If you can’t win a World Series now, how about setting some records and scaring the daylights out of opposing pitchers and being entertaining?

Wouldn't it make more sense to get some pitchers that scare the daylights out of opposing hitters?

I think the Rangers are the darkhorse candidate for Sabathia. Of course, if they sign him, he'll never pitch well again.

They need an architect with a minor in wind resistance

They need to roof that stadium.

They need to figure out how to evaluate their pitchers better. Young, Danks, Volquez would make up 3/5th of a hell of a rotation.

Has any GM done more to hurt his organization in the past few years than Jon Daniels? If he hadn't made any trades since taking the job, the Rangers would have won the division this year, and would be overwhelming favorites next year. For all we know, they might have just won the World Series.

Playing in the Al Worst, they only have to get an unusually poor performance from the Angels next year to contend for a playoff spot.

If Daniels hadn't made any trades, Danks would be a homer-prone 4th/5th starter without a cutter, Young would have given up 35 homers, and Volquez ... well, I'm thinking 93 walks + a more realistic HR/FB rate wouldn't play that well in Texas either. And, of course, Volquez means no Hamilton.

If Daniels hadn't made any trades, Danks would be a homer-prone 4th/5th starter without a cutter, Young would have given up 35 homers, and Volquez ... well, I'm thinking 93 walks + a more realistic HR/FB rate wouldn't play that well in Texas either. And, of course, Volquez means no Hamilton.

You seem to imply that Danks, Young, and Volquez couldn't have succeeded in Texas (although I don't know if that's because Texas is poor at instructing young players, or because of the climate, or for both or other reasons). But weren't all three of those guys successful or poised for success when they were traded?

Chris Young had just posted a 4.26 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP as a starter for the Rangers (giving up 19 HRs in 164-2/3 innings) when he was traded to San Diego

Volquez had pitched fewer than 80 MLB innings when he was traded to Cincy, and was coming off a year in which he pitched fine for Texas in limited action (100 ERA+, 29Ks in 34 innings) and dominated at Oklahoma (1.41 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 66 Ks in 51 innings) and two other levels. That was his age 23 year.

The year prior to being traded to Chicago was Danks's age 21 year, which he split between AA and AAA (combined ERA of 4.24, whip of 1.41, but 154 Ks in 140 innings).

And, of course, Volquez means no Hamilton.

Given that they had a 115 OPS+ and a 81 ERA+, I'd be inclined to think that Volquez is worth more to them than Hamilton.

At least they got Hamilton when they traded Volquez. Danks got them McCarthy. Young AND Gonzalez got them Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. And Armando Galarraga got them nothing.