Nolan Writin' » Opening Day roster

Upton: Here early there are a lot of discussions about the Rangers and Rays being the favorites to involve themselves in a trade for the former MVP candidate. Obviously, Elvis Andrus is missing from the lineup. I’m predicting that, no matter what Jon Daniels is saying now, that the team will work a deal for him. This will provide the team with an opportunity to move Profar to the starting lineup. Also, Upton gives the Rangers the perfect 3-hole candidate for the starting lineup. Assuming Josh Hamilton does not return, who fills that hole? Cruz? Murphy? Young?

Still no “ace”?: The Rangers are in deep discussions for a chance at landing top free agent pitcher Zack Greinke, but I don’t think the team has what Greinke wants. I think the biggest downside for the Greinke signing is The Ballpark in Arlington. Greinke also enjoyed his time in LA, so I think the Angels and Dodgers will make larger offers and he will accept one of those. I’m predicting that the Rangers don’t make a big move to sign an prototypical ace.

Perez as the fifth starter: The Rangers, after not signing an ace, will focus on preparing Perez to be a major league starter during spring training. Obviously, starting him late in the 2012 season did not pan out, but he is still the No. 3 prospect in the organization. With time to prepare, I think Perez will be an excellent option as the fifth starter.

Napoli re-signed: I think the Rangers will work a deal for Napoli for 2013. He’s the best option for the team at catcher, especially if they trade for Upton. Some people are talking about a trade to the Blue Jays, but I don’t see that being an option if they shop Andrus to Arizona. If they can work out a way to get Travis d’Arnaud or J.P. Arencibia without giving up too much, they will work on that deal.

This is a very early prediction, as the GMs are just beginning to discuss potential trades. Only time will tell.

What do you think about my predictions? Who’s missing? Where did I mess up?

Additions, Omissions

ericreining — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:33:33 +0000

The 2012 Opening Day roster has been set, with the final positions on the bench being given to outfielder Craig Gentry, infielder Alberto Gonzalez, and Brandon Snyder, who kind of does everything.

By this point we’re all pretty familiar with Gentry. Had the injury which handcuffed him during spring training not been so blatant and omnipresent (to the point where he was missing games and being completely ineffective when he did play), he likely would have been the center fielder the Rangers went into the season with. Instead, he’ll be the 4th outfielder, likely spelling David Murphy when Texas is facing a lefty.

Alberto Gonzalez, 28, spent the last four years in the National League (three with the Washington Nationals and most recently last year with the Padres). He’s never hit much, but made several flashy plays in the spring that certainly caught the eye of the organization’s higher-ups. His role in Texas will be quite minimal, serving as the backup shortstop when Elvis Andrus gets a day off.

Brandon Snyder came over from Baltimore for cash considerations right around the time the new year turned over. He’s still young, only 25, and can play both corner infield and corner outfield positions, as well as serving as a third emergency catcher for the Rangers if the need ever arrises. With an already stellar infield and outfield setup, and with Craig Gentry and Michael Young as more sure bets to see playing time in the field than Snyder, his role will essentially be as significant as Alberto Gonzalez’s. Luckily, the Rangers are really good and will end a lot of games early on, so these two may see a healthy share of mop-up time, lightyears more than if they played for a team like Baltimore, for example.

The Rangers are currently a franchise blessed by depth and overwhelming frontline talent, so much that its bench is constructed of mostly no-name passers-by in the limitless baseball universe. Some benches — more pragmatically, National League benches — are counted on night after night to help contribute to the outcome of the game. In Texas, all the bench is asked to do is what each individual excels at most, whether it’s Craig Gentry playing superb defense and stealing bases, Alberto Gonzalez seeing a game at shortstop every two weeks, or Brandon Snyder making the most of his six at bats a month. I’m not discounting that this bench can carry some solid reserve value, but it’s evident that it will not be counted on to turn losses into wins, and likely won’t see enough daylight to turn wins into losses. This is a very good thing for us.

Julio Borbon

Skimming through the team’s original roster, I do feel I’d be remiss not to mention Julio Borbon’s exclusion from it. Sure, he hit for a pretty good average in the spring, but ever since Ron Washington called him out through the media for not getting two bunts down with a man on third and nobody out (an at-bat that ended in a strikeout and and an inning that ended with the runner still stranded on third base), he seemed like he was living off borrowed time with the Major League club. It’s one thing to handle a situation privately, but when a players-manager to the maximum extent like Ron Washington voices his displeasure aloud to the media, it is essentially the death wish of the player of interest. I’ve been dry on Borbon for quite awhile now, which is fairly clearly outlined in this article from March 15th.

The left-handed Borbon, who has still yet to translate his projectable profile and skills to actual in-game application, will continue to sharpen his tools down in Round Rock for the Rangers’ AAA affiliate. At least that’s where he’ll start the season. He’s a safe bet to be moved elsewhere at some point during 2012, and I can’t say I’d be all that disappointed if that indeed happens. He’s just had so many chances to prove himself here.

Otherwise, I’m happy for Craig Gentry receiving recognition for the sometimes critical production he’s given us over the last two postseasons, and having that correlate into a little faith from the organization to let him work out his current kinks. The same for Alberto Gonzalez and Brandon Snyder, who may or may not have gone through the most difficult challenge of all spring training challenges: cracking the Rangers loaded Opening Day roster.

It’s Opening Day in Texas! Rangers Host Red Sox – Preview and Lineups

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:30:43 +0000

C.J. Wilson (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

Opening Day is finally here baseball fans and I couldn’t be more excited. I have a feeling it’s going to be another great year for the Texas Rangers. The Rangers will kick off the season with a home opener against the Boston Red Sox. Both teams have made offseason additions and lost key players during the offseason, but both have bounced back and are ready for what the season brings. Both teams have solid pitching rotations and lineups. This first series of the season for the Rangers and Red Sox will definitely be a battle and it’s tough to say who is going to come out on top. Regardless, here is a preview of this afternoon’s game…

The Rangers have new ace C.J. Wilson starting on the mound for Friday’s game. Last year, Wilson made his transition from reliever to starter to go 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA. He had 170 strikeouts and 93 walks while allowing 83 runs off 161 hits over 204 innings.

The Rangers went 90-72 last year and secured the AL West division title. They went on to beat the New York Yankees in the ALCS but fell to the San Francisco Giants in their first ever World Series appearance in franchise history. The question is whether the offense can stay healthy and firm – especially with having Michael Young as a backup to ever infield position – but it’s whether they have the pitching staff to take them to the World Series. (more…)