Texas starts its three game set with Boston tonight with Scott Feldman, one of its two semi-reliable starters, on the mound. The Red Sox throw a rare category of player - a knuckleballer prospect, Charlie Zink.
Beyond CJ Wilson announcing that he would undergo season ending surgery yesterday, not much news on the major league front.
Yesterday was a pretty busy day in the organization, however. To recap:
- The club is shutting Thomas Diamond down. He's actually having some surgery on his ankles, and though his numbers were really bad, you'd probably consider this a successful first step return in his return from Tommy John surgery. Next year is a really big season for that guy.
- Derek Holland has been promoted to AA and is scheduled to start tomorrow. If you don't follow the minors closely and didn't see the DMN piece from a week ago, you might not be familiar with Holland. He's a hard throwing lefty and a name to watch now, especially since he's reaching AA.
- We are three days away from the deadline for Texas to sign Robbie Ross and Justin Smoak. Ross is optimistic about signing.
- The Rangers have reportedly signed a Korean named Tae-Kyeong Ahn and given him $800,000, which would be the biggest bonus handed out by the organization this summer, at least until Smoak and/or Ross sign. The one caution I'd add here is that news like this from outside the country that isn't confirmed by the club can be a little iffy.
- The Rangers announced their full Latin American signing class, and it includes Ezdras Abreu, about whom BA said (before signing day in July):
Dominican Ezdra Abreu is an athletic outfielder with a wiry, projectable frame, but scouts have questioned his hitting ability. "He has real small hands," said one scout, "and he's got to cheat to catch up to a fastball. People were jumping up and down about him a year ago, but I think that's calmed down."