Richard Durrett of the DMN has some quotes from Tom Hicks on the new-look Texas Rangers...
And not surprisingly, Hicks has good things to about his g.m. and his team...
"I'm ready to go," Hicks said. "I think we've really improved the team. I like our defense better up the middle, I like the outfield a lot better and I like our pitching."
Hicks, and others from the Rangers organization, wouldn't comment on Kevin Millwood, the free-agent right-hander who has agreed to a five-year contract with the team worth about $11 million to $12 million per season, because the deal isn't finalized. But the owner couldn't hide his excitement about a revamped rotation that will probably include Millwood as of Thursday, when the team has scheduled a 9:30 a.m. news conference to introduce him.
None of the five pitchers expected to make up Texas' 2006 rotation were in the rotation when the 2005 season began. Gone are Ryan Drese, Kenny Rogers, Chris Young, Chan Ho Park and Pedro Astacio. Expected to take the mound in a few months are Millwood, Adam Eaton, Vicente Padilla and probably Juan Dominguez and Kameron Loe. Edison Volquez and R.A. Dickey may get a chance to compete for spots.
"It's a very different offseason from any I've had with the previous two GMs," Hicks said. "Jon [Daniels] went down multiple paths simultaneously without knowing what all might happen. But he could see his way through the maze and make it work."
I'm a tad concerned about seeing R.A. Dickey and Edison Volquez being listed amongst the possible rotation candidates...I don't think Dickey is good enough to warrant serious consideration, and I think Volquez is still a little ways away. I'd think Josh Rupe would be ahead of both Dickey and Volquez amongst rotation candidates this spring...