The DMN Ranger newsletter is out...
The most interesting points:
- Grant thinks that the next Ranger minor leaguer to get a shot in the rotation would be Edison Volquez. At this point, calling up Volquez would seem, to me, to be very premature. However, my opinion could change in another month, if Volquez keeps dominating.
- The Rangers asked the Nationals about Tomo Ohka, and the Nationals asked for Kevin Mench. That's an absurd request.
- There are four prospects that, in management's mind, are "untouchables" in the minor league system: Diamond, Danks, Volquez, and Kinsler. While I don't think anyone in the minor league system should be considered "untouchable", the first three aren't surprising. The addition of Kinsler, though, is pretty shocking -- particularly when you consider that Kinsler was traded, last year, to the Rockies in a deal for Larry Walker. The reason Kinsler isn't a Rockie right now is because Walker vetoed the deal. Supposedly, Joaquin Arias was the most highly regarded of the positional prospects, but if Grant is right, Arias' star has fallen within the organization.
- Orel Hershiser and Mark Conner, the bullpen coach, wanted to keep Ryan Drese on the roster and move him to the bullpen, where they could work on fixing him, while Buck Showalter and John Hart wanted Drese gone. One could possibly read any number of things in those particular tea leaves...