Every March, The Dugout covers every team in baseball and offers a largely disappointing glimpse of what's to come.
We're kicking things off with the Texas Rangers. Pictured at right, the one-two punch of the 2009 Texas Rangers' rotation: Scott Feldman and a nondescript sheet of drywall. The Rangers possess the worst starting rotation in the history of Mankind. The upside, of course, is that when OPS legend Milton Bradley snaps his ACL in a freak accident, it won't really matter.
Any Rangers fans out there? No? Well, too bad. A Rangers Dugout is after the jump.
* "In 21 months, or just 324 regular-season games from now, Derek Jeter's contract expires. At that point, the Yankees have to decide what to do with Jeter and Jeter has to decide what to do with the Yankees. [...] By 2011, the Yanks could have either Jeter or just his future plaque at Monument Park play short; they will have about the same range." -- Joel Sherman, New York Post
* "Sorry Punxsutawney Phil and your six-more-weeks-of-winter prediction, but if you live in New England and are a fan of Red Sox, a sure sign of spring has arrived -- Truck Day!" -- Steve Silva, Boston Globe
From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.
While the Yankees throw big-time dollars and long term contracts at CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and Derek Lowe mulls over lucrative long-term offers, some strapped-for-cash teams may be feeling a bit left out in the cold during this Hot Stove season. The small-market teams have a lower margin of error, and they can't afford to use their entire payroll on a risk like Burnett. If a team like the Brewers has a few holes in the rotation to plug, they should take the bargain route.
Obviously, taking a shot at a pitcher not many other teams want -- for various reasons -- doesn't necessarily mean you'll be successful.
I often think about how the Cubs signed Ryan Dempster a few years back for very little cost. He paid dividends this past season. On the flip side, the Cubs tried the same thing with Scott Williamson, and it didn't work out. With this in mind, here are 10 possible bargain starting pitchers. Obviously, the upsides of each guy vary based upon age, health, and ability.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.
When you're the Texas Rangers, and you have a grand total of one playoff win in 47 years of existence, there's little place to go but up. Thanks to GM Jon Daniels' dilligent work in the draft and in last year's Mark Teixeira and Eric Gagne deals, that's just the direction in which they're headed.
There are a lot of things to feel good about in Arlington these days, actually. The Rangers had the best offense in the American League last year and could conceivably be better in 2009. The farm system is overflowing with talent and almost certainly one of the five best in the game. There's even optimism about the return of Nolan Ryan as the team's president.
If you're looking for a club that could make a Rays-like rise in the near future, the Rangers might be the best candidate. The question isn't if, but when they make their presence felt, and the answer to that query will determine in part how aggressive Texas is this winter.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups
Texas Rangers (3-3) vs. Baltimore Orioles (5-1) - 2:05PM Est.
So maybe nobody showed up to Camden Yards to see them do it, but the Baltimore Orioles have opened their season 5-1 and have the best record in the American League at the moment. To say this is a bit of a surprise would be a large understatement. I heard people this off-season who thought the Orioles might struggle to win 50 games, and they're already 10% of the way there after the first week. Today they'll be hoping to carry the momentum from Baltimore to Arlington as they try to win their 6th straight. The Rangers, on the other hand, would like to stop Baltimore cold as they open the home schedule this afternoon. Jason Jennings will get the start for Texas, and he's still looking for his first win of the season after giving up 4 runs in 5 innings in his first start, a 4-1 loss, against Seattle last Wednesday. Baltimore goes with Brian Burres, who's making his first start of the season. Burres has never started against Texas, but you may remember Brian allowing 8 runs and 8 hits in two-thirds of an inning against them last year in a game the Rangers won 30-3. I'm going to predict that neither team gets to thirty this afternoon.
The agreement was confirmed late Wednesday night by two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The team could announce the deal as early as Thursday.
Jennings will be joining a rotation that consists of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy, and Kason Gabbard. Not exactly intimidating, is it? Well, aside from Padilla anyway. He's always likely to throw a fastball at your head.
The Rangers needed to sign another pitcher after trading one of their top pitching prospects, Edinson Volquez, to the Reds for Josh Hamilton.
Jennings won the Rookie of the Year Award with Colorado back in 2002, but he hasn't resembled the pitcher he was back then lately. In fact, he's spent most of his time on the disabled list, missing three months last season thanks to a torn flexor tendon in his throwing elbow. In the 19 games he did pitch for the Astros last season, Jennings managed to go 2-9 with an ERA of 6.45.
Are you a pitcher? Have you been plagued by shoulder injuries, or have you torn a flexor tendon in your pitching elbow? Then just dial 1-800-NATIONALS, and you just might have a job. No questions asked.
Well, maybe there will be just a few questions. But if Mark Prior and Jason Jennings are interested in spots in the Nationals rotation, then all they have to do is pick up the phone and say the word, because the Nationals are interested in the injury plagued duo.
"At this point, I'm open to anybody. I want to take advantage of being a free agent," Jennings told MLB.com during the Winter Meetings. "You work hard to get to this point, and I want to see where all my options are. With the new ballpark coming, [Washington] would be one of the more interesting places to go, as opposed to the last two years when they were at RFK."
Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to take shots at a ballpark that can't defend itself because it's an inanimate object.
All right, maybe it was a cavernous relic with the paint chipping off half of the outfield seats, but the new D.C. ballpark will no doubt be a draw for free agents, especially with free agents who could use a place to bounce back from arm injuries.Sorry, No Photos
It is safe to say that Jason Jennings' first and maybe only season as a Houston Astro did not go as either side planned. The Astros traded for Jennings, who mastered Coors Field in 2006, to help fill in the holes created when Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens bolted back to New York. Instead of helping, Jennings went 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA and is now having season-ending elbow surgery. Of course, Jennings had elbow problems with the Rockies last year, too, but that didn't stop super-genius GM Tim Purpura from trading for him.
"He didn't miss any starts last year," Purpura said. "Their general manager assured me that he was fine. Our doctors talked to their doctors, and we were assured that he was fine. Beyond that, there's not a lot that you can ask for."
Well, of course they told you he was fine, Tim. If someone called you and offered you an outfielder and two pitchers for a guy you know is hurt, aren't you going to try your hardest to make that team believe he's OK? Actually, nevermind, judging by some of the things Purpura has done this year, I'm not going to assume he knows anything.
For his part, Jennings doesn't really want the surgery, but is expecting a six month recovery time and should be ready for camp next year for whoever he ends up playing for (he's a free agent after the season ends).
I'm sure everyone here has been to a baseball game and watched some guy propose to his girlfriend on the scoreboard, usually having her say, "yes" and ending in a big between innings smooch. And I would imagine that every single male that watches that happen has thought to themselves, "My girlfriend would kill me if I ever pulled a stunt like that." Well, some poor Astros' fan didn't think things all the way through last night and paid the consequences. From the Houston Chronicle:
The biggest unrest happened in the stands when a fan failed in his very public attempt to propose matrimony. With all the attention placed on the couple as they were highlighted on the big screen, the mood soured after the man took a knee to offer the engagement ring.
Wearing a brick-red replica Craig Biggio jersey, the lady angrily dumped a bag of popcorn on the man before rushing up the stairs amid a loud chorus of boos. After the top of the sixth, the man left amid cheers from the sympathetic crowd.
Now, I know you guys don't want a lecture on how to live your love life from some basement dwelling blogger, but seriously, don't put your lady on the spot like that. How is proposing while the Astros are losing to the Nationals and Jason Jennings is flaming out on the mound again romantic? Answer: it's not. But yeah, I still feel awful for this guy. Hopefully his painful mistake will save other guys from doing the same thing.
Thanks to my man Mullet for sending this along last night.
Say you're the GM of a 40-55 team that's found themselves in last place of what is arguably the worst division in baseball. Do you think admitting that you have no idea why your team sucks is a good idea? Because for some reason, Tim Purpura does. From the Houston Chronicle:
"It's totally unexpected," he said while working the phones from Houston. "In some ways, you can't believe that we are where we are given the kind of talent that's on the club."
[...]
"Even at the All-Star Game," Purpura said, "a number of people from other clubs said, 'Don't give up because you're a lot better than you're showing,' and they point to the fact we swept Seattle and they went back and got in the race.
Why are the Astros bad this year? Hmm. It could have something to do with losing Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte and somehow thinking Woody Williams and Jason Jennings would replace them, putting Craig Biggio's run at 3,000 hits before the team's success, starting the season with Hunter Pence in AAA, Lance Berkman getting older, Mike Lamb and Mark Loretta not having regular positions while Morgan Ensberg and Adam Everett (when he's healthy) do, and having a crappy bullpen. Or it might just be really bad luck that no one could've ever seen coming. Really, it could be either or. I'm on the fence myself.
Every March, The Dugout covers every team in baseball and offers a largely disappointing glimpse of what's to come. 
Footprints in the Snow
The Texas Rangers filled out their starting rotation late Wednesday night, signing free agent 
Are you a pitcher? Have you been plagued by shoulder injuries, or have you torn a flexor tendon in your pitching elbow? Then just dial 1-800-NATIONALS, and you just might have a job. No questions asked.
It is safe to say that 
I'm sure everyone here has been to a baseball game and watched some guy propose to his girlfriend on the scoreboard, usually having her say, "yes" and ending in a big between innings smooch. And I would imagine that every single male that watches that happen has thought to themselves, "My girlfriend would kill me if I ever pulled a stunt like that." Well, some poor Astros' fan didn't think things all the way through last night and paid the consequences. 
Say you're the GM of a 40-55 team that's found themselves in last place of what is arguably the worst division in baseball. Do you think admitting that you have no idea why your team sucks is a good idea? Because for some reason, 
