Not too much exciting in Rangerworld right now...
Evan Grant has a write-up on Mark Teixeira and Michael Young playing in the WBC...I don't really care much one way or the other for the WBC right now, but Young in particular seems fired up about it...
Young's agent is also making some noise about a contract extension, particularly in the aftermath of the Jack Wilson deal...if Jack Wilson is getting 3 years, $20 million, and Jimmy Rollins is getting 5 years, $40 million, then Mike Young is probably going to be seeking at least $10 million per year to extend his deal.
Jon Daniels apparently isn't in any rush to start talking about an extension, which, given Young's age and the fact he's already under contract through 2008, makes sense...
Kat O'Brien looks at the DH situation, and the competition between Phil Nevin and Erubiel Durazo, and touches on the possibility that, if both of them look good in spring training, they could both make the team, with the Rangers then either trading an outfielder (most likely GMJ, I'd guess) or sending Nix down to AAA (the preferable option, in my opinion).
There's also this worrisome bit in the article:
Durazo, who still has to win a roster spot, is equally confident. Asked where his competition lies, he tapped his chest.
"With me," Durazo said. "I'm competing with myself."
Durazo has more to prove than Nevin, though. He had an elbow ligament transplant, or "Tommy John" surgery, in July.
And the Rangers are not paying him $10 million this year, as they are Nevin.
I don't know that Durazo necessarily has more to prove than Nevin, given how horrible Nevin was last year. And the $10 million issue should be irrelevant...that's a sunk cost, and if Durazo is better than Nevin, keeping Nevin because of his contract would be foolishness.
Evan Grant has a chat session on the Rangers up at the DMN website...
The D-Backs apparently refused the Rangers' request to use a DH in Monday's spring training game. That's a pretty petty thing to do...a pox on the D-Backs...