There's a decent chance Mike Maddux is going to be the biggest offseason addition to the Rangers this year. If so, we're going to have to hope he has a significant impact on the pitching staff.
Evan Grant writes about Maddux's journey from major league pitcher to pitching coach, and his work with Roy Oswalt.
Jim Reeves has some quotes from Nolan Ryan about next season, and also says that Jose Ceda (whom the Cubs traded for Kevin Gregg) was the guy the Rangers wanted for Marlon Byrd last spring.
The Braves say that the price for Jake Peavy was too high, and thus they are out of the bidding. The Cubs aren't offering enough, and the Astros have nothing to give. With choices dropping, could Peavy re-consider coming to Texas?
Peter Gammons has some notes on the Rangers:
The Rangers are setting a high bar for any of their catchers in a trade. The Tigers found the asking price on Gerald Laird too high, and Boston wouldn't part with either Clay Buchholz or two out of the Justin Masterson/Nick Hagadone/Michael Bowden trio for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Nolan Ryan is intrigued with Kerry Wood, but to afford Wood, the Rangers will have to deal Hank Blalock.
The Tigers don't really have much to give for Laird, I don't think.
But on the second part...is this really how far the Rangers have sunk? That they can't afford both Hank Blalock and Kerry Wood? I've long held that the Michael Young contract extension, while bad, isn't crippling because the lack of other big contracts, and my belief that the Rangers would raise payroll for the right players at the right time, would keep Young's deal from inhibiting the Rangers from making other moves. But if this is the mentality that we are now dealing with -- that we can't have both Blalock and Wood, for example -- then I may have to re-think that.