Former Rangers and Mavs

As the Rangers begin a most likely depressing road trip against Cleveland and Toronto, I begin to wonder why I ever had faith in this team since 2000. Other than the fluke 2004 season, this group of players has never performed better than expectations and there is really no reason to think this season will be much different.

Just take a peak at what former Rangers are up to based on the value of what they would have meant to this team.

1) Travis Hafner - 29 years old - DH .381 Batting Average / .494 On Base Percentage / .651 Slugging Percentage

This guys is really freaking good and probably the best hitter in the American League not named Alex Rodriguez. The ideal DH and John Hart let him go for a bag of baseballs and Einar Diaz. Easily the biggest personnel mistake by the Rangers in the last 5 years.

2) Chris Young - 28 years old - SP 2 Wins / 3.32 ERA / 1.43 WHIP / .250 Batting Average Against

Young is a perfect example of the Rangers developing or finding pitching and then letting that prospect go for unknown reason. In this instance, Young apparently was going to wear down in the Texas heat even though the guy wen to high school at Highland Park. Young appears to be one of the better young pitchers in the National League. While he does pitch in a very pitcher friendly park at Petco, Chris Young is immensely talented and the Rangers squandered a very good pitcher. Getting Otsuka in return was nice, but Eaton was a bust for the Rangers and Jon Daniels will rue the day he made this trade

3) Adrian Gonzalez - 24 years old - 1B - .329 AVG / .389 OBP / .600 Slugging Percentage

Giving up Chris Young was painful, but Adrian Gonzalez is rubbing salt in the Rangers wounds. Instead of playing chicken with Mark Teixeira and his devil agent Scott Boras, the Rangers could be looking at Gonzalez at the Ballpark until after 2010 at minimal cost. You think Jon Daniels' spreadsheets would have shown giving away a #1 overall pick with Gonzalez resume was a bad move. What a pity...

4) Francisco Cordero - 31 years old - Relief Pitcher - 9.2 IP / 0.00 ERA / .86 WHIP / .069 Batting Average Against

Another guy who for whatever reason the Rangers management lost favor with and ended up shipping to Milwaukee for Carlos Lee (bye bye in Free Agency) and Nelly Cruz who is a servicable outfield but not much more. Instead of shipping Young and Gonzalez away for basically Otsuka, the Rangers could still have Coco as their closer. Oh well.

5) John Danks - 22 Years Old - Starting Pitcher 5.06 ERA / 1.44 WHIP / .266 Batting Average Against

Danks is only the first lefthanded pitcher in a million years to be drafted by the Rangers and actually look like a legitimate prospect. And what does wonder kid Jon Daniels do, trades him into the White Sox for what is looking like a pretty mediocre player, Brandon McCarthy. Still a long way to go before this trade is declared a bust, but I don't like the first returns.

Here is what the Rangers team could look like if a competent management team was up in the front office the last 5 years:

Leadoff - Kenny Lofton - Center Field would still be an issue to address

2nd - Mike Young - Shortstop - Young is still a solid player to build around but #2 is his real place in a lineup

3rd - Adrian Gonzalez - 1st Base - Gonzalez is cheaper and under contract longer than Teix and Tex should have been moved when he fetched better value. Now the Rangers are going to let Teixeira in free agency.

4th - Travis Hafner - DH - This guy would be putting up astronomical numbers in a Ranger uniform at the Ballpark

5th - Hank Blalock - 3b - Still young and could turn out to be a pretty good prospect.

6th - Ian Kinsler - 2B - Kinsler is a legit all star candidate and should be for the next few years. Needs to work on his fielding.

That's a nucleus to build around...

And your rotation could look something as follows:

Millwood, Padilla, Loe, Tejeda, and Danks

With Cordero, Benoit, and Frankie Francisco anchoring your bullpen.

That's a team I could root for.

Oh yea, Go MAVS!