Yorvit Torrealba

Best Part About the Rangers Inking Roy Oswalt? Low Expectations and a Big Upside.

Heading into Tuesday night's 10-3 ass-kicking by the Seattle Mariners, the Rangers and their fans had very little to complain about the 2012 season. Name an offensive stat -- batting average, runs scored, hits, home runs, total bases, on-base-plus-slugging percentage (my personal fave) -- and the Ra ... More >>

Happy Opening Day. Let's Predict Some Stuff.

Oh, it's a Good Friday alright. Maybe the best Friday, if you happen to have a job that allows you escape the cubical farm and head to the nearest TV-and-frosty-beer-equipped bar with your fellow farmers. (For bar suggestions, mosey here.) Going to the game? Well, then, it's an Even Better Friday. ... More >>

Breaking Down the Texas Rangers Offseason Plans in the Wake of Coming So Close

Photos courtesy Texas RangersNo need to place all of the blame on Nellie. There are plenty of other folks at fault for losing the World Series.​No matter how hard you try to find a scapegoat, the story of the 2011 World Series doesn't have a chapter about its version of Bill Buckner, nor shoul ... More >>

Guts, Not Gaffes Give Texas an Opportunity for the Kill Shot: Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 6 Preview and Open Thread

Texas RangersMike Napoli celebrates his game-winning double in the eighth inning of Game 5.​The intellect of one of the best managers and greatest players in baseball history short-circuited at the worst possible times for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the World Series, but Monday night ... More >>

Forgetting About Last Night and Entering Must-Win Mode: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 4 Preview and Open Thread

St. Louis CardinalsAlbert Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. He also became the third player to have six RBI and the second player to have five hits in a World Series game. Oh, and he set a record for total bases as well with ... More >>

Stealing the Mojo: Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 3 Preview and Open Thread

Texas RangersIan Kinsler completes the best defensive play I've seen in my 25 years watching the Fall Classic -- a diving stop by Elvis Andrus and flip to Kinsler with his glove to end the fifth inning of Game 2. Just spectacular athleticism displayed by Andrus.​If you've read my piece about S ... More >>

Refusing to Let Championship Dreams Wash Away: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 2 Preview and Open Thread

Texas Rangers​Sometimes the worst managerial moves are the ones that weren't made, but the focus tends to be on the ones that were. The vast majority of media and fans across the country agree that Tony La Russa out-managed Ron Washington in Game 1 of the World Series last night, which is har ... More >>

Albert Pujols Better Than Joltin' Joe? Say It Ain't So!: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Preview and Game 1 Open Thread

Texas RangersGives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, doesn't it?​It's finally here. Pinch yourself. Your Texas Rangers are back in the World Series, and this time feels much different than last year's playoff run. There's a confidence flowing through my body that just wasn't there before, a ... More >>

Cruz-ing to Another World Series: Rangers-Tigers ALCS Game 5 Preview and Open Thread

Photos by Sam MertenNelson Cruz giving me a free ticket to the gun show last year.As the trade deadline approached in July 2006, it seemed inevitable that Jon Daniels would make a bold move to bolster a mediocre offense in his first season as general manager. He targeted the best hitter on the mar ... More >>

Shark-Infested Waters: Texas Rangers-Detroit Tigers ALCS Game 3 Preview and Open Thread

via​Wow. What an amazing start to the American League Championship Series for Your Texas Rangers. Two close games. Two incredible wins. Now Detroit has to win four of the next five games to get back to the World Series for the first time since they fell to St. Louis in 2006. Ain't gonna hap ... More >>

Verlander, Smerlander: ALCS Preview and Rangers-Tigers Game 1 Open Thread

[Editor's note: At the request of a few regulars, we're going with a rare weekend-night open thread to celebrate the Rangers' second straight appearance in the American League Championship Series. Will we do this again tomorrow? Hard to say. Let's see how tonight goes. I'll be in and out, but tonigh ... More >>

The Rangers Keep Walking Off to Hold Off the Angels

​Driving back from San Antonio last night I was re-introduced to the Rangers. Hello, drama! After overcoming deficits of 7-2 and 3-0 in the 8th inning in wins over the Indians last weekend, the Rangers -- thanks to a bad, postpartum outing by Alexi Ogando -- spotted the lowly Mariners a 6-3 l ... More >>

Just When You Think He's Alright, Neftali Feliz Blows One to the ... Lastros

'Twasn't as good last night​Was gonna construct a list of the Rangers' worst losses this season, then I realized after last night's 5-3 self-Heimlich to the Houston Astros ... there is no No. 2.Two-run lead in the 9th. All-Star closer Neftali Feliz on the mound. At home. Against the wo ... More >>

And Then ... There Was Baseball. Rangers, Your Move.

Yorvit Torrealba and the Rangers should get healthy against baseball's worst Astros ​When we last left our Rangers they and pitcher Derek Holland were clubbed around in New York by the Yankees. Not, no last Wednesday. Way back on April 16.It was hours after the Rangers' 5-2 loss in the ... More >>

A Rangers Repeat? History Suggests Odds Are Long.

One Hit Wonders

Bronze Beltre

Not Sure I Get the Texas Rangers' Latest Trade ... For Another Catcher

Adios, Frankie​A week after Texas Rangers team president Nolan Ryan said he's happy with the team and that his roster is set for spring training, his franchise made a trade yesterday. One I don't quite grasp. The Rangers sent reliever Frankie Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays for veteran c ... More >>

Thumbs Up: Adrian Beltre Makes the Texas Rangers Better

​The race is on today. Which big announcement/press conference will arrive first: The Dallas Cowboys hiring Jason Garrett or the Texas Rangers signing Adrian Beltre? Let's go with Beltre, as the free-agent third baseman and agent Scott Boras arrived in town last night and agreed to a fiv ... More >>

Dear Santa: Please Put a World Series MVP Under the Tree. Pretty Please?

Matt Garza's widely considered to be the best starter available, but could a better pitcher be had for the right price?​It's almost Christmas, and the Texas Rangers haven't done anything to address the hole in the rotation left behind when Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and th ... More >>

Rangers and Yanks Both Lose Cliff Lee Sweepstakes as Southpaw Heads Back to Philly

Sam MertenThanks for the memories, Cliff.​After much procrastination, former Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee has decided to return to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeting that the deal is for five years and approximately $ ... More >>

Werth It? Doing the Rangers' Math as Fat Contracts Swirl Around MLB Winter Meetings.

Photos by Sam MertenDamn. If Jayson Werth commands a seven-year, $126 million deal, how much is this guy worth?​Prior to the beginning of baseball's winter meetings yesterday at Walt Disney World Resort, a flurry of activity resulted in big-name players dealt and fat contracts inked. Predictab ... More >>

Do the Rangers' New Owners Have the Money and Will to Build on a Winning Formula?

Moves by Rangers at Winter Meetings Has Our Baseball Weenie Harden-ing

Meet the Rangers' new ace: Rich Harden​Despite the financial restraints stemming from the team's unresolved ownership situation, Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels skillfully inked the most dominant free-agent starter at this week's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis without adding payroll ... More >>