Lots of good action in the BA chat:

Justin Abilene Tx: Matt Harrison Pitched great for my rangers last night against a very good angels team, in your opinion is this a fluke or is he the real thing?

 Jim Callis: (2:08 PM ET ) I'm not saying he'll pitch like that every time out, but Harrison can become a solid mid-rotation starter.

 

Porkchop: Can Neftali Feliz crack your top 25 by next year?

 Jim Callis: (2:10 PM ET ) Yes. We're updating our overall top 25 in the current issue (it will be up at baseballamerica.com shortly as well), and Feliz may be higher than you suspect.

Ray, St Louis: Read where Feliz was regularly throwing in the upper 90's and touched 101 several times. Wow! How far off is he from pitching for the Ragners?

 Jim Callis: (2:13 PM ET ) He only turned 20 two months ago and he's only in low Class A, so it's more a matter of being patient than anything. I think the Rangers will avoid rushing him, but he may push his way to Texas sometime next year.

Porkchop's dad (Minden, La.): What do you think about Chris Davis? Do you think there's any chance Texas sends him back to AAA when Blalock comes back? I hope not.

 Jim Callis: (2:14 PM ET ) I think that would be a hard sell. Davis has torn up the minors the last two years and has five homers in his first 12 big league games.

Taylor, Atl: Hearing all the prospects the Braves gave up for Teixeira playing great in the Rangers system makes me sick! Salty is growing as a player, Andrus looks like the future SS, Feliz a potential ace, Harrison a 3-4 starter, and Beau Jones a hard throwing lefty out of the pen. Question is, if the Braves look move Teixeira can they get half of what they gave up to get him? Thanks!

 Jim Callis: (2:15 PM ET ) Probably not much more than half, considering Teixeira will test free agency after the season.

Brock Sampson: Trevor Cahill or Neftali Feliz?

 Jim Callis: (2:41 PM ET ) Feliz.

Jim Callis in today's Ask BA  column:

What's your assessment of the catchers on the rosters for the Futures Game: Bryan Anderson (Cardinals), Lou Marson (Phillies) and Taylor Teagarden (Rangers) for the United States team, and Welington Castillo (Cubs) and Jesus Montero (Yankees) for the World clubs? Are there others who might have been better selections?

Jon Kauffmann-Kennel
Elkhart, Ind.

He's having the worst statistical season of the five Futures Game catchers, but I still think Teagarden has the best chance to be an all-star catcher in the major leagues. He has the most complete game of the group, with Gold Glove ability behind the plate (provided he can stay healthy, which has been a problem during his minor league career) and solid power potential.

Teagarden also might be the only starting catcher among the Futures Gamers when all is said and done. Montero has the most pop of any of them, but also the most questions about his ability to remain a catcher. Anderson, Castillo and Marson are more line-drive hitters, with Castillo the best defender and Anderson the shakiest among that group.

The best catching prospect in the minors is obviously Matt Wieters (Orioles), who would have been a no-doubt Futures Game selection in previous years. But Major League Baseball wants to use this year's game to help select the U.S. Olympic team, and chose not to include Wieters.

The Rangers signed Venezuelan lefthander Vicente Escobar, a cousin of Brewers shortstop Alcides Escobar, for $350,000.

Here is a brief scouting report from BA:

The Red Sox have also been strongly linked to 6-foot-2 pitcher Vicente Escobar, though the Indians have also been mentioned. Some scouts have never heard of Escobar, who lives in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, but those who have seen him in the past say he's pitched regularly at 89 mph, touching 90-91.

"The body is kind of iffy," said one scout. "He's got a good arm, but you just don't know how big he's going to get. He's a guy who's high on some people's lists."

Not really a lot on him, but this is the first I've seen about any new international signings.

Here is the link announcing the signing.