At the #10 spot in the 2004 draft, Thomas Diamond was the Rangers' consolation prize, as the coveted Rice rotation members -- Philip Humber, Wade Townsend, and Jeff Niemann -- all went off the board before Texas selected.
All three pitchers now have serious health problems, as BA's Jim Callis points out. Townsend, who was one of the D-Rays representatives in the AFL, has been diagnosed with a torn ulner collateral ligament, meaning he's going to have T-J surgery and will miss all of 2006.
Humber underwent T-J surgery earlier this year, putting his 2006 in doubt.
And Niemann, according to Callis, "made just 11 appearances this year because of shoulder problems."