I think it’s got to be his salary that saved him.

does not know how to rebuild. and, this is why we have no hope for a couple years from now which is what they always say. We’ll compete in 2 years. Well, they never do because they don’t know how go through the growing pains of a young player. It makes me sick to see the players the rangers give away just before they make it to the bigs. It also makes me sick to think of what is going to happen with the current crop of youngs players on the cusp.

Dear god…the humanity!

I suspect his upside might be to be what Cat is now. A marginal platoon hitter with no defensive ability.

However, that being said, I still don’t understand the Broussard fascination. As I said during spring training, he is a butcher in the field, he can’t hit, and they are paying him way too much. He will not help you win today, he will not help you win in the future.

However, it is also tough to get on board with all the hubbub over cutting Botts. He’s 28, he can’t field, and he hasn’t been able to hit. Personally, I would have given him ABs to at least Memorial Day or maybe the Fourth of July, but its easy to see in closed door meetings, Rudy telling them he doesn’t think he will ever be a big time hitter.

Didn’t JD sorta give Wash an “order” to play Botts over the road trip? That wasn’t much more than a week ago. How does this team go from “play Botts instead of Broussard” to “DFA Botts” in such a short span of time?

I have to wonder if there’s some sort of insider reason we aren’t hearing about, like an article I read earlier this season about a younger pitcher (I wanna say Tejeda) who gave up a walk-off homer and stayed on the mound, thinking he had another batter to face.

Did they just decide that, given our current defensive woes, we don’t have space for another defensive liability? What do you guys think?

I’ve been saying that every year for about 20 years now.

This organization is working my last ulnar nerve!

amount to a great major league hitter, but i feel bad for him, and it illustrates what’s wrong with the Rangers. He made the team out of spring training but they never played him. Once they finally started playing him he has a couple of bad games and they take him back out. The reason seems to be that the powers that be are scared to alienate the fan base further (what fan base?) and can’t totally commit to the rebuilding mind set. The A’s have gone all in (Frank Thomas excepted) and are winning. They’ve told their young guys, ‘this is your team, no one is expecting you to win, so go out there and prove ‘em wrong.’ Again, Botts might not turn into Travis Hafner but it’s safe to say he never got a chance here.

of acquiring redundant first baseman and giving themselves a stupid roster problem is disturbing, I have a really hard time crying for Botts who simply did not produce in any of his opportunities. Yes, you can say he should have a lengthy and consistent trial at some point, but he didn’t look good enough in any of his stints to force their hand.

This whole thing reflects badly on Daniels, though. There is just no reason for Broussard to be here after you acquire Shelton. And there really is no reason to DFA Botts right now. You could have waited another month without any ill effects on the long term plan.

All this roster mismanagement makes me worry more about his ability to handle the tough decisions when all the talent starts reaching the higher levels. If they can’t get their act together to keep the right players then how on earth are they going to have the flexibility to acquire needed pieces during a contention window?

(and I’m sure this has been touched on)

is that it just goes to show that the whole organization is being mismanaged right now. Sending Botts down could not have just been a Washington decision. I don’t think Hicks or Ryan would get involved to make that call either. This one is definitely on Daniels.

Adam has suggested that there are indicators that Washington has been “managing scared.” I think this is an indicator that Daniels is “general managing scared.”

I’m seeing things like this. Botts has had 8 years to prove that he can’t get the job against ML pitchers. And that’s against them in our home park which is tailor made for left-handed batters. Shelton may prove to be have the same problem, although I still remember April ‘06, when he went on an absolute tear at RBIA. He also brings much improved defense to the table. BB should be shelved as an extremely bad investment, and DFA’d or put on the bench as an extreme emergency backup. For what I don’t have a clue.
I agree with tdi1985, that JD and Wash both seem to be managing scared. Nolan is one of my heroes, but if he and Hicks are going to pull the string, then pull it and lets get back to being the joke of the MLB. If not leave them the HELL alone and lets get back to the plan set forth last July.
Honestly I don’t see Bradley being here next year, as either a RF or DH. He and Cat are the stopgap until Ellison ond Arias are rady to come up. Not even sure that MB and Cat will be here after July 31, either through trade or DFA. That will open the spots on the 40-man, and bringing Arias up will allow MY to get more time at 3B/DH.
In short, Botts and BB are not the future of this team. Shelton, maybe. But only until Davis gets his K/BB under control.
And, as for Blalock, and in defense of MY. With a third trip to the DL in two years, Blalock’s
trade value will be low, especially with a $9M option next year. It is my belief that he will be lost to FA, or be granted arbitration in October. In defense of MY. I have racked my brain, and in 3 years, the only time I can remember MY missing a start, was for the birth of his son Mateo, in 2006. I can’t even remember a trip to the DL. HIs only problem is that he was signed long-term to be the face of the team, and with that, and the exit of Tex, he has to step up and be the leader in the clubhouse. He has certainly earned it.

but I’m assuming Salty starts over Laird tonight?

I wasn’t too bothered by trading for BB as long as he didn’t block people and muck things up. Same with Sosa last year. But now we’re in the exact same situation as last year. Wash needs to get with the program and JD needs to implement the plan.

I understand JD/Nolan’s goal to rebuild while staying competitive, but I don’t think the Rangers are good enough to do that. The only way that can happen is with a higher payroll in which teams reload from the minors while signing key FAs. The Rangers have too many holes to fill through FA, and even if they tried, they’d kill their draft.

The Rangers just need to bite the bullet. Honestly, I think more fans would come to the ballpark to see a team lose that has young players with potential than a mediocre team with no upside. At least I would. I keep watching more and more KC and D-Ray games over the last couple seasons. They’re more exciting than Toronto or Seattle.

that the front office doesn’t see the problem here.

It’s simple: Let the fanbase know you’re rebuilding, but you’d like to see what kind of success this team has in the early months of the season. Stockpile your mediocre veterans in the offseason. If April is a total failure, you slowly begin the phasing out of low-risk low-dollar contracts. You replace those players with your young talent and say “Here’s your shot, this season is most likely down the drain. We currently do not have any veteran players who will steal your spot. Make the most of it and show me this team will be a winner in the future.”

visting O’s fan that lives in OKC. I have a slight man crush on Botts and I would love to see him get picked up off the wire by BAL. I agree he has never received a fair shake as far as consistent ABs go and all his minor league numbers are awesome. Just wanted to drop in and see what you guy’s thoughts on him were.

Maybe the reason the reason Broussard hasnt been let go yet is that is that he is the best the team has defensively at 1B.

Say what you want but, would you rather hurt Millwoods and Padillas and etc.. ERAs with Botts at fist trying to feild some of the throws from our INFers. Tex made up for alot of the bad throws when he was here.

Treat BB as a sunk defensive cost that is there becasue he is the best feilder of the bunch. It turns my stomach to even type this, but think of an entire season of sub par 1B defense isnt worth the attempt tosee if Botts hits.

That is exactly what we have gotten from BB, and MY, and Kinsler. And I like the last two

was having a better 2008 at the plate, is 3 years younger, and was making $3 mill less this season. Add on the fact that he’s popular with a big portion of the fanbase, came up through this system, and had already been fucked over on 4 different occasions by this club…

Well, I think the choice would have been obvious. Defense or not, Broussard was the one to go.

You know Bradley’s going to miss a decent chunk of time this year, why not just hold on to him for any value at DH? I’m still just… dumbfounded. I don’t get it.

mainly because it seems like this is less about the rangers thinking they can get him through waivers and more about the rangers just cutting ties with him.

and I did like the mini roll he seemed to be on.

throw “+1”s around like they’re nothing. So to that I say, “-1.”

Dallas Morning News is reporting that Avery has been canned…could Wash be next?

To ask my wife they should keep Avery and shit-can Dirk

wishes his defenders were as vehement as Jason Botts defenders.