FanNation

It is tough to be a baseball fan in Texas right now. 

I will get to the Astros at a later date.  My focus now is on the Rangers.  Gone are the glory days of the late 90s, with Wetteland closing games on the mound with his filthy hat and filthier stuff...and Rusty Greer, Gonzo, and Pudge running the basepaths.  Many feel that the downturn truly started after they sold their soul to the devil (insert Scott Boras joke here) and signed A-Rod to that ridiculous Free Agent (FA) contract.  If it wasn't a Faust move, karma has come back to bite the Rangers, payback for setting a new standard in obscene player salaries.

Here are the moves made by the Rangers GMs (either John Hart, or most of them by current GM Jon Daniels).

1.) Trade A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano.  This move helped "free up" salary and provide "financial flexibility".  Never mind the Rangers were paying A-Rod $7+ million per year (salary and deferred slary) to NOT play for them.  I wish that I could get the Rangers to pay me $7 million to not play for them.  Soriano was turned over for Brad Wilkerson.  Brad, the human K machine, was allowed to walk.  Net Worth - A-Rod for nothing.  The only good news, is when A-Rod opted out of his contract, the Rangers were off the hook on their portion of his salary.

2.) Chris Young (P) and Adrian Gonzalez for Adam Eaton and Okinori Otsuka.  Young continues to be a good young pitcher, and AG is a borderline All-Star at 1B.  Eaton sort of pitched 1 season (cut short due to injury) and walked.  A-O from Tokyo pitched a couple of seasons, but he was also shown the door due to injury concerns.  Net Worth - SD got a solid #2 pitcher and their 1B of the future and the Rangers got nothing.

3.) John Danks to the Pale Hose for Brandon McCarthy.  Danks, one of the untouchable "DVD" pitchers in the farm system, is eating starts and innings as a back of the rotation guy in Chicago.  McCarthy can't stay on the field due to injuries.  Net Worth - Decent Young Pitcher with potential for intermittent nothing.

4.) Francisco Cordero, Lance Nix, and Kevin Mench to the Brewers for Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz.  Brewers got a closer and a couple of journeyman OFs.  Not great from their perspective.  Rangers lost Lee in FA and sent Cruz to the minors.  Net Worth - Closer and 1 bench players for a 1st Rd Compensation Pick.

5.) Mark Teixiera to the Braves for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and others.  Tex, another Boras client, was going to demand mucho money.  So instead of paying him the dough, the turned him into prospects.  JS was sent to the minors this year.  Net Worth - An All-Star 1B for nothing.

6.) Edison Volquez to the Reds for Josh Hamilton.  This one could still work.  Hamilton needs to prove he is durable.  Volquez was another of the "DVD" boys (the other being Pitcher Thomas Diamond) and was once considered untouchable.  He was traded anyway, and exploded on the scene for the Reds.  Net Worth - a young potential stud SP for a young potential stud CF.

And don't foget the failed trade.  The Florida Marlins, in their salary dump a few years back dangled SP Josh Beckett and 3B Mike Lowell to the Rangers for Hank Blalock and a "DVD" boy.  Um...what was the concern.  Too much money?  What happened to that "financial flexibility"?  The Red Sox thank you, though... 

So the tally, An All Star at 3B (best player in baseball), OF (Soriano) and 1B, 2 good young SPs, 1 pretty good young SP, and a closer (Coco Cordero) and a potential All Star 1B for a brittle young SP, a brittle young CF, a comp 1st Rd Draft Pick, and "financial flexibility".  Sums it up pretty good.   Explains why the locals are being fed "wait until 2010" around here.