The Rangers signed someone, the Mavs are winning, and the Cowboys knocked off the last undefeated team in the NFL this season...not a bad state of events right now...
Although it does still hurt a little to see Dwight Freeney playing against the Cowboys...Dallas could have drafted him, had Jerry Jones not been obsessed with snagging a safety who can't cover anyone in the first round. Oh, well...it isn't as if the Cowboys have ever had any sort of need for a passrushing defense end...
Evan Grant talks about the Cat signing and a potential trade, saying that signing Cat gives the Rangers a lot of flexibility, potentially allowing them to non-tender Brad Wilkerson or release him in spring training if he isn't healthy, or, if Wilkerson is healthy, plug Wilkerson in centerfield with Cat and Nelson Cruz alongside him in the outfield.
Grant also says that the Rangers have talked to the ChiSox about dealing John Danks for Javier Vazquez. I'm leery about Vazquez, a flyball pitcher who has gone from being a dominant starter when he was with Montreal to an innings-eater, and I'd rather not see Danks dealt for him.
On the Soriano signing, Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune is cheering the decision by the Tribune Co. (owner of both the Cubs and the Chicago Tribune) to spend huge money on Alfonso Soriano, citing, among other things, the fact that this will encourage other free agents to sign with Chicago. Rogers suggests that the Cubs are also in on GMJ, another guy who will be wildly overpaid. This would be bad news for the Rangers, who would then be looking at a third rounder as compensation from GMJ if he signs with Chicago, rather than the first we'd been expecting.
Richard Justice says that the Soriano deal means that 5 years, $75 million -- what Houston was looking at signing Carlos Lee for -- probably won't get it done now. Insane.