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: A Look at Who Could Be Dealt at the Deadline

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Imagine an office somewhere within Ranger's Ballpark. Inside sits general manager Jon Daniels, CEO Nolan Ryan, and the rest of the Texas Rangers' management staff.

They stare at a white board with several names on it. The silence in the room is deafening, each one with a different expression on their face and each trying to come up with a way to acquire one or more of these names.

You can just see the "war room" playing out just like that.



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 There are plenty of names the Rangers will look at in order to better their situation because they know they can't stand on what they have right now. They just aren't strong enough to sustain the stretch run to the playoffs.

The offense, at least at this point, is fine the way it is. You have speed on the base paths and power in the middle of the lineup. Your run production isn't lacking, at least not every night, so there's no reason to change that dynamic.

Where the problems lie for this team is in their pitching. From the rotation to the bullpen, Daniels knows there are changes that need to be made. More so in the bullpen than in the rotation.

“I think the bullpen will definitely be a focus, first focus,” Daniels told Jim Bowden and Casey Stern on MLB Network Radio. “You’re always open to anything. But that’s probably where we’ve spent the most of our time.”

The Rangers have plenty of trade chips to deal away, guys who aren't going to make a huge impact to the team down the stretch and guys they can afford to deal.

We've talked about the names I've wanted to bring in to help the Rangers' bullpen, but how about the guys they could deal away for those players? Who could the Rangers give up and not miss (a la Justin Smoak)?


C Taylor Teagarden - .190 (4/21) 7 K's

Taylor Teagarden hasn't been quite the player the Rangers had hoped he might become. After hitting .319 (15/47) in his first season with the Rangers back in 2008, Teagarden has struggled in each of his last three seasons with the team, hitting no better than .217 which came back in 2009.

But while he struggles in the big leagues, he has torched Triple-A pitching. Through 24 games (86 AB's) with Round Rock, Teagarden is hitting .326 with 9 HR and 18 RBI.

The San Francisco Giants are looking for catching especially after the season ending injury sustained by Buster Posey. They've tried the duo of Chris Stewart and Eli Whiteside but neither are cutting it, no pun intended, at the plate.

Teagarden is a name that has come up but I don't know that the Giants would give up anymore more than a mid-level prospect at this point. Teagarden's value just isn't high at all right now.


OF David Murphy - .233 (47/202) 4 HR 15 RBI 32 K's

David Murphy has, at times, come in to the Rangers lineup and given the offense the boost it's needed. He's come up with a big hit here or there. Unfortunately, it's not going to keep him out of the trade discussions at the deadline.

Murphy is a guy who is going to get interest from teams looking for an experienced veteran in their lineup and a guy who could play the outfield on an every day basis. Something he's not going to get with the Rangers. Especially with Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Moreland, Endy Chavez, and Craig Gentry all able to play the same positions.

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan wrote back in late May how Murphy could be used by other teams in need of an outfielder.


OF Craig Gentry - .270 (17/63) 0 HR 6 RBI 9/9 SB

Craig Gentry has burst on to the scene with the Rangers in 2011 showing off his tremendous speed not only on the base paths but also in the outfield as well.

While he's not a guy who's going to hit 20-25 home runs every season, he is a guy who can get on base and make things happen. He's shown that in Texas this season going 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts.

He's not a guy the Rangers are going to want to deal in any trade scenario because of the potential he's shown. But there are teams who are going to ask for the soon-to-be 28-year old outfielder.


1B/3B/OF Chris Davis - .269 (14/52) 3 HR 4 RBI 18 K's

Chris Davis is a guy who's getting a lot of talk as the trade deadline gets closer, especially from Ranger fans who fully expect him to be dealt.

The way he's playing at Triple-A Round Rock right now, he's doing everything to help his value as well as help out the Rangers play him up to teams in need of a power hitter who can play the corner infield spots as well as the outfield.

Davis has 19 home runs and 52 RBI this season for the Express. Unfortunately, that same production hasn't come out when he's been called up to the big leagues. But his minor league numbers have never translated to the big leagues. He doesn't face the kind of pitching in the AL West that he kills in the minor leagues.

But despite all that, he is going to get a lot of interest from teams who are looking for an every day player who can play both the infield and outfield.

The Rangers may use him in their biggest deal at the deadline.


SS Jurickson Profar - .269 (60/223) 7 HR 31 RBI

Jurickson Profar is a young prospect currently with the Hickory Crawdads, the Rangers Single-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.

He is one of the top prospects in the Rangers' farm system and a guy who is going to get a lot of interest, especially from a team on the west coast. The San Diego Padres.

Padres' closer Heath Bell is getting a lot of interest from around baseball and especially from the Texas Rangers. Profar is going to be a guy the Padres are going to ask about and may even go as far as to require having him in the deal from Texas.

While I'm not one for "giving away the farm" for one player, the problem with Profar is being blocked by the position players in the big leagues right now.

Elvis Andrus currently occupies the short stop position and will probably be in a Rangers' uniform for at least the next four to five years if not longer. Ian Kinsler is at second base but there's a lot less guarantee with his future than Andrus' so the question becomes, can Profar make the transition from short to second if he makes it to the big leagues in two to three years?

He is going to be an interesting name to watch over the next few weeks.

Texas Rangers: Is Chris Davis Still on the San Diego Padres' Radar?

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The Texas Rangers are going to be buyers at the deadline especially where their bullpen is concerned. While we've talked about who they could possibly go after what we haven't talked about is who the Rangers might have to give up to make a deal.

Heath Bell seems to be the one player a lot of Ranger fans have their eye on as the guy who could bolster their bullpen and help them down the stretch towards the playoffs.

With that in mind, I talked to a source with knowledge of the San Diego Padres and what it might take to land Bell in a deal.



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"Nobody [in the Padres lineup] scares anyone," the source told me. "They have plenty of young guys now, they need a young player who has been around for a couple of years."

Chris Davis, a name who has come up on more than one occasion, has been mentioned in connection with the Padres. However, a few Padre fans have told me the team would have no need for Davis with Anthony Rizzo up with the Padres and Kyle Blanks returning next season.

"[Davis] would fit the description of a player who's been around for a couple of years but he hasn't put up consecutive solid years yet. He's going to hit a lot of home runs in the PCL and the Southern League. The ball flies there and there isn't big league pitching in either of those leagues."

Maybe that explains the struggles Davis goes through when he makes the transition from Triple-A Round Rock to the Rangers. He's hit five home runs over his last eight games, something that would make anyone stand up and take notice.

However, every time he's had success in the minor leagues, he's called up to the Rangers and just can't find the same kind of rhythm.

Davis hasn't had a real chance to play on an every day basis this season and it makes me wonder if he would have success if he could find a team who would want him as their every day first baseman.

There's no doubt Davis could be dangled in a deal but will it be enough for San Diego to relinquish their closer?

"Only think I could think of is the Padres can say no until they get what they want," said this source. "They don't have to rush to get rid of Bell. With each day that goes by his value skyrockets because the [trade] market is weak for prime pitching."

"The Padres are in the driver's seat for the deadline. There's always one team every year who goes all in and never wins the World Series."

Unless Davis comes up to the big leagues and lights Arlington fire at the plate, he may be staying in a Texas uniform. At least for the immediate future.

Things always change. Stay tuned for the next month and a half because things always get crazy a few weeks prior to the trade deadline.

That's when teams, in desperate need of an impact player, become desperate.

Texas Rangers Notes: Holland, Lowe, Teagarden, Guthrie

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The Texas Rangers continue to struggle in New York. After another 12-4 loss on Wednesday night, they have now dropped six of their eight games against the Yankees this season.

After Alexi Ogando gave up six runs through 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday, Derek Holland wasn't much better. The young right hander gave up six runs on seven hits, walked five and gave up two home runs through five innings of work.

Holland struggled right off the bat (no pun intended) and was unable to gain any control of his pitches.

After Holland departed, reliever Mark Lowe would take over and would have just about as much success as Holland had. Lowe gave up three runs through just an inning of work, both coming on home runs including a two-run shot from Mark Teixeira, his second of two home runs on the day.

Combined between Ogando and Holland, Ranger starters have given up 12 runs through just 6 2/3 innings of work over the last two nights.



Photo courtesy: Getty Images

 Taylor Teagarden, who was called up from Triple-A Round Rock after Mike Napoli went on the disabled list, is apparently being looked at by the San Francisco Giants according to Danny Knobler of CBS.com.

Since the Giants lost Buster Posey for the season, Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart have combined for a .180 batting average with no home runs and just two runs batted in through 19 games.

Knobler told me he wasn't sure if the two teams had engaged in talks but did confirm the Giants' interest.

Another trade partner, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, could be the Baltimore Orioles. Sullivan, in his mailbag column, talked about Chris Davis being someone Baltimore would look at with their need at first base. Two names Sullivan mentioned coming back to Texas were relievers Jim Johnson or Koji Uehara.

However, if I'm Texas, there's only one guy I'm looking at it's 32-year old right hander Jeremy Guthrie. Don't be fooled by his record this season (2-8) but focus more on the 3.77 ERA. He plays for a bad Orioles team and coming to Texas could provide the spark he and this pitching staff needs.

Sullivan also mentioned the Rangers being willing to trade anyone if the right deal were to come along. He said the Rangers would put Nelson Cruz on the first plane to Seattle if it meant Felix Hernandez was coming back in the deal.

That kind of deal isn't going to happen but you get the point he's making.

Texas Rangers: Chris Davis Trying to Prove He Belongs

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Texas Rangers first baseman Chris Davis has seemingly gone through just about every range of emotion the game of baseball will allow one player. The high of being called up to the big leagues and the low of being told you're headed back to the minor leagues.

Three years ago, I walked into Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas and I sat in the stands to watch the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders take batting practice. It was the first minor league game I had covered as a member of the media so I was wanting to see what kind of players I would be watching.

A young left handed hitter stepped up to take his cuts and swatted the first pitch he was thrown deep into the right field seats.

I asked a passing security guard who this young hitter was. His response, "Chris Davis, he's the first baseman here."

I watched as Davis hit shot after shot deep into the Texas afternoon sunshine. His power did not go unnoticed by the Rangers, moving him up to Triple-A and eventually calling him up to the major league club.

He would make his debut with the Rangers on June 26, 2008 and would get his first major league hit in his very first at bat. The following day, Davis made his very first Major League start and showed the team why he was called up in the first place, hammering a home run in each of his first two starts becoming the first player to do that in Major League history.

When the 2008 season came to a close, Davis was hitting .285 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI through 285 at bats. Not a bad first season for this young first baseman.

However, 2009 quickly became a season Davis would rather forget or not even look back on, striking out 150 times in 391 at bats. The following season wasn't much better as Davis struggled to a .191 batting average in 45 games with the team.

After two consecutive rough seasons some might wonder if Davis was ever going to make it back and show the kind of potential the Rangers knew he had. Would he be able to get himself mentally right and make another serious run at getting back to the big leagues, proving once and for all that he belongs with every other player in that clubhouse?

While some hitters would be in their own heads, psyching themselves out, Davis said he was ready to put his struggles behind him and show he was ready to stay in the big leagues.

"The last couple of years the reason I struggled was because I was trying to make certain changes," he told me prior to their game against the Tigers. "Mentally I wasn't able to make the adjustments. I did a lot of work this off season, played winter ball, and did a lot of things to get myself ready to play this season and I feel like I've made that adjustment."

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In 2011, Davis has bounced back and forth between Triple-A Round Rock and the Major Leagues, being called up once after Josh Hamilton suffered an injury against the Detroit Tigers in early April. He was then sent back down in late May after the Ranger's outfielder was ready to return.

"It's just one of those things that comes with the job," Davis told me about going between the minor leagues and the big leagues. "I have the opportunity to play every day [at Round Rock], I also know that I'm a guy the Rangers like to call on to come off the bench or fill in from day to day. You'd like to get to one place and stay there but sometimes it's not what your dealt."

Then, on June 8, 2011, Davis was again called back up when second baseman Ian Kinsler was put on the paternity list with the birth of his son.

Through 21 games this season (52 at bats), he's hitting .269 with three home runs and four RBI playing in a reserve roll most of the time with a spot start here or there.

When you talk to the 25-year old it's hard not to root for him to have the kind of success he's been chasing for the last few years.

Davis says he realizes he's not going to be an every day starter for the Rangers right now, but he knows he's proven he can play at this level and one day he may just get the opportunity to play every day in the Major Leagues.

For Chris Davis, there's no telling when that day might come. But there's no question he'll be ready when his number is called.

Texas Rangers Notes: Chris Davis, Julio Borbon, Todd Coffey, Padres, Nationals

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With the trade deadline just under two months away, the trade talks and rumors will begin to get hot and heavy through just about every online baseball site there is.

For the Texas Rangers, they are in need of bullpen help and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports covers just that topic today in his column.


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For those of you who have checked in on my blog for my thoughts on the Rangers and who they should use as trade bait, you know one name I've thrown out is reserve first baseman Chris Davis. As of right now he is expendable and one place I've mentioned as a possible landing spot is with the offensively starved, San Diego Padres.

It's well known that the Padres will be willing to listen to trade offers for a few of their relievers including closer Heath Bell and set up man Mike Adams. If Texas can shore up their bullpen at or before the deadline, they will be a tough team to beat in the American League.

Another candidate that Rosenthal talks about is outfielder, Julio Borbon, who the team sent down to Triple-A Round Rock due to the surprising success of Endy Chavez who has been on an absolute tear as of late. He had eight hits in 12 at bats against the Cleveland Indians and is 13-of-26 in his last six games.

If this continues, and with the depth the Rangers have in the outfield, they are in the position to be able to trade Borbon to a team who needs depth at the position.

According to Rosenthal, the Rangers have been interested in Washington Nationals' reliever Todd Coffey and he says Borbon could be a good piece to use in a deal.

Texas Rangers Shopping for a Closer, Neftali Feliz to the Rotation?

With just a few weeks left before Opening Day for Major League Baseball, the Texas Rangers still have decisions to make not only with the starting rotation but also for the bullpen.

Oddly enough, it surrounds just one name.

Neftali Feliz.

The team's closer last season has been worked out as a starter during spring training and the team seems sold on bringing him in as a starter behind either C.J. Wilson or Colby Lewis. He's not going to be the ace of the staff so let's stop with those rumors.

Speaking of rumors, with Feliz potentially moving into the rotation it leaves an open spot at the back end of the bullpen. Who will be the closer for the Rangers in 2011?

A few names who have made their way onto the rumor sheets are current Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell, and Kansas City Royals' closer Joakim Soria.

The team could look internally to fill the spot but there really isn't a name that puts fear into opposing hitters.

We know the chips the Rangers have to trade and they happen to surround two different names, Michael Young and Chris Davis.

As far as I'm concerned we can take the Padres off the list because if Davis struggles at the plate in Arlington, a well known hitter's park, he won't have much luck at one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball, Petco Park.

However, the Padres are one team Michael Young can not refuse a trade to until his 10-and-5 rights kick in a few months from now. The Rangers have already made it clear they would be willing to assume most of Young's salary in order for them to move him.

That could definitely entice the Padres who don't exactly have the money to bring on the kind of contract Young still has coming to him.

I don't see the Red Sox trading Papelbon but it's not the first time I've heard his name mentioned in trade rumors. He came up prior to the trade deadline last year and again during this past off season.

He would definitely entice me if I'm the Rangers but the Red Sox don't have a full time position for Michael Young to assume. Not only that but the Sox would tell you they've already spent enough money for right now.

There is still time for decisions to be made but the Rangers are cutting it awfully close to Opening Day. It seems they want Feliz to be in the rotation but they need to figure out who their closer is going to be. A closer-by-committee isn't going to work and unless they can find the right trade scenario, they might need to fill it internally for now.


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Texas Rangers: Chris Davis Could Be On His Way Out

Chris Davis was supposed to be the next big thing at first base for the Texas Rangers. He was supposed to be that big power bat at one of the corner infield spots that would bring extra pop to a lineup which only had a few big swingers.

I remember watching Davis when he was a member of the Double-A Frisco Roughriders. I would sit in the stands three hours before a ballgame and watch him hammer pitch after pitch into the stands. He had all the tools to become a good and potentially great player at the next level.

Unfortunately for him, it hasn't exactly worked out that way.

Whether it's a mental thing or something in his swing, the confidence that always seem to be there in the minor leagues has all but left.

Now, it seem the Rangers are ready to trade him out of town especially since they don't have much room for him to play or a position for him to fill.

They want to keep their long time star, Michael Young, happy so it's likely they'll have him splitting time at several different positions including the one spot Davis can play. First base.

While I don't know for sure that the Rangers have lost confidence in Davis, his numbers over the last few years are reason enough for them to try and make a deal to get what they can in return. Maybe it's time for a change for the young player to see if he can succeed elsewhere.

It does him and the Rangers no good for him to sit on the bench. He needs to be somewhere where he can get playing time and at bats to get his confidence back.

There's no question in my mind this kid can play and do so at a high level. Maybe the Rangers brought him up too fast just as they did with young catcher, Taylor Teagarden who hit .155 in 71 at bats last season.

Don't expect a move to happen until possibly a week prior to the first game of the 2011 season. But that doesn't mean general manager Jon Daniels won't be calling around to other teams to gauge their interest.