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The Rangers lost to the Giants, breaking their three game spring winning streak, and Yoshinori Tateyama and Koji Uehara each had another bad outing, once again clouding the bullpen picture.
Evan Grant has his game report at the DMN blog.
T.R. Sullivan has his game story at the Rangers' website.
The Rangers released Brad Hawpe yesterday. While Hawpe seemed to have a lot of support among the local media, the reality is that even if Hawpe's arm strength was to the point he could play the outfield -- he underwent Tommy John surgery last August, from which he is still recovery -- he'd be a lefthanded hitting first baseman/outfielder on a team that doesn't really have a need for a lefthanded hitting bench bat. There just never was a good fit here, unless Mitch Moreland was still not ready after wrist surgery.
The Rangers announced the order of the starting rotation, with Colby Lewis going on Opening Day, followed by Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Yu Darvish, and Neftali Feliz. Darvish's first start will come on Monday, April 9, against the Seattle Mariners.
Richard Durrett writes that Darvish's debut should be entertaining.
Sullivan has a story on the Rangers' farm system and the importance of the system producing in the next couple of years, when the Rangers have several players who will be able to leave via free agency. The piece also has a rundown with where the Rangers' top 20 prospects (according to mlb.com) will start the season, and something that caught my eye was that Robbie Ross is projected to be at AAA Round Rock, rather than AA Frisco, as has been expected.
At ESPN, Howard Bryant has a lengthy piece on the newly developed Rangers/Angels rivalry, with TV money putting both teams in position to be dominant players in the A.L.
The S-T's notes talk about Brad Hawpe being released and Joey Butler getting a spring start.
Sullivan's notes include stuff on the bullpen battle and the utility infielder situation.