Gerald Laird? He's pretty good.
Evan Grant says that Buck is going to try to get him into a game every series, although contrary to T.R. Sullivan's suggestion last night, Laird apparently won't start on Tuesday, because Rod Barajas is 3 for 6 lifetime against Royals starter Scott Elarton.
I wouldn't think 6 ABs would be enough to dictate who should start, but anyway...
Grant also says that John Rheinecker will be starting game 1 of the doubleheader against Boston on Saturday, and John Wasdin will be starting the second game.
There's also this, on potential draftee Kyle Drabek:
The Rangers continue to do due diligence on right-hander Kyle Drabek of The Woodlands. Drabek and his father, former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, met with Rangers officials over the weekend.
Drabek might be the most talented high school player available in Tuesday's draft, but he might also be the riskiest. Several clubs have shied away from him over concerns about his maturity. Among the incidents in Drabek's past are a public intoxication charge (which was later dismissed) and a one-car wreck last September that totaled his Cadillac Escalade.
This puts me in a difficult position...just as a matter of course, I don't like spoiled rich kids. Particularly spoiled rich kids who own an Escalade when they are in high school. Particularly when it seems like their sense of entitlement derives from their family's success...that's why I've suddenly found myself feeling sympathy for Lindsey Lohan.
So regardless of the baseball merits of the pick, I'd have a hard time getting behind a Kyle Drabek selection, or rooting for him.
Kat O'Brien touches on Joaquin Benoit's struggles, saying that Benoit has lost confidence, and that trying to figure out what is wrong with him is "frustrating" for the coaching staff.
O'Brien also says that Antonio Alfonseca is expected to be activated on Tuesday, which would necessitate moving someone off the 25 man roster. O'Brien speculates that it would be D'Angelo Jimenez, but I have a hard time believing that the Rangers are going to go with a three man bench...I still think Benoit's roster spot is in jeopardy...
Jim Reeves' Sunday column touches on Phil Nevin's departure, although it seems like something of a backhanded compliment, with Reeves basically saying that Nevin hadn't yet become the clubhouse problem that he's been in the past, which Reeves appears to think should be a feather in Nevin's cap.
And on the former Ranger updates...Chris Young flirted with a no-hitter for the second game in a row last night, dropping his ERA to 3.39.
And Alfonso Soriano continues to tear it up offensively, going 9 for his last 19 with three homers to get his overall line to .312/.364/.628 for the season.
And yes, I still think the Soriano trade was a good move.