Around the A.L. West: Texas Rangers
By Joe K
With our Los Angeles Angels scheduled to begin the 2009 season on April 6th, I felt that it would be appropriate to not only preview the Halos but also their A.L. West rivals, the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. So, the first stop on our three part series takes us to Arlington, Texas, where Adam Morris of Lone Star Ball.com discusses breakout star Josh Hamilton, disgruntled shortstop third baseman Michael Young, and the rest of the young Rangers.
Q: A year ago, you guys dealt Edison Volquez to Cincinnati in exchange for Josh Hamilton. Both Volquez and Hamilton had breakout seasons, but in retrospect, should the Rangers have made the deal considering their pitching problems over the years?
A: Josh Hamilton is a transcendent talent, and the Rangers’ centerfield situation has been a problem for about as long as their pitching has been a problem. Even knowing what we know now, I don’t think there’s any way the Rangers would do a do-over on that deal. Volquez was very good last season for Cincy, and probably will settle in as a solid major league starter, but Josh Hamilton is the better player, and even with him moving to right field (as will likely occur in the next season or so), he has more value to the Rangers than Volquez would have.
Q: Was Hamilton simply a one-year wonder, or are triple crown type numbers something we can expect from him in the coming years?
A: I think Hamilton, over the next 3-4 years, is a guy who should either maintain this level of production or get better. He was away from the game an extended amount of time, came back, and performed at an All Star level for two years. He’s got incredible power, terrific athleticism, a great approach at the plate…I think he’s a guy who is going to continue to perform at a very high level for the next several yaers.
Q: Many expected catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to have a big 2008 season, but he failed to meet such high expectations, appearing in 61 games. Do you expect a big improvement in 2009?
A: Salty is a popular breakout candidate this year. He’s still just 23 years old, and after a rough 2008 campaign, and an offseason where trade talk was swirling around him, he has really impressed the coaching staff this spring with his dedication, his improved approach, and his attitude. He’s still not a great defensive catcher, but he’s apparently made enough strides that he’s going to start ahead of Taylor Teagarden, and be given a chance to show what he can do with the every day job.
Q: Michael Young was pretty ticked off and even demanded a trade this offseason when the Rangers announced that they were moving him to third base in order to make room for top prospect Elvis Andrues at shortstop. Have things cooled down?
A: The Michael Young situation seems to have died down. Young didn’t want to move, and quite honestly, if he could go to another team that would let him start at shortstop, I think he’d probably prefer that…but his contract makes him untradeable, and I don’t think there are many teams that would be willing to live with his lack of range at shortstop anyway, so it is probably moot. Moving to third base is the best thing for Young and the Rangers, and I think he’ll end up being a pretty good defensive third baseman, and combine with Elvis Andrus to give the Rangers a very good defensive left side of the infield.
Q: Is there any chance we see Neftali Feliz, arguably the top pitching prospect in all of baseball, on the hill this year in Arlington?
A: I would be surprised if Feliz doesn’t show up in Arlington this year, and I suspect that the Rangers would be very disappointed if he doesn’t at least make a September cameo. Derek Holland seems to be ahead of Feliz in terms of arriving in Arlington, but both of those guys should be up at some point this year, either in the rotation or in the bullpen, and I think the feeling is that both of them will be in the 2010 rotation.
Q: Which is the real reason for the Rangers’ pitching woes: the Ballpark in Arlington or simply just bad pitchers?
A: Both, along with a bad defense. The Ballpark has very little foul territory, a great hitter’s eye, and weather which allows the ball to carry, which results in more offense…and in the summer time, I think the heat tends to wear pitchers down more quickly, as well. That said, the Rangers pitchers for the past decade or so haven’t been very good, and for the most part, the team has also had a bad defense — not just in terms of errors, but in terms of having poor range, which resulted in balls that other teams could convert into outs going as hits. However, the Rangers have emphasized developing pitching, and have an incredibly deep group of young pitchers that are coming up…so we are hopeful that there’s going to be improvement on that front in the near future.
Q: Most preseason forecasts have the Rangers pegged to finish 3rd or 4th in the A.L. West with LA and Oakland finishing 1-2. Is there any chance that Texas could finish near the top of the division and actually challenge the Angels and A’s?
A: I think the A’s, Angels, and Rangers could all win the division. Anaheim is vulnerable, and you could see 85 wins possibly be enough to take the division. If the Ranger pitching staff stays healthy, I think they will finish above .500, and I think that will be enough to have them in the race.