FanPost

2016 Rangers Lineup Projection (from BA)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2013/2614430.html

Baseball America, in this article, lists our Top 10 Prospects and they take a stab at our 2016 "Future Lineup". That lineup consists of:



+C: Jorge Alfaro
1B: Mike Olt
2B: Jruickson Profar
3B: Adrian Beltre
SS: Elvis Andrus
LF: Ian Kinsler
CF: Lewis Brinson
RF: Leonys Martin
DH: Joey Gallo

S1: Yu Darvish
S2: Matt Harrison
S3: Derek Holland
S4: Martin Perez
S5: Justin Grimm

Cl: Neftali Feliz

Fascinating. They don't appear to give any credence that Beras could well pass up one of the other OFs (Kinsler, Brinson, Martin). If they only take the "closest to Big League ready", of course, that would be the case. For now.

And, they appear to assume we keep our current assets who would still be productive at that time discarding David Murphy, Craig Gentry, Nelson Cruz and Geovany Soto and keeping Elvis Andrus.

BA also seems to feel Mitch Moreland will be a bust as he would still be in his prime years in 2016 and is not included.

Other discards include Colby Lewis (currently only signed for 2013), Robbie Ross (reliever and not a starter possibility?), Alexi Ogando, Neil Ramirez and Tanner Scheppers just to list young pitchers currently on the 40-man Roster that they don't feel will break the starting rotation. Ogando?

Also, BA seems to feel Luke Jackson & Cody Buckel will not be able to muscle themselves into the starting rotation (relievers?) and Luis Sardinas (although listed at #7 among our "Top Prospects" won't be able to bust his way in between Elvis and Jurickson (without having to worry about Ian because he's, of course, stationed out in LF).

Other 40-man "failures" include Leury Garcia, Engel Beltre & Julio Borbon. Borbon, we all already know won't be in that lineup.

And, they think Neffy will still be around and will reassume the closer role.

I still think Brinson with be a "toolsy" bust in the vein of 1989's Ranger First Rounder (#5 overall), Donald Harris. My opinion is that Jairo Beras will proved much more the "baseball player" and less the tool box than Lewis Brinson and he'll be the guy we see manning RF in 2016.

Of course, if all the Trade Rumors are true, the actual lineup will be more like:

+C: Travis d'Arnaud
1B: Mike Olt
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Adrian Beltre
SS: Jurickson Profar
LF: Josh Hamilton
CF: Leonys Martin
RF: Justin Upton
DH: Billy Butler

S1: Yu Darvish
S2: Zack Greinke
S3: David Price
S4: James Shields
S5: Matt Moore

Cl: Mariano Rivera

Why not shoot for TBR's entire rotation? lol