Hidalgo slumping

I had a lengthy piece on Hidalgo written, but it seems to have disappeared into cyberspace.

Rather than try to re-write the whole thing, I'll just summarize...

1. After a hot start, Hidalgo, who has played in every game thusfar, is 3 for his last 30.
   
2. Hidalgo was on fire to start the season for the Astros last year, before going 23 for 117 in the stretch before he got dealt.
   
3. The Rangers got Hidalgo, thinking Rudy Jaramillo would be able to get him straightened out.
   
4. Similarly, the Mets supposedly identified a simple mechanical flaw with Hidalgo's swing last season, and his hot start with the Mets was credited to fixing that flaw.
   
5. Despite the flaw supposedly being fixed, and despite his hot start, Hidalgo was 9 for his last 82 at the end of last season for the Mets.

The only Ranger starters with a lower OPS than Hidalgo are the other two outfielders, Mench and Matthews. The outfield was a weakness offensively for the team last year, and if Mench and Hidalgo don't get it in gear pretty soon, it is going to be a huge Achilles heel this year, as well.

Laynce Nix is working on getting his groove back in AAA, and if Matthews doesn't start hitting, Nix is likely to be back pretty soon if he puts up some good numbers at Oklahoma. As for Hidalgo, given the investment the team made in him, he's going to get every opportunity to get back on track.

But if Hidalgo hits like he did last season, the Rangers are going to have a hard team competing, and are going to need to look for some sort of upgrade out there. Pittsburgh's Matt Lawton is a right fielder who is a prime candidate to be dealt by the trade deadline, and who would be a nice player for the Rangers to plug into the leadoff spot in the lineup, if the cost isn't too high.