We're doing another short chat with Jim Callis on the DMN blog at 2:00. 

Evan Grant has a new newsletter up...

He walks through the guys the Rangers would have to be willing to part with in order to get an young impact pitcher here -- at least one of Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Engel Beltre, and Neftali Feliz -- and suggests that Andrus is the one it makes the most sense to part with.

Other stuff, as well, including answering a question about a C.J. Wilson/Gerald Laird confrontation and comparing Hank Blalock with Mark Teixeira...

The next community projection is for Gerald Laird...

Project what he will do this season, in terms of average/OBP/slugging and plate appearances...

No major league game yesterday, so it is pretty quiet on the spring training front...

Evan Grant's story this morning talks about how there is an epidemic of practical jokes that has erupted in the Rangers camp...

Richard Durrett discusses the catching situation, and he also mentions the possibility of Taylor Teagarden making the team as a backup catcher.  I've yet to hear one person make a decent case as to why a guy who only caught a handful of games last season, and who has played less than 100 games the past two years, and who had a pretty scary spike in his K rate after moving to AA last season, should start the year as a backup catcher in the majors.

Personally, I'm okay with a Laird and Melhuse tandem.  Saltalamacchia's bat was a disappointment after coming over in the Teixeira trade last season, and his defense isn't a strength.  He's just 22.  I don't have an issue with him spending a couple of months in AAA, and having Laird catch regularly in the majors.  

I think the option many have urged -- dumping Laird now for whatever you can get -- is short-sighted.  I might be in the minority, but I still think Laird can be a nice major league starting catcher, and if he puts up a .250-260 EQA or so, he's going to have value, whether to the Rangers or another team.

Jeff Wilson says there was praise for Kason Gabbard's performance in the minor league game yesterday, with Mark Connor saying that Gabbard looked much better (and like the guy they had last season before his injury).

T.R. Sullivan has a new mailbag column up...

Today's lineup is up.

Update [2008-3-19 16:22:0 by Adam J. Morris]: -- Doh! That's yesterday's lineup.

I'm going downstairs to play more blackjack.

He comments on this today at his blog:

In summary, this team still has not beaten an above .500 team since the Jason Kidd trade. And since I mentioned Kidd, could we point out that he had 1 point, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists in a critical contest? Is there still talk of him being Dirk's equal for leading this team? I guess I expected his stamp on the game in much bigger ways. I also expect that Mark Cuban feels the same way.

http://sturminator.blogspot.com/

If Cuban does feel the same way, isn't it about time he starts taking a hard look at his coach and de facto g.m.?  If this team flames out again, I'm hard-pressed to understand why Avery should stick around.

So you know...the transition to the new platform should occur before the weekend is up.