Nolasco pitched absolutely lights out in the bigs for a full season. Buch is all promise

is that the Rangers are getting close to a point where their hand will be forced. Worst case scenario, you could have Salty and Laird platoon again in 2009 – but more likely than not you will decrease their value yet again – and Tea and MaxRam in the minors. But by 2010, you’ll have 3 major league catchers, plus one (MaxRam) who will be ready also.

I think the Rangers really need to trade either Salty or Laird this offseason. Both guys played ball with the platoon situation last year, but they’d be pushing their luck to do it again (both are candidates for outright rebellion). Furthermore, both are about to lose most of their trade value – Salty will go from a good trade chip to a bad one with another iffy year, and Laird will be near free agency. If you cannot get the ‘young major league ready good starter’ then you go for someone further out with that potential or for hitting or something.

That isn’t to say you rush into something – I still trust JD to find something good. But I’m not holding my breath for a future Cy Young winner for Salty or Laird.

As far as Olson, if you can attribute some of his performance issues to his head-case status, then maybe you trade for him if you have reason to believe those problems are behind him. I think guys like Olson and Greinke are difficult to project based on past numbers, simply because you don’t know whether those past numbers are indicative of their skills or their head.

That would be truly amazing considering Bucholz was considered the feature piece in some potential Johan Santana deals. To go from getting Johan Santana to getting Gerald Laird is absurd (even if the circumstances are considerably different).

The Rangers already have their share of junk (and I am not talking about his pitching repetoire) left-handed pitchers. Why add another. Quantity is not a substitue for quality in this instance.

What about the Royals? Do we have any interest in Mark Teahen? Could we flip Blalock; then turn around a put together a package for Teahen instead of Grienke? He’s be considerably less and definitly an upgrade at third base. I doubt the Royals really need a catcher, however I’m just brainstorming. I believe I recall some crazy beat writer suggesting Teahen could win the batting title in 2008. They were way off.

Love the player, doubt they deal any of their ML starters, though (Olsen excepted).

but they would laugh at you.

it’s just true that he’s expected to be available, Fla needs a catcher, TX needs pitching, and people are doing the math and speculating.

he played in front of one of the few infield defenses that was worse than the Rangers last year, and our OF defense is probably much better as well, esp if Borbon comes up and moves Hamilton to a corner next year.

And I don’t see why the Marlins would want to do that, given that they are trying to reduce payroll, and Laird would cost more than Olsen.

Unless the pitcher is someone like Main or someone high level like that, I don’t see why on earth they would even consider that.

Florida would want something very substantial like Davis, Salty, and a prospect.

Arias and Mayberry have very little value.

the great dirkatron and i disagree. he played in front of a horrible defense in FL, and he had a 1.31 WHIP. I’ll take that at the back end of my rotation any day. If he can get his velocity back up to 90, he could be a bargain.