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Crasnick on Sheets

Another possibility is Texas. Sheets lives in Dallas in the offseason and has a strong working relationship with Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, who just came over from Milwaukee a week ago. Texas needs to upgrade its rotation, and Maddux is a self-professed Sheets fan who has stayed in touch with the pitcher since the end of the season.

 

"I would love to have that guy on my team regardless of where I am," Maddux said in a phone interview.

 

One thing is a virtual certainty: Sheets' name will come up in conversation when Maddux meets with general manager Jon Daniels, assistant GM Thad Levine and the rest of the Texas front office Friday.

 

"I understand why general managers have concerns," Maddux said. "But as somebody who was close to him, you say, 'It's just a bump in the road.' A healthy Ben Sheets pays his dividends. He's pretty darned good. He started the All-Star Game, and that's not a mistake."

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For what it's worth, this it he guy I hope the Rangers really target.  while he is easily the second best pitcher on the market this offseason, I could see him getting total guarenteed money below guys like Perez and Dempster, especially if he is willing to sign a three year deal.  Plus, it would certainly give us some leverage in trades, and we might finally stop hearing (or at least hear less of) the "Rangers should trade (good, young asset) for (generic back of rotation guy) because any pitcher is an upgrade for them" talk.

also worthy of pulling from the article:

He has a better career strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.85-to-1) than Johan Santana, Roy Oswalt and Roy Halladay, and a lower career WHIP (1.20) than Josh Beckett and Brandon Webb.