to make a move.

I don’t know when the moves will come, but they will soon enough. We’ve just got to remain patient. Even more patient than we are already remaining.