This is, of course, the quiet time in terms of Rangers news...but there are a couple of things out there today...

T.R. Sullivan takes a shot at Chip Carey this morning...that's almost enough for me to forgive him for his love of Sideshow this season.  Almost.

Richard Durrett offers his take on one of the sillier suggestions that's been out there recently -- that the Rangers should move Hank Blalock to first base.

The only reason I can imagine that folks are clamoring for this is because there is no obvious first base candidate for next season, and Travis Metcalf got some playing time in the majors this year.  

The thing is, while I keep seeing folks who claim to be impressed with what Metcalf did with the bat after he was called him, the reality is, he had a .255/.307/.435 line in the majors, good for a .248 EQA.  Metcalf hit .148/.232/.197 in 61 AAA at bats, and .280/.345/.475 in 200 AA at bats.  

Metcalf had a nice bounceback year after a terrible 2006 season, but he's still a fringe prospect, a guy who seems unlikely to hit enough to be a viable option at third base.

Now, if Blalock simply couldn't handle third base defensively, if he was going to have to move, you could look at Metcalf as a potential stop-gap option, although he probably wouldn't be your first choice for the 2008 season.

But moving Blalock, who (according to Ron Washington) has made good strides with his defense while on the d.l., and who has played third base his whole career, to make room in the lineup for Metcalf?  That doesn't make sense.

And if you missed it yesterday, Jim Reeves' Postcards from the Ledge includes some Rangers carping, including a demand that the Rangers sign either Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand, or Andruw Jones to man centerfield next season.