Four and Counting

Actually today’s game could have been a bigger win. There was a base running debacle in the third inning. The story goes something like this: Josh Hamilton should have gotten to second on a missed cut-off man. Then after that, on a blown double play chance, Dave Anderson supposedly stopped Josh from scoring. But I was watching when this unfolded. Everybody is saying we were screwed by our aggressiveness. Josh seemed absent again. Completely while he was on in the third. More symptoms of something else. I know he is taking a beating from fans right now and while we don’t all agree on the extent of the problem and with some crackpot fans thrown into the mix, it can’t be lost on everyone that we all KNOW something ain’t right. Mike Olt had his first two major league RBI’s but had an error later in the game. Nothing hurt by that and just another part of Mike’s education at first base.

Scott Feldman has passed the fluke stage. He’s for real. Again. He battled. He never appeared to lose his composure even though he got into a couple of jams. He had his first walk in 24 innings today. I know there is a little extra pressure on him, as this appears to be an ongoing audition. Mike Adams got a key strikeout in the eighth. That was huge on a different level because Adams has been struggling of late. It wasn’t a chap K either. That was one of KC’s best hitters. Then Alexi Ogando came on for his second save chance and two days and except for a weak lead-off single, it was lights out.

I watched the last five innings of the Angels-White Sox game and Kevin Youklis is also a pain in the Angels ass. That was nice when he hit the two-run bomb to tie the game, but ultimately the White Sox couldn’t finish the job. The A’s played their second extra inning game in a row and came up on the short end of a 3-1 game and fell to 5.5 games back of the Rangers. They have closer problems right now. I was hoping the Angels had suffered the same fate but Fierri got it done for the Angels.

Tomorrow it’s Holland Vs Hochevar as we look for the sweep and fifth straight win before heading into Boston. No off-day in between but we will get one on Thursday before opening a weird three-game home stand against the Tigers.

Trade Possibilities

Fans love to speculate about trades. At the beginning of the year it looked like this might be one of the first years we wouldn’t be looking for an arm at the deadline. Now things are a little different. We have Feliz and Holland on the DL. Oswalt is working back into shape and will provide some help. The fact that the two pitchers who are on the DL are young would probably hold us back a little in looking for anyone to help us out. I know a lot of this also depends on their long-term prognosis. Both have arm problems and I have to wonder when the outcry about our “no pitch count” philosophy will come into question. I hope not.

There are some arms that might be available. We never want to leverage the farm in a win-now scenario and I have no idea what the cost would be. With no place for Mile Olt (unless he plays more first base soon), he might be the biggest chip we have to offer. Scott Feldman too, but he hasn’t exactly helped his trade value. Neither of those would be enough to get these pitchers. BUT, that said, I would like to ask about (and I don’t know that we haven’t) Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster from the Cubs and Cole Hamels from the Phillies. Hamels will be a free agent after the season. With the new free agent compensation setup, it would make signing him after the season imperative. That would just add to our list of players needing big money to continue with the Rangers. So as much as I would like him, I doubt it will happen.  Garza would be costly I’m sure and Dempster’s name just hit the market today.  Zack Greinke is a free agent after this season too.

Lots of talk about another bat and one player that has been mentioned going to the Rangers is Kevin Youklis. I don’t see it. We have Michael Young doing the same thing Youk does plus more (2nd base).  We probably would consider adding a bat, but more than likely an outfielder.  Possible first base. Carlos Lee might be available from the Astros. He had one stint with the Rangers already (he didn’t like it). Shane Victorino, who is not having a stellar year with the Phils, might be an option. Carlos Quinton, who recently returned from the DL in San Diego is probably available too.

At the beginning of the year, it looked like the last paragraph was all we needed to look at to finish out the roster. After the last month with the pitching causalities, I can’t help but wonder what we might have to do.