I'm running on fumes, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I wanted to throw up a couple of items tonight...
As you can see at the lefthand side of the page, John Sickels' 2006 Baseball Prospect Book is available for pre-order. Sickels, of course, is a fellow SBNation blogger, handling the Minor League Ball site, and is considered to be one of the better prospect gurus around. The book is $24.95 including shipping, and if you are a prospect-geek, it is definitely worth checking out.
Gil Lebreton has a new column in the S-T from Wednesday morning, featuring a very favorable assessment of the Rangers' offseason thusfar. I think Lebreton is pretty much right on in this column, including this blurb towards the end:
Lastly, put me in with the educated minority who feels that the Rangers' lineup needs another bat. Not a swing-from-the-heels, Jeromy Burnitz kind of bat -- they already have plenty of those -- but another of the Brad Wilkerson ilk.
The list of availables is thin, yet a Jeff DaVanon or a B.J. Surhoff could help this team.
I'd be on board with DaVanon...he's a free agent who likely wouldn't require anything more than a cheap one-year deal. He'd provide some depth and flexibility, as he can play all three outfield slots, could handle the fourth outfielder role if the Rangers want Laynce Nix to start the season in AAA, and would be a possible platoon partner for Dellucci at DH, as well.
Finally...reliever Chad Bradford is off the market, signing a one-year major league deal with the Mets. There had been some talk that he was a pitcher that the Rangers might have some interest in...