Baseball America has a comprehensive list of every minor league free agent -- 533 of them in all.
Some names are recognizable, many I haven't heard of, but there were a few that caught my eye I thought I'd mention...
Joe Thurston -- Thurston was a second baseman in the Dodgers' system in the early aughts, and for a year or two around 2001 or 2002 seemed to be regularly discussed as being part of trade discussions between Texas and L.A.
Chris George -- Once upon a time, about three rebuilding cycles ago, George was one of the stud pitchers the Royals were going to rebuild around.
Joel Guzman -- The #5 prospect in baseball according to BA prior to the 2005 season. He was a shortstop at the time. Now he's listed as a 1B. That'll ding you...
Carlos Delgado -- Also a former #5 prospect, although in 1994. I'd forgotten, but he had signed a minor league deal with the BoSox.
Ian Gac -- Former Ranger first base prospect. Some raw power, but never developed.
Jeremy Reed -- Former top prospect. Very good defensive reputation, never hit consistently at the high levels. Was part of the swag Seattle got from Chicago for Freddy Garcia.
Jason Isringhausen -- He's still around? I remember when the Rangers really, really wanted to sign him to be their closer after the 2001 season. Losing Isringhausen gave the A's two compensatory picks in the fabled "Moneyball" 2002 draft, which they used to pick...Ben Fritz and Steve Obenchain. Oh, well...
Wladimir Balentien -- The poor man's Nelson Cruz (before Nelson Cruz figured it out). Big raw power, big arm, not much else.
Jason Grilli -- Part of the 2009 Cast of Thousands in the Ranger bullpen.
Andy Marte -- Sometimes, prospects don't pan out. Even the elite prospects.
Nick Bierbrodt -- Another one of the random early-Aught arms that floated through Texas during the John Hart era.
Travis Metcalf -- Was going to be the Rangers starting third baseman in 2009, until the decision to move Michael Young came down.
Bronson Sardinha -- One of the guys we could have had instead of Joaquin Arias in the ARod trade.
Brian Lawrence -- Seriously, he's still around? Decent starter with the Padres in the early Aughts, and another guy who there was talking about trying to get to Texas in the Hart days, when decent starters were impossible to find. Per B-R, he's made over $8 million in his major league career, so he either has the same investment advisor as Marcus Dupree* or he really loves baseball.
* If you didn't watch the 30 for 30 on Marcus Dupree last night, check it out when it is re-run. I remember watching Dupree in the mid-80s -- he was, other than maybe Bo Jackson, the most gifted runner from that time I can remember watching. Wasted his talent, and trusted the wrong person to take care of his money for him.
Gookie Dawkins -- At one time, we thought the Reds' double play combination of the future was going to be Pokey Reese and Gookie Dawkins.
Chris Shelton and Matt Kata -- Both were with the Astros' AAA team this year. Neither are likely to have Rangers fans clamoring for them to get an NRI.
Ryan Vogelsong -- See Chris George, and substitute "Pirates" for "Royals"
Drew Meyer -- ...
Nick Gorneault -- Hey, wasn't he a Ranger for like 6 days one offseason?
Ramon Nivar -- I assume he's still fast.
Michael Restovich -- Part of a group of random middling generic Twins outfielders I can never keep straight. Blurs together with Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty and Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer and Lew Ford. They may be clones, in fact.
Sam Narron -- Former Rangers prospect. Added to the 40 man roster in 2004 to make one start, got hammered, got optioned, then was lost on waivers. Then had T-J surgery. Nephew of Jerry Narron.
Joe Koshansky -- See Nick Gorneault.
Ray Olmedo -- Thanks for Matt Treanor.
Mike Maroth -- He's still around?
D'Angelo Jimenez -- Believe it or not, about 9-10 years ago, the hot debate was whether Alfonso Soriano or D'Angelo Jimenez would be the better player. He also was with the Rangers in 2006, for a brief time.
Michael Barrett -- The BA #6 prospect before the 1999 season, when he was an Expo farmhand. To put that in perspective, in 1999, was the year the Rangers drafted Colby Lewis and Hank Blalock. Played 7 games in the majors in 2009, none in the majors last yaer.
Zack Segovia -- Former 2nd round pick of the Phillies out of Forney High School in beautiful Forney, Texas.
John Van Benschoeten -- Former 1st round pick of the Pirates. Most teams thought he was a hitter. Pirates thought he was a pitcher. Shockingly, the Pirates mis-evaluated.
Rudy Guillen -- Another guy the Rangers could have had instead of Joaquin Arias.
Jason Jennings -- See Chris Shelton and Matt Kata.
Brett Tomko -- One of these pitchers, like Pedro Astacio and Sidney Ponson, who has forever been linked to the Rangers. In fact, now that I know he's still kicking around, I expect him to sign a minor league deal with Texas.
Dallas McPherson -- Before there was Brandon Wood, there was Dallas McPherson.
Brandon Duckworth -- About 10 years ago, he was a pretty well regarded pitching prospect. He was one of the key pieces to the deal that brought Billy Wagner to the Phillies from the Houston Astros. The Astros ended up getting, basically, nothing out of that deal.
Kevin Mahar -- Former Ranger draftee who had a cup of coffee with the Rangers a few years ago. Linked with Travis Metcalf in my mind...
Dana Eveland -- Remember when he was part of the A's great young pitching, before they got young pitching in there who really were pretty good?
Josh Barfield -- He was traded to the Indians for Kevin Kouzmanoff a few years ago, and the consensus was that the Indians ripped off the Padres. Fizzled out real quick.
Wily Mo Pena -- This is why you don't give 17 year old raw projects major league deals. Tremendous raw power, never got to stay in the minors long enough to figure out how to play baseball.
Dontrelle Willis -- Man.
Joe Borchard -- Got one of the biggest deals in draft history out of Stanford. Tremendous athlete. Never figured out how to hit.
Sharlon Schoop -- I don't know who this is, but he's got an awesome name.
Wes Littleton -- Done for 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Yusmiero Petit -- Beware young pitchers who dominate guys in the lower minors with command rather than stuff.
Carlos Hernandez -- Career ruined because of there being no DH rule in the N.L.
Rashad Eldridge -- Former Rangers prospect. At one point, looked like he might be a decent platoon/4th outfielder, but never made it.
Lance Broadway, Merkin Valdez, Clint Everts, Zach Jackson -- Kudos to the Blue Jays, who, with this quadumvirate, has the most impressive collection of former first rounder/high regarded Latin American signee pitching prospects who flamed out and have turned into journeymen in their minor league free agent class.