Monday: The Departed

So now the Rangers team seems to be set for 09. We’ve been pretty sure about the roster for some time now, though Kris Benson’s sudden emergence has definitely been a bit of a bolt from the blue. It’s looking as if he may even take Scott Feldman’s place in the rotation, with Feldman then moving to the bullpen as a long man. This spring Benson hasn’t been very impressive (1-0 with a 4.91 ERA), but compare that to Feldman’s near calamitous 6.19 ERA and you can guess why Benson has been surfacing the headlines as Feldman’s replacement. Benson, who is 34, has a career ERA of 4.34 and a 68-73 record. No, he hasn’t been a great pitcher, but he hasn’t been bad either. In 2000 he went 11-12, but with a 3.85 ERA in 217 innings. Still, you can expect Benson not to last too long, that is, if he even makes the rotation. Speaking of not lasting long, lets take a look at the possible and possible but unlikely Rangers who might get shipped out before the season is out. First of all, the decisions on who goes and who stays remains largely on how the Rangers perform. If they’re contenders, look for some buying, but if not, then some selling would seem to be in order:

Eddie Guardado. “Everyday Eddie,” 39 years old, played for the Rangers last year and pitched very well. However, he’s at the point in his career where he simply wants to win, and if the Rangers struggle, they’ll likely send him somewhere else out of pure courtesy, that is, if he’s pitching well. If he pitches poorly, he’ll likely be released, but with Guardado’s simple, finesse pitching style, he likely won’t have any problems as far as numbers go.

Omar Vizquel. Vizquel is an artist, but he’ll display his art on a limited basis as rookie Elvis Andrus’ backup at SS. But he may be traded to a team looking for veteran leadership/talent if the Rangers numbers don’t amount to much by July. After all, Joaquin Arias is still in the organization and they might like to give him another shot in place of Vizquel.

Marlon Byrd. Byrd is still young and could make a great starting outfielder for another team. With the Rangers teeming outfield, you can expect at least some of them to be considered for a trade. Byrd has been solid for the Rangers over the last two years, and he can definitely fill in as a starter if someone like Nelson Cruz struggles or gets injured. But there is not a great chance of that happening and it’s obvious that Byrd wants to play every day. Since the Rangers respect his wishes, they may send him somewhere else where he is more needed.

Andruw Jones. This was the dud signing of the off-season to me. I know the Rangers love picking up veterans who are looking for a home, but Jones was a superfluous acquisition and I want him out. Nothing against you, Andruw.

Frank Catalanatto. Frank Catalanatto? He’s still a Ranger? I respect Cat a lot. He’s a classy player and a terrific ball player. He’s never complained over his limited playing time while with the Rangers and when he does get a chance to play he seems to always come up with a hit. Catalanatto is the sort of player who is key for contending teams. In a vital game situation, if a young rookie comes up, you can guess the manager would rather have some veteran experience at the plate in that situation. Turn to Catalanatto and he'll likely get the job done. But if the Rangers aren’t in contention, you can see him putting on a new uniform, which to me would be the best for him because I think a classy player like Cat deserves the best.

Joaquin Arias. Here’s the deal with Arias: if the Rangers are in contention, they may want to deal him for a veteran pitcher or some key players who would help the team win. If the Rangers are out of it by July, you may see Arias given another shot. To me I think they need to trade him because in all honesty I don’t think he’ll ever be a solid player, plus he’s prone to injuries, which makes his appeal go down quite a bit.

Hank Blalock. This doesn’t seem too likely. Blalock could potentially be part of a package, but since he’ll be a free agent next year, most teams won’t be that interested in him, especially since he’s primarily a DH now.

Max Ramirez. The Rangers acquired Ramirez a few years ago when they traded Kenny Lofton to the Indians. Ramirez seems to be a great offensive force, but his catching skills aren’t exactly something to write home to mother about (though he did make an incredible play last year with the Rangers). Ramirez’ defense has improved though, and if the Rangers get good production from Saltalamacchia and Teagarden then it would seem that Ramirez would be a wasted talent. His presence in a multi-player deal would make the package shine much brighter. However, if either Salty or Teagarden struggles, then you could see Ramirez in and one of them out.


Ian Kinsler. I’m only mentioning Kinsler because I’ve heard a lot of talk about him being shipped if the right deal came along. Folks, Kinsler is here to stay. If he does get traded then feel free to bash me over the head. But that seems unlikely.

Well that just about does it for the candidates. There are some other pitchers who could possibly be dealt, but it seems improbable because this team needs pitching and I think Jon Daniels is very happy with what he has in both the rotation and the bullpen. I know it’s early for me to talk about something that won’t actually happen for a long time, but I have a tradition of guessing who might depart before the season actually starts, so I thought I’d share it on here. There will probably be another edition like this in July, when more accurate determinations can be made.