Texas Rangers Notes: Are Kerry Wood and Matt Garza Untouchable?

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With the first day of July upon us, there are just a few weeks left before the most exciting time in Major League Baseball.

The trade deadline.

It's the day where all of us baseball fans monitor Twitter and every other piece of social media we can get our hands on to keep track of what our teams are going to do and what trades they will make.

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For the Texas Rangers, the one name who continues to come up is San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell and set up man Mike Adams.

If you listened to Thursday's podcast, Dan McLellan of CBS Sports talked about what it would take for any team to be able to make a deal the Padres would agree to.

A player in Triple-A who has a chance to crack the 40-man roster and a player who can hit for average and has "big league pop." Not only that but a minor league pitcher or two who are in the development stages in the minor leagues but are only a year or two away from being Major League pitchers.

The Rangers could possibly entice San Diego with a package of players that starts with the likes of David Murphy or Craig Gentry and then go through their minor league pitchers to see who might be a fit. Without having to give up someone like Tanner Scheppers.

If that's too expensive for the Rangers' blood, they will have to move on to other players who might be available. We've talked about guys like Pittsburgh Pirates' closer Joel Hanrahan, Oakland A's reliever Grant Balfour.

Another name I've brought up in the past is Chicago Cubs' reliever Kerry Wood as well as starter, Matt Garza.

Before Ranger fans get excited about either of these players, Clark Addison of CubHub.net says not so fast.

"No way he gets moved," Addison said. "He signed a deal at about a quarter of what he could have made on the open market so he can return to the Cubs where he will likely reap a lifetime of personal services revenue. He's not just another athlete in Chicago, he is special. Being a Cub fan favorite affords a guy lots of opportunity after retirement from playing."

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times echoed those thoughts in his column on Friday morning after Kerry Wood met with the media and talked about the trade rumors swirling around.

"I know the [trade] talks are going to come," Wood said. "I’ve already been hearing it. So we can address it now. I doubt it. We’re committed here. We’ve got a [charity bowling] event in September. I don’t see it happening."

"Obviously, Sarah and I will talk about it, and we have a little bit," Kerry went on to say. "But it would have to be ideal for both, something that is definitely going to help the organization down the road and something that’s going to fit for us, which right now is here. So it would be tough."

So while Wood himself isn't ruling out a deal is possible, the way he worded his response would make anyone think he wouldn't be willing to waive his full no-trade clause unless it was the absolute right situation and gave him a chance at a World Series championship.

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As for young right hander Matt Garza, Addison says while it might be more likely a deal could be struck at the deadline, he still doesn't think it's likely.

"The comment I kept hearing from [Jim] Hendry and [Tom] Ricketts when he became a Cub is that he would be under club control for several more years," Addison said. "I think Garza is viewed as something to build around." 

Don't take this as there is absolutely no chance that the Rangers could make a serious play for one of both of these players. But with Wood holding a no trade clause, and Garza still having another four to five good years in front of him, maybe we should call this for what it is.


Check out Clark Addison at Blog.CubHub.net and follow him on Twitter: @ClarkAddison

Texas Rangers Ready to Showcase Chris Davis in the Outfield?

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The Texas Rangers could be ready to bring Chris Davis back to the big leagues but it's not to play first or even third base.

No according to reports, Davis is going to see playing time in the outfield at one of the corner spots and will move Josh Hamilton from a corner outfield position to center field. Something that could make just about every Ranger fan cringe after all the times Josh has run head long into the outfield walls.



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This is nothing more than the Rangers showcasing Chris Davis for a possible trade at or before the trade deadline at the end of July. Davis has seen time in the outfield with Triple-A Round Rock but if Major League teams are going to be interested in making a trade with Texas, they are going to watch him over the next few weeks to see how he handles the change in position.

The knock on Davis, however, isn't his defense but it's when he grabs a bat and steps to the plate. He has a ton of holes in his swing and hasn't had near the same success offensively that he's shown in the minor leagues.

That being said, Davis is still very much a hot trade commodity and the Rangers know it. If he wasn't they would have no reason to bring him up and stick him in the outfield. They know the problems he's had at the plate and they the risk they're taking in having him in the lineup on an every day basis.

But the Rangers need to show that Davis is a serviceable big league player because they themselves need to include him in a trade that would land them a big time reliever for the bullpen or starter for the rotation.

We have talked about a few names the Rangers could be looking at but what we don't know is which deal Davis would be included in.

The San Diego Padres aren't going to do a one-for-one deal with Heath Bell or Mike Adams. They may not even be interested in Davis seeing as they already have young infielders Anthony Rizzo, Jesus Guzman and Kyle Blanks able to man the first base position.

So if it's not Bell or Adams, where will Davis end up and what will he bring in return.

One deal I've talked about before on my podcast involves the Baltimore Orioles and right hander, Jeremy Guthrie.

This is a guy who could use a fresh start especially since he's spent his entire career with an Orioles' team that has no chance in winning their division let alone getting deep into the playoffs.

They are in need of an infielder like Chris Davis and could do send Guthrie to Texas without the Rangers having to give up a second player in the deal.

Also, the Chicago Cubs are about ready to waive the white flag on their season and could be willing to part with reliever Kerry Wood, again. The Cubs aren't going to sell high on Wood and may send him to the American League on a one-for-one swap.


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But there's one name who the Rangers could, and should, look at and he's another pitcher with the Chicago Cubs. Matt Garza was a guy who was brought to the windy city thanks to the aforementioned Kerry Wood and it seems as if the Cubs could very well be open to dealing him in the right trade.

Garza is a guy who really became a young star with the Tampa Bay Rays and it was one of the biggest reasons the Cubs landed him in free agency after the 2010 season.

He won a combined 34 games over three seasons with the Rays and never finished with an ERA worse than 3.95 during his time there.

This season hasn't been nearly as good to him but he has experience in the American League and he's only 27-years old, soon to be 28 in November, so you're getting a young pitcher who still has a lot of good years ahead of him.

There are more than a few names the Rangers will look at over the next month but their ability to make a deal hinges on how Chris Davis performs over the next month. If he struggles and his batting average takes a tumble, so will his trade value.

The Rangers are taking a definite risk but one they could really cash in on if it pays off.

Texas Rangers Notes: Bullpen Trade Options

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The Texas Rangers are in desperate need of fixing their bullpen. If Wednesday night's debacle wasn't enough for Ranger fans to begin scouring the internet for rumors of possible trades, I don't know what kind of meltdown it would actually take for panic to finally set in.

We know all the talk surrounding Neftali Feliz making the move from the team's closer to the starting rotation. The Rangers did not see enough of him during spring training to believe he could successfully make the transition.

Now, after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, general manager Jon Daniels and CEO Nolan Ryan may need to kick start conversations with teams around Major League Baseball to see who is available.

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the bullpen names who could be mentioned in connection with Texas from now until the trade deadline at the end of July.

Heath Bell (Padres) - 2-3, 19 Saves, 2.70 ERA

San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell is a name that came up immediately after Feliz blew the save for the Rangers on Wednesday night. But his name has come up long before that.

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It's common knowledge that the Padres are going to make him available at the deadline as the team will not be able to afford what Bell will ask for in free agency.

I talked to a source last week who told me the Rangers had met with Padres' brass at Petco Park about a month ago. Though they couldn't say if names were exchanged, one has to believe the likes of Bell as well as Adams were probably brought up in conversation.

As for what Bell might cost the Rangers? A few names I've been told are minor league shortstop Jurickson Profar and possibly reserve outfielder David Murphy. With rumors the Padres could trade outfielder Ryan Ludwick at the deadline, bringing in another veteran outfielder makes little sense in this scenario.

Mike Adams (Padres) - 2-1, 1.35 ERA


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While Heath Bell would be a great addition to the Rangers, San Diego Padres' set up man Mike Adams might be an even better option.

The soon to be 33-year told right hander has allowed just five earned runs 33.1 innings pitched and has given up just one run in his last nine innings.

Though he's only a year younger than Bell, Adams is the one who has ties to Texas. He was born in Corpus Christi and attended Texas A&M-Kingsville. A trade back to Texas would bring the native son home to an area he grew up in and close to family he still has in the state.

The Padres are less likely to give up Adams especially since he's under team control through the 2012 season. He would also cost the Rangers more in return than Bell would.

All that being said, he's shown just how dominant of a reliever he can be. Say what you want about pitching at Petco Park, where he sports a 1.06 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .138 batting average, Adams has a 1.65 ERA away from Petco and is holding opposing hitters to a .155 batting average.

Joel Hanrahan (Pirates) - 0-1, 20 Saves, 1.31 ERA

According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, the Texas Rangers had apparently contacted the Pittsburgh Pirates in late May about their closer, Joel Hanrahan.

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At the time, the conversation did not go anywhere as the Pirates were not willing to talk about any deals regarding Hanrahan.

He's been solid all season long and has yet to blow a save. He's only given up two earned runs over his last 20.1 innings pitched. Pittsburgh isn't exactly a pitcher's park so give the soon to be 30-year old right hander credit. He's arguably one of the biggest reasons the Pirates are only three games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

Hanrahan sports a 1.42 ERA at home and has held opposing hitters to a .194 batting average. On the road he's even better. He holds a 1.17 road ERA with a .218 batting average against.

Francisco Rodriguez (Mets) - 1-2, 19 Saves, 3.34 ERA

There was a time where I would almost beg for a guy like 29-year old Francisco Rodriguez. This is a young reliever who burst onto the Major League Baseball scene with the then Anaheim Angels during their World Series run. He was the young kid who made Derek Jeter and other New York Yankee hitters look like little leaguers at the plate.

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His fastball was in the upper 90's with a breaking ball that was absolutely unhittable.

After his trade to the New York Mets, and drama involving his arrest for assaulting his father-in-law last year, he just hasn't been the same dominant closer that he had been in the past.

Rodriguez has blown each of his last two saves and has given up eight earned runs in his last 10 innings pitched. If he's struggling in the NL East, how are things going to go for him in the American League especially in a hitter's park?

Kerry Wood (Cubs) - 1-3, 2.25 ERA

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Kerry Wood is one of those relievers the Rangers would love to bring in. He's currently on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his right index finger but that shouldn't keep teams from inquiring about his availability.

Wood's career took a big turn for the better in 2010 as a member of the New York Yankees. The right hander was 2-0 with an astounding 0.69 ERA allowing just two earned runs in 24 appearances with the Bronx Bombers.

His experience in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, the AL East, will make him a very sought after commodity at the trade deadline.

With things not going so well for the Chicago Cubs, Wood could definitely be just one of several players on the trade block.

Grant Balfour (A's) - 4-1, 2 Saves, 2.48 ERA

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Oakland A's flamethrower, Grant Balfour, could be one of the more interesting names as the trade deadline approaches.

While the A's aren't waving the white flag of surrender on a very weak AL West division, they could very well do just that if they continue to slip further and further behind the Seattle Mariners and front-runner Texas Rangers.

In 2010, Balfour showed the kind of dominance he could bring with the Tampa Bay Rays. He had 57 relief appearances (55.1 IP) he had a 2.28 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .216 batting average. He was signed by the Oakland A's during the off season and has been just as dominant in 2011 as he was last season.

This season, in 33 relief appearances (32.2 IP), Balfour has a 2.48 ERA and holding hitters to a .198 batting average.


Best of the rest:

Sean Marshall (Cubs)
Todd Coffey (Nationals)
Joakim Soria (Royals)
Tyler Clippard (Nationals)
Kevin Gregg (Orioles)

Texas Rangers Notes: Holland, O'Day, Wilson, Marshall, Balfour

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Derek Holland Bounces Back

After a rough outing against the New York Yankees his last time out, Derek Holland needed to put together a solid start against the Houston Astros on Monday night. If for no other reason than to get his confidence back.

Holland did just that, giving up just three runs through seven and one-third innings, and got a very nice ovation from the 41,000 fans at Rangers' Ballpark.

His next start should come this weekend at home against the New York Mets.

Darren O'Day on The Mend

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Sidewinder Darren O'Day made his first rehab appearance on Monday night, allowing a solo home run in his one inning for Double-A Frisco.

He's scheduled to pitch at Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday where the Rangers should make a determination on whether he's ready to return to the team or if he needs a little more time.

O'Day went on the 60-day disabled list on April 27th with a torn labrum in his left hip.

C.J. Wilson Could be a Free Agent Prize

Ever since Cliff Lee decided he didn't want to sign a long term deal with the Texas Rangers during the off season, C.J. Wilson has stepped into the role of staff 'ace' and has played it beautifully.

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The soon-to-be 31-year old right hander is 7-3 through 15 starts this season with a 3.03 ERA. He's pitched well enough to be getting some attention from around the big leagues, especially teams who will be looking for pitching during the off season.

According to Mark Hale of the New York Post, the New York Yankees could potentially be a suitor for Wilson when the 2011 season comes to a close.

"And really when you're 40 or 50 years old, you're going to look back on your career and say, 'This is why I did it and I'm cool with it,' Wilson told Hale. "When I was 8 years old, I wanted to win the World Series. When I was 12 years old, I wanted to win the World Series. It's just always going to be that. It's always going to be the deciding factor, one way or the other."

Could Sean Marshall be on the Rangers' Radar?

For those fans of the Chicago Cubs or fans of other teams in the National League's Central Division, you have probably seen left handed reliever, Sean Marshall. If you haven't seen him, you've probably been looking somewhere else because at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, Marshall is a hard guy to miss.

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Ever since he transitioned from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Marshall has been nothing short of dominant.

In 80 games last season (74.2 IP), he finished 7-5 with a 2.65 ERA. This season, through 33 games (33.2 IP), Marshall sports a 3-2 record with a 2.41 ERA.

With the Rangers looking to better their bullpen for the stretch run, Marshall would be one of those guys who would be a solid addition if they could give the Cubs what they are looking for. Though Chicago has no reason to give him up, seeing as he's still yet to turn 29 this year (Aug. 30th), he still has some good years ahead of him.

The left hander signed a 2-year $4.7 million extension with the team and he's slated to earn $3.1 million next season.

Grant Balfour a Good Fit in Texas?

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ESPN's Buster Olney has a piece out this afternoon and brings up Oakland A's right hander, Grant Balfour. Olney says the Rangers could be a good fit if Oakland decides they are too far out of the race to be contenders.

Balfour is in his very first season with the A's and, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, is looking like an All-Star this season. In 32 appearances (31.1 IP), Balfour is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA, holding apposing batters to a .205 batting average.

The 6-foot-2 197 pound reliever from Australia is signed through 2012 with a $4.5 million club option for the 2013 season.

Texas Rangers Notes: C.J. Wilson, Torrealba, Soria, Wood

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C.J. Wilson sets a career high


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The Texas Rangers are reeling, losing seven of their last nine games including getting swept by the New York Yankees over the last three games.

One bright spot from that series was starter C.J. Wilson who set a career high with 129 pitches through eight solid innings of work. Wilson gave up just two runs on seven hits and struck out 10. He is showing why the Rangers believed him when he said he could take the role of the staff 'ace' when Cliff Lee departed for Philadelphia.

Through 15 starts, Wilson sports a 7-3 record with a 3.03 ERA.

Torrealba calls out the New York Yankees

Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba apparently had a problem with Yankee hitters Andruw Jones and Mark Teixeira, accusing both of stealing signs.


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Torrealba got into it with Jones during the fifth inning on Wednesday night and apparently said something to Teixeira during his at bat one night earlier. Both took exception to Torrealba's accusation, naturally, and even Jones said it was a little bit of sour grapes on Torrealba's part.

While stealing signs isn't illegal it is something teams take exception to if it's being done. There have been plenty of games where you'll hear a comment from a catcher or see a verbal altercation over this kind of issue.

Hitters should be good enough to figure a pitcher out without the "tipping" help of a runner on second base

Texas Rangers searching for help

The Rangers need help in their bullpen and they need it soon. Even general manager Jon Daniels recently admitted as much. "It's something that we're open to, but it's easier said than done," Daniels told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "There are not a lot of clubs eager to move quality arms right now. We've got to be able to address it right now."


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Asked about their combined 4.52 bullpen ERA Daniels said, "it hasn't been as effective as we need it to be. We haven't hit our stride yet. It would help if a couple of guys come back healthy, but we need to be more consistent. The bottom line is it needs to be better."

One name Sullivan talked about in his column on Thursday is Kansas City Royals' reliever, Joakim Soria. Earlier in the season he would have been an expensive reliever to acquire. However, thanks to his recent struggles, including a string of three blown saves in four appearances, he may not have quite the price tag at this point.

However, he has not given up a run in his last six appearances (8 IP) so that price may be going up.

A few other names mentioned by Sullivan were Chicago Cubs' reliever Kerry Wood, San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell, Washington Nationals' relievers Todd Coffey and Tyler Clippard, and Baltimore Orioles' relievers Koji Uehara, Jim Johnson and Kevin Gregg.

Texas Rangers: Michael Young's No Trade and How to Fix The Rotation, Bullpen

Michael Young’s Full No Trade Clause

Texas Rangers’ super utility guy, Michael Young, will not have to worry about being traded any time soon-if at all.

Young’s 10-and-5 rights kicked in on Saturday May 7^th meaning he has control of if, when and where he’s traded.

You may remember the talk surrounding his impending trade during spring training and even more might remember the Rangers being in serious talks with the Colorado Rockies.

The topic came up again in Denver but was quickly shot down on Twitter by Rockies’ beat writer Troy Renck.

Is there still a chance? Sure. But it would have to be because the team is way out of the race by the trade deadline at the end of July.

Rangers need to upgrade their bullpen, rotation

At the beginning of the 2011 baseball season the Texas Rangers got off to one of their hottest starts in franchise history. It looked like the team was going run away with the American League’s Western Division before the All-Star break even got close.

A few weeks later, the team would lose both outfielder Josh Hamilton and closer Neftali Feliz and the hot start quickly turned ice cold.

While Feliz has returned to the team, the Rangers’ offense has struggled without their MVP in the lineup. Opposing pitchers are not going to pitch other hitters the way they would if they were to face Hamilton in the middle of it.

Left hander Matt Harrison, who was one of the reasons this team was playing so well right off the bat, has struggled with his command over his last few starts. After winning his first three starts, giving up a combined four earned runs, Harrison has lost each of his last four starts giving up a combined 17 earned runs in 17.1 IP.

But he is not the only one wondering if they will ever gain some sort of momentum.

Young right hander Derek Holland has also struggled, giving up 22 earned runs in 29.2 IP including giving up at least five runs in three of his last five starts.

While there aren’t many trades seen at this point in the season, the Rangers need to be looking at their options. They need to make sure they stay within striking distance of the Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Angels. No one is going to run away with the AL West, but the Rangers need to do everything they can to make sure they stay close.

There are two guys who can come in immediately and make an impact in the Rangers’ bullpen, something this team desperately need.

San Diego Padres’ closer Heath Bell and Kansas City Royals’ closer Joakim Soria.

Both players will demand minor leaguers in return but neither are going to require a lot in salary.

If you want to look at the rotation and trying to fix what seems to be broken, there are a few players we can throw out who might be of interest to general manager Jon Daniels.

For those of you who really follow the Rangers and know their minor league system you might have heard the name, Tanner Scheppers.

The former Fresno State standout is one of the top pitching prospects for this franchise and he is a player a lot of fans and media alike have mentioned as someone who might see the big leagues before the end of this season.

If these struggles continue, Scheppers might be called up sooner rather than later. The one thing Daniels and the Rangers need to make absolutely sure of is he is ready for the pressures of being a major league pitcher. If they bring him up and he proves to not be ready, you send him back to Triple-A with his confidence all but shot.

Instead of bringing up an unproven minor league prospect, Daniels can look at guys like Chicago Cubs’ right hander Matt Garza, Baltimore Orioles right hander Jeremy Guthrie, or young Boston Red Sox left hander Clay Buchholz.

There are other names the Rangers will probably look at prior to the trade deadline but they do not need to bring in a veteran type pitcher to make a difference. They bring in a young pitcher who you can control and build around over the next few years.

While it is not time to panic in Arlington just yet, the list of names to look at is going to grow if the bullpen and rotation continue to struggle.

Once Josh Hamilton returns to the lineup, we may see things begin to turn around and the momentum begin to grow. Until then, the Rangers need to at least need to tread water for the next month or more.

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