Sunday a.m. Rangers stuff

Two split squad games yesterday, with one win and one loss.

Evan Grant has the game(s) report from yesterday at the DMN blog.

Behind the paywall, Tim Cowlishaw has a column on the price the Rangers will have to pay to keep their core in place.

Also behind the paywall, Grant writes David Murphy "may be forcing the Rangers hand" in terms of his playing time by hitting lefthanders better.

The problem is, Murphy has hit lefties better in about a dozen spring plate appearances. He's 30 years old and has over 500 career plate appearances against lefties, during which he's hit poorly against them. I can't imagine that the Rangers are going to make him a full-time player, ignoring his inability to hit lefties historically, because of a few spring at bats.

Jeff Wilson has a story on brothers Mike and Greg Maddux working with the Ranger pitchers this spring.

Jim Reeves has a column on the Angels having better odds than the Rangers of making the World Series.

T.R. Sullivan has a story on Alexi Ogando's importance to the bullpen.

Anthony Andro ranks the #2-#5 starters in the A.L. West, with the Rangers coming in second, behind Anaheim.

The S-T's notes include discussion of Josh Hamilton going to Las Vegas, despite the temptations, and Robbie Ross being expected to stay in the major league camp even after the next round of cuts.

Sullivan's notes has still more on Hamilton going to Las Vegas, the centerfield battle, and Yu Darvish's windup.

Master Tesfatsion has his "Surprise Six" at the ESPN Dallas blog.

The S-T has a Q&A with Tanner Scheppers.