they have some “interesting” posts on that topic

Unless Manny can make 34 starts and pitch 200+ innings in each of the next three seasons, this wouldn’t bother me at all. The Rangers continue to baffle me with their never-ending search for more bats. Josh Hamilton was great last year, but how would Edinson Volquez have looked in their rotation instead of, like, Jason Jennings’ corpse? They didn’t feel like paying Francisco Cordero, so they traded him in for two months of Carlos Lee in a sunken quest for a division title in 2006. Not pulling that trade could have saved them a year of Eric Gagne, but at least they got another bat, David Murphy, for him. And Kason Gabbard, he gave them all of 56 innings last year. They got a couple of bats for Teixeira, and Matt Harrison, who put up a healthy 5.49 ERA in 83 innings last year. He might be good some day, if they don’t give up on him and trade him for another bat.

Those comments over at Halos Heaven are priceless. They should be scared, but not of Texas signing that ego maniacal cancer Manny. They should be scared because the pitching is coming and the offense is already here.

“Every time I see a shot of Nolan Ryan sitting in the stands at a Rangers game…
…I shudder. They’re going to catch on. They can’t HELP but catch on.”

I’ve been a Rangers fan for a long time, and never has there been such an emphasis on pitching and defense. Bringing in Nolan was the start of a new era for the Rangers. No more excuses like the heat and RBiA being a hitter friendly park. We’re in the shadows right now but it wont be long before we dislodge the Angels from the top spot in the west, possibly for years to come.