Evan Grant thinks the pitching staff is set

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 30, 2009 6:42 PM CDT

Evan Grant has a new post up, in which he has some quotes from Ron Washington about Kris Benson, and in which he suggests that the rotation is pretty well set, with Benson in the rotation and Scott Feldman, Warner Madrigal, Jason Jennings, and Josh Rupe getting the 4 bullpen spots up in the air.

Assuming Vizquel and Andrus make the Opening Day roster as well and Andruw Jones, that would mean six players would have to be added to the 40 man roster.

Jones would replace Cat, Joe Koshansky will get put on waivers (if he hasn't been already), and Eric Hurley and Joaquin Benoit will go to the 60 day d.l. That would leave two spots needing to be created. Depending on their health, Dustin Nippert, Tommy Hunter, or Willie Eyre (all of whom, Grant suggests, will start the season on the d.l.) could go to the 60 day d.l. to create room.

Otherwise, one or two guys from the Travis Metcalf/Luis Mendoza/Kason Gabbard triumvirate will presumably get dropped.

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Metcalf is my choice

Gabbard and Mendoza I would like to keep around.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 6:50 PM CDT reply actions

Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing Gabbard dropped, myself.

She was a grand old lady...

by LSJ on Mar 30, 2009 6:51 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm afraid of Jamie Moyer

bitting us in the ass again. I would like to keep Gabbard around as long as possible just to see.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Moyer is a 1 in 10,000 outcome

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 30, 2009 7:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh I agree

But I just think Gabbard might have something. But hey in JD I trust.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions

Put me in this group as well

I think he has something…I don’t know what, but it is something.

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions

If there's a 1 in 10000 change Gabbard turns into Moyer...

…then I’m fine with releasing him.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 30, 2009 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Gabbard will be good

..maybe

by Mike E on Mar 30, 2009 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm sorry I didn't mean Moyer

What I meant to type is if he turns out like Rosy Ryan I sure would hate to loose him. Man that guy had some good years. I always enjoyed watching that guy pitch.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Metcalf

He is what we think he is.

by robert_d_wilfong on Mar 30, 2009 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Metcalf and Nippert to the 60 day.....

Metcalf will never hit enough to become anything of value, so if he is claimed it is not much of a loss.

Nippert going on the 60 day will allow him to pitch in extended spring and have a nice long rehab before the Rangers have to make a move with him.

I agree Gabbard and Mendoza have shown enough flashes that they could someday find it, and either would probably be claimed.

by death of the cool on Mar 30, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Wow, so I hit the nail on the head this morning, except Mad Dog?

I could not be more shocked if Ed McMahon knocked on my door right now.

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Mar 30, 2009 6:51 PM CDT reply actions

Ed McMahon won't have any money for you, you know.

He’d probably want any spare gold you have to send to cash4gold.com.

by Inkara1 on Mar 30, 2009 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Patella Tendon?

Sounds like Patella done for seasondon.

by SaltyGoesYard on Mar 30, 2009 6:56 PM CDT reply actions

trade for a righty set-up

We really need to go look for a right-handed set-up guy, but I am not sure that anyone very reliable will even be available.

I am far from comfortable with the right-handers that are going to be in the pen. Out of the guys that look to be making the team, my hope rest on Madrigal having a Frankie Fran type season out of nowhere like a few years ago….if not we could be giving up a lot of leads during the 6th-8th ining.

This bullpen will either be a nice suprise or it will burn to the ground.

by death of the cool on Mar 30, 2009 7:02 PM CDT reply actions

Gammons says people are calling Boston for Declarman

I don’t see him being traded though.

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Mar 30, 2009 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Cat

What could we reasonably get for Cat, considering he had a pretty decent WBC and spring. This is assuming we pick up a good, healthy portion of his salary? Say maybe a Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay? /TR’s mailbag

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 7:05 PM CDT reply actions

I think you could get much more

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Really...

say Justin Thompson, Francisco Cordero and Alan Webb, catcher Bill Haselman, infielder Frank Catalanotto, and outfielder Gabe Kapler.

Yes, trade 2009 Cat for the 2000 Cat.

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions

I think Cat could bring

Lincecum and Cain + Halladay. Yes that is right Cat is so good he could bring the Doc in the same trade from another team. Cat is a master Jedi.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions

I have complete faith

everyone here understands who all those guys are….

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 7:18 PM CDT up reply actions

I do. I thought Alan Webb

Was going tobe something good. That turned out really well didn’t it. I had such high hopes for J. Thompson. I thought he was going to be the staff ace for years to come.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree'd

Man, Justin Thompson was supposed to be can’t miss….TINSTAAPP

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Thompson wasn't a prospect

He was a successful major league pitcher.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 30, 2009 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions

And, I heard he is

throwing off flat ground next week.

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Mar 30, 2009 7:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Okay.....

That really did make me laugh out loud.

by Darrell McKown on Mar 30, 2009 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Eh, I was 16 at the time...

I had more on my mind than baseball…

The worst thing about being a Rangers fan.....hope.

by TxStCa on Mar 30, 2009 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Yuck

That pitching staff is a disaster. We may need to revisit the runs allowed over/under discussion. Now that the (already crappy) bullpen has the injury bug, giving up even more runs than last year doesn’t seem far fetched.

"LSB: We’re all-scaploading, all the time." -AJM

by BAC on Mar 30, 2009 7:17 PM CDT reply actions

Travis Metcalf

Tough break, pal.

My new comedy website, lolololol.

by ghostofErikThompson on Mar 30, 2009 7:23 PM CDT reply actions

I think that "letter" written to him

needs to be resurrected if he is, indeed, released

-- Micah
Baseball Is My Boyfriend
I want to be the next Annie Savoy.

by The Best Micah on Mar 30, 2009 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Go to his baseball reference page it is there.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Awesome.

I had no idea GoET had gone to that length.

She was a grand old lady...

by LSJ on Mar 30, 2009 7:33 PM CDT up reply actions

I go to all lengths...

and yes, that’s what she said or whatever.

My new comedy website, lolololol.

by ghostofErikThompson on Mar 30, 2009 7:34 PM CDT up reply actions

1 thru 5?

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Wow...that is awesome

-- Micah
Baseball Is My Boyfriend
I want to be the next Annie Savoy.

by The Best Micah on Mar 30, 2009 7:37 PM CDT up reply actions

See

You guys and gals should look up more Rangers on BR old and new you never know what you might stumble upon.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions

BBIMBF has sponsored two Rangers pages

-- Micah
Baseball Is My Boyfriend
I want to be the next Annie Savoy.

by The Best Micah on Mar 30, 2009 7:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I know

I’ve been thinking about doing one myself.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I hate that the Baseball Sherpa beat me to CD's page

I had to settle for Harrison and Rupe. Not bad consolations, but …you know.

-- Micah
Baseball Is My Boyfriend
I want to be the next Annie Savoy.

by The Best Micah on Mar 30, 2009 7:42 PM CDT up reply actions

I was thinking about

The great Bump Wills for mine.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions

awww yes I'll never forget that Sports Illustrated cover of him..

Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you but once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.

by BigGuns on Mar 30, 2009 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions

My favorite player as a kid.

Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."

by boomer1 on Mar 30, 2009 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Who is the Baseball Sherpa, anyway?

by Inkara1 on Mar 30, 2009 10:03 PM CDT up reply actions

"The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa" is the page sponsor nazi on BR and the Baseball Cube

He must sponsor hundreds of dollars worth of pages between the two sites. Ticks me off, because he sponsors almost all of the pages I would want to sponsor.

She was a grand old lady...

by LSJ on Mar 30, 2009 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions

For example

http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hamiljo03.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cruzne02.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hurleer01.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/francfr01.shtml

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

She was a grand old lady...

by LSJ on Mar 30, 2009 10:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Just saw Hammy's page....

is he really 6’4 205? No way man, that dude has to be around 230 (at least…)

My cool sig.

by Cecilio's Guante on Mar 30, 2009 10:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Holy crap, that is fantastic.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Mar 31, 2009 2:46 AM CDT up reply actions

Hmmm

I’m actually not sure I really like that. The letter is extremely funny, but doesn’t really sound all that sincere. I really do feel sorry for Travis, and that letter seems to be mocking him. Do you really want Travis reading that? Have you read the latest entry in Ryan Tatusko’s Back Field Diaries. He talks about guys not making the cut.

For some of the older guys, this is the dream that they have worked at since T-ball. All of the sudden, for the first time someone has told them that they can no longer play the game they love and have had so much passion for during a better part of their life.

by NorCalRangersFan on Mar 31, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions

Tommy Hunter

I would prefer to not put him on the 60 day DL unless they actually think he’ll be out for most of that time. He’s someone who I think you want pitching this year, and enough of those other guys are very marginal that there is room to dump one of them or sit an Eyre on the 60 day.

Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam

by Brett Perryman on Mar 30, 2009 8:08 PM CDT reply actions

i wouldn't mind it

he pitched far too many innings last year, in my opinion. his DL stint would be retroactive to March 27th and he could begin a rehab stint 30 or 40 days in, correct? so he would start around the end of April. I would be okay with that, I think.

by clark on Mar 30, 2009 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Mar 30, 2009 8:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Concur...

I want to see as much of Hunter in OKC as possible.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Mar 30, 2009 8:26 PM CDT up reply actions

i don't see this team cutting Metcalf

I don’t think he’s very good, but we don’t have anyone else who can step in and play 3B right now at the ML level. If Duran or Whittleman have a strong first half, then perhaps they would be considered, but for now I think Metcalf is too important as a safety net to risk losing.

by clark on Mar 30, 2009 8:17 PM CDT reply actions

I don't see why Duran wouldn't be considered ahead of Metcalf

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 30, 2009 8:22 PM CDT up reply actions

i think Metcalf is

the better defender, and at least at this point in their careers, the better bat at the major league level. i think the club showed their current opinion of Duran by sending him back to the minor league camp so early this year. I think they realize how much they stunted his progress last year and they are committed to letting him have as much time in AAA as possible this year.

by clark on Mar 30, 2009 8:54 PM CDT up reply actions