A new article on the official Rangers website includes the expected peppy, optimistic official party lines about how the Rangers are determined to get pitching this offseason.
But mixed in with the usual fluff is an odd sequence about the banished Kenny Rogers:
In regards to pitching plans, the Rangers have not made a formal decision on offering arbitration to Kenny Rogers. Unofficially, Rogers will not pitch for the Rangers in 2006.
"I do not expect he will," Daniels said. "The statement we made at the end of the season still holds."
I'm not sure if that means that the Rangers might decide to offer Rogers arbitration after all, or if they are simply not declining until the last minute, in the hopes that some team will sign Rogers before December 7.
But let me reiterate...not offering Kenny Rogers arbitration would be one of the stupidest decisions made by any team in the 2005-06 offseason.
Particularly in light of the ridiculous contracts being thrown around this offseason, forfeiting the chance of getting a couple of extra 2006 draft picks because of the slight chance that Kenny Rogers might end up accepting arbitration is unjustifiable. The fact that the Rangers seem determined to sign a Type A free agent this offseason -- even if it is someone as questionable as Kyle Farnsworth -- would seem to make recouping draft picks through Rogers even more of a priority.
We'll see what happens. I'll continue to hope that the Rangers aren't going to shoot themselves in the foot by declining to offer Rogers arbitration. But I'm not real optimistic.