http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=21323

Allyson, Dallas: How about the first week in the bigs by Chris Davis?

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:47 PM ET ) He’s going to be all right. It’s 40+ homer power. *
Jay(Boston): Feliz?

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:50 PM ET ) Good name, he’s in the mix. Arm action worries me a little – is he just loose, or more of a slinger who’ll end up in the pen? FB/CH combo is toxic, though. *
Allyson, Dallas: With the promotions of Hurley, Davis, Ramirez, and 7 other rookies this year, will the Rangers minor league system still be ranked high after the season?

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:55 PM ET ) If they sign Smoak and Ross, and Main and Beavan progress, then yes, they’ll still be towards the top. **
Mike(Dallas): Smoak or Davis?

SportsNation Keith Law: (2:32 PM ET ) Smoak. **
Jesse (Waco, TX): Josh Hamilton or Ed Volquez?

SportsNation Keith Law: (2:37 PM ET ) Hamilton. That’s no knock on Volquez, though, who has completely obliterated my expectations for him.

1B Chris Davis
DH Max Ramirez

Honorable mention at SP: Neftali Felez

Firstly, this was a long chat, an hour and forty-three minutes. Here are some of the questions that I found interesting. In the end there were three Rangers questions.

This one is for LBrooks, who has recently resurfaced on the forum.

Chris D. (Capital City): Mr. Law, at what point do we buy what John Danks is selling? He matched Cliff Lee pitch for pitch on Tuesday.

Keith Law: (1:07 PM ET ) I’m a Danks believer – had him as one of the top 20 prospects in baseball before 2006. Not a Floyd believer, though.

I was a bit surprised by Law not being up to speed on these players, but it sounds like he is focusing on the Cape Cod League. Oh, if you are one of those people who like to take vacations to watch baseball, there is nothing better than the CCL. Just go in June; renting a house on the Cape literally doubles after the 4th of July.

Mike (San Diego): The Inoa signing is drawing the bulk of the headlines, but wouldn’t you rather have taken the Padres haul of five players for comparable cash? Granted, the rate of attrition for 16-year olds is high, but all the more reason to cast a wide net. Keith Law: (1:11 PM ET ) Knowing nothing about the players, yes, I’d probably take the Padres’ approach. I don’t think the history on high-bonus Latin American prospects is very good.

I know there has been some talk about Saltalamacchia for Bowden trade in the past, but Law, in addition to some scouts, are not as high on Bowden as some of the people who want this trade.

Jim (Portland, OR): KLaw, what is your opinion on Bowden now that you’ve seen him?

Keith Law: (1:13 PM ET ) Disappointed. He was 88-91, below average command, flashed a plus curveball that has a chance to be an out pitch. Barely used his change, which Red Sox people have told me is his best pitch. Ugly delivery. Never saw the 94 mph I’d heard he was dealing this year, and the pro scout behind me told me he’d seen Bowden twice before (in 2008) and never had him above 88-92.

Finally, a Rangers question. At forty-seven minutes into the chat, I thought this would be the only one.

Allyson, Dallas: How about the first week in the bigs by Chris Davis?

Keith Law: (1:47 PM ET ) He’s going to be all right. It’s 40+ homer power.

Then there was this cryptic question. I can only assume that it is in regards to the earlier "best minor league pitcher not named Price and who has not made his major league debut" question. I also assume this is Neftali Feliz.

Jay(Boston): Feliz?

Keith Law: (1:50 PM ET ) Good name, he’s in the mix. Arm action worries me a little – is he just loose, or more of a slinger who’ll end up in the pen? FB/CH combo is toxic, though.

I really thought trading for Bedard would be more desirable than Sabathia as you would get another year out of him.

Tom (Detroit): Is CC more desirable on the market than Bedard?

Keith Law: (1:53 PM ET ) Absolutely. Sabathia’s pitching better, and there are enough questions about Bedard’s “toughness” that teams looking to October would rather talk to Cleveland.

Allyson got another Rangers question in the chat. What was wrong with mine?

Allyson, Dallas: With the promotions of Hurley, Davis, Ramirez, and 7 other rookies this year, will the Rangers minor league system still be ranked high after the season? Keith Law: (1:55 PM ET ) If they sign Smoak and Ross, and Main and Beavan progress, then yes, they’ll still be towards the top.

Earlier in the chat, Law said that he thinks the Tigers can catch and overtake the White Sox. This sparked a pretty big outrage by ChiSox fans; essentially they think he is an idiot.

Nick, Chicago: I don’t know if I have ever witnessed such an East Coast bias. Please explain why the White Sox get no respect?

Keith Law: (2:23 PM ET ) Are you new?

However, to claim that he has east coast bias is foolish. By the very nature of the subject at hand, it would be impossible to choose a division winner for the AL CENTRAL which comes from the east coast.

Finally, the last Rangers question

Mike(Dallas): Smoak or Davis?

Keith Law: (2:32 PM ET ) Smoak.

As amazing as Davis has been, I can only imagine what Smoak will be like.

I saw this deal as one that failed for trade deadlines: “Bartolo Colon to the Expos in 2002? They played sub-.500 ball the rest of the season and finished 19 games behind—and the three prospects traded for him (Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore) all turned into stars.”

Now – Padilla is no Bartolo Colon, especially Colon in 2002, but I have to think we would be looking for a high pitching prospect and a high outfield/position prospect in return if we end up trading him. And I have to think if we trade Bradley (trading both would assume we are 10 games out of the playoffs at the deadline), we could pry another high prospect (pitching or fielding) plus another lower level, decent prospect in return.

So if we could turn Padilla and Bradley into a Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore package that is a year or two away from making it to the big leagues, I’m pretty sure I’d be happy with adding them to our already-stocked-with-talent system. Otherwise, I would keep Padilla for at least another year and try to sign Bradley to a 3 year deal.