In today's exercise in hyperbole, Jim Reeves claims Mike Young is "one of the two or three best all-around players in the game today."
Young is a terrific player, but one of the top two or three all-around players in the game? Not even close...
Kat O'Brien with a piece on the Rangers' catching situation...as with every article this offseason about the catching situation, we are assured in the strongest possible terms that Rod Barajas will be the starter, that's not up for debate, there will be no competition for the job, it is Barajas's. O'Brien also reports that Gerald Laird will have to "perform this spring" to earn the backup job. That sentiment is echoed by T.R. Sullivan, as well...
I'm pretty sure everyone knows my feelings about all that, so I'm not going to belabor the point...
Jan Hubbard reports that David Dellucci may not play for the Italian team in the WBC after all. Yawn. In the same piece, Mark Connor gives some love to Josh Rupe, and Rupe is identified as a "stealth candidate" for the Rangers rotation. I don't know how "stealth" he really is, given that he's been mentioned as a possibility pretty much all winter, but anyway...
T.R. Sullivan has a new mailbag column up, although it is less meaty than his previous few. He (erroneously, in my opinion) defends Hank Blalock and Mike Young against the suggestion that they are "statue" defenders, and says that Mark DeRosa will likely be the Rangers' second baseman if Ian Kinsler doesn't get the job.
Finally, the Rangers have signed Erubiel Durazo to a minor league deal. A very good signing, I think...if he's healthy, he's probably a better option at DH than either Dellucci or Nevin. If he's not healthy, he doesn't even cost the Rangers a roster spot. Very good, low-risk move.