2008 Record: 79-83
Key Additions:
Kris Benson (P)
Andruw Jones (OF)
Brendan Donnelly (P)
Eddie Guardado (P)
Key Losses:
Kameron Loe (P)
Projected Lineup:
1 Ian Kinsler
2 Michael Young
3 Josh Hamilton
4 Nelson Cruz
5 Hank Blalock
6 Chris Davis
7 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
8 David Murphy
9 Elvis Andrus
Andruw Jones will get many chances to play, and will at the very least be a good late inning defensive substitute. The Rangers once again will crush the ball. Kinsler, Young, and Hamilton are all studs, and Chris Davis could easily be the next "breakout" guy. Texas has so many good young catchers that you would think eventually they will trade 1 or 2 of them. Anyways, this is one of the best lineups in baseball, and it seems like everyone hits well when playing for Texas.
Projected Rotation:
1 Kevin Millwood
2 Vicente Padilla
3 Scott Feldman
4 Matt Harrison
5 Brandon McCarthy
CL Frank Francisco
The Rangers pitching once again will keep them from being an elite team. Though they are starting to do some of the right things,like building up some farm arms. Millwood is steady, but is more of a 3-4 guy then an ace. Padilla serves his purpose, and McCarthy has the talent, but just can't stay healthy. You would think that if McCarthy sucks again that he will be moved to the bullpen. Overall, this is not a very good group, but they only have to be average with the kind of lineup they have.
Minors Watch:
Neftali Feliz - The next Pedro Martinez. The kid is a stud, and will make an impact at some point this season. He can hit triple digits on the radar gun...kind of guy the rest of the league will be looking out for. Real impact will come in 2010.
Derek Holland - Another very good pitcher. He is a lefty and may even make it up to the Rangers quicker then Feliz. Sky is the limit with this kid too.
Taylor Teagarden - Great defensive catcher, but needs to find himself at the plate. Is just another catcher that could be dealt by the Rangers.
Max Ramirez - The 3rd head of the Rangers catching squad. He is a year or two away, but he put up some crazy numbers last year. Once again, another gut Texas could trade for pitching depth.
Overall:
Texas will be a decent team this year, but will really be a team to watch in 2010-2011. They have one of the best farm systems in the majors, and we will see some of it later this season. The offense will only carry them so far, but I still seem them improving their record from last year.
Record: 84-78
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