Still more speculation out there today about offseason shakeups, with the Detroit News weighing in:
It would not be a shock if the Tigers and Texas Rangers were to do some heavy offseason trading. The Rangers need pitching, and the Tigers need hitting.
Would Texas part with Mark Teixeira, or Hank Blalock? The latter would be easier to acquire than the former, but nothing should be ruled out.
Rangers owner Tom Hicks is fed up with his team -- so fed up it might yet cost manager Buck Showalter his job. The Rangers, however, are a habitually pitching-shy club that could win the West Division if only they had a few more arms.
It's something to think about as the Tigers prepare to deal some pitching -- and as the Rangers prepare to shake up their club.
Here's the problem with the mindset of this writer, though...he's still operating under the theory that the Rangers are a dominant offensive club that has struggled with its pitching. This year, though, the offense hasn't been anything special, and the pitching -- particularly the bullpen -- hasn't been that bad.
Trading away Mark Teixeira is going to make this team worse offensively, and this notion that the Rangers are strong enough offensively that they don't need Teixeira in the lineup is asinine.
Also, for what it is worth...while Blalock has been disappointing again this year, his numbers against righthanders aren't bad -- .296/.353/.451 for the year, which is better than his rumored 2007 replacement has done against righthanders in his breakout season. It may just be a situation where Blalock is going to need to move into a platoon role.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal has a piece on the decisions Seattle and Texas must make with their unpopular managers, which includes this on Showalter:
Young, who soon will turn 30, is a similar case. The Rangers control his contract through 2008, but they had planned to approach him about an extension before trying to re-sign left fielder Carlos Lee as a free agent. If Young isn't interested in staying, he presumably could be traded. The same goes for Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Showalter's remaining salary -- probably about $6 million over the next three seasons -- is not insignificant. But Hicks is the owner who committed $65 million to Chan Ho Park. If Showalter is a problem -- and numerous players and others would confirm as much to Hicks -- then the Rangers only would compound the problem by keeping him.
Of course, Rosenthal suggests Dusty Baker as a replacement, which would make me not too happy. Although at this point, I'd rather have Dusty than Buck.
Kat O'Brien has some notes on the possibility of Nelson Cruz as the Ranger right fielder next year...if Daniels does obtain the power hitting LF/DH type he says he wants, and brings back Brad Wilkerson, then that would seem to put Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz in a battle for one job. I'm a Jason Botts fan, and I'm starting to get a little concerned that he's getting squeezed out of the organization. I don't think he'll be the next Travis Hafner, but I also don't think the Rangers are going to be able to get fair value for him right now, and would hate to see him sent away for a pittance...