Projecting the Rangers lineup

- Evan Grant analyzes the potential Rangers lineup through 2012. There's bits and pieces I agree with and there's parts of it that are way too far fetched to me, given who the owner is and the ridiculous business plan he has in place. Let's look at this year by year and subject by subject.

Rangers look down road to recovery


05:10 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News

ANALYSIS: The focus for the Rangers is squarely on the future. The big draft class was about the future. The flurry of deals at the trading deadline was about the future. The daily lineup – chock full of rookies such as Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz – is all about planning for the future.

So, what does the future hold?

Good question. Really good question.

Even before the deadline trades that sent Mark Teixeira, Eric Gagne and Kenny Lofton packing, Rangers owner Tom Hicks indicated 2009 might be the Rangers' next best shot at winning.

The Rangers' plan is to build from within and top things off, when applicable, with premium free agents, such as Torii Hunter and/or Carlos Zambrano, both of whom will be free this winter. The hope is, by sticking with the plan, the Rangers can build a long-term contender.

With six picks among the top 80 in June's amateur draft and a nine-player haul in the deadline deals, the Rangers have taken the initial steps to infuse their system with more raw talent – particularly if they come to agreements by Wednesday night with the unsigned draft-pick trio of Blake Beavan (No. 17 overall), Julio Borbon (No. 35) and Neil Ramirez (No. 44).

Now comes the tough part: Sorting it all out and determining what holes can be filled internally and what must come from the outside.

With that in mind, here are four issues the Rangers must tackle over the coming months and years:

Payroll: Before the Rangers do anything, the club must decide whether it's willing to increase payroll and by how much. The Rangers began the season with a payroll of $68 million. That was the lowest in the AL West, according to figures reported by USA Today. Los Angeles and Seattle were both above $100 million; Oakland was at $79 million. The MLB average was $73 million.

Had the Rangers kept Teixeira, Gagne and Lofton, those three would have taken up more than $25 million in pay next season. As it is, the Rangers have less than $45 million committed for 2008 and only two potential free agents (Brad Wilkerson and Sammy Sosa). In other words, the Rangers could have about $30 million or so to spend before they reach the major league average.

- Quick Take - What kills me is that the Texas Rangers have the lowest payroll in the AL West. Even frugal Oakland is outspending Texas!!!!! I can understand LA, I can't understand Seattle and Oakland. It's inexcusable. We're the 4th largest metro area in the nation.

So for me to believe Tom Hicks is going to look at that expected freed-up $30 million (that's just the net number from his 2008 payroll to the league average, we're not even talking what the amount would be if he spent beyond the average) and be gung-ho about spending it, I'd say you're high as a kite. I have no faith in that idiot.

Free-agent allocations: The Rangers' weaknesses in the majors and at the upper levels of the farm system are the lack of quality starting pitchers, center fielders and athletic corner outfielders.

If the Rangers choose to be big players in the free-agent market over the next couple of years, there are potential impact solutions available at all three spots. This winter will offer a strong crop of free-agent center fielders, starting with Andruw Jones and also including Prosper resident Hunter and Aaron Rowand. Left fielder Carl Crawford is scheduled to become available in 2010.

While the pitching pool will be thin, Zambrano is the kind of talent for whom the Rangers might be willing to expand their payroll beyond a comfortable level. Zambrano may very well stay in Chicago, but when Hicks wants to be persuasive, he can be very persuasive.

All it takes is lots of money. To sign both a top-notch center fielder and Zambrano would probably mean about a $35 million commitment for 2008 for the two players.

After 2008, lefty Johan Santana is free. If the Rangers' goal is to win in 2009, a rotation that starts with Zambrano and Santana would give them a legitimate start. Landing two current No. 1 starters would signify the commitment to attract elite free agents.

- Quick Take - Once again, this gets back to payroll and Tom Hicks making money. You think he's going to want to blow $52 million a year on 3 players? And push his payroll higher? No way. Maybe he's going to change his stance, but at this point in time, I just can't see him signing all 3.

Here's what's going to happen, he's going to penny pinch Hunter, selling the home town discount theory. He's going to assume Hunter will take less to come here since he lives here. And then he's going to bid just below the top bids for those other players with no intention of actually signing them and tell the Ranger fan, "hey we gave a competitive offer, it's the player's fault." Same song and dance. Typical Hicks crap.

Prediction - they don't even one of those guys as Hicks keeps preaching developing own talent, instead doing a healthy mix of both.

Catching: The Rangers must decide Saltalamacchia's best long-term role. The fact that he is going to get a long look behind the plate for the rest of the season indicates the club wouldn't have a problem with him unseating Gerald Laird for 2008.

But coming up behind Saltalamacchia are Taylor Teagarden and possibly Max Ramirez. It's conceivable one of them could be ready for the big leagues by 2009 or 2010. It's possible that could necessitate moving Saltalamacchia to first base in two or three years.

If so, are the Rangers better served by having him stick with first base and keeping Laird around as the regular catcher?

- Quick Take - Laird's time is done. Teagarden will be major league ready by 2009, Salty Dog will take over catching at least 75% of the time in 2008, and then move to 1B in 2009, with Teagarden catching.

Starting pitching: The Rangers seem to have more talented arms in their system than in some time. The key is moving them through the system at the proper pace.

Signing pitchers such as Zambrano and Santana would allow the Rangers to more slowly move their prospects along. Eric Hurley wouldn't have to be rushed to the big leagues in 2008. He could instead break into the bottom of the rotation in 2009 and start a regular procession of young pitchers moving up the ladder.

By 2012, it's not hard to envision Hurley, Omar Poveda and Beavan, Matt Harrison or Kasey Kiker holding the final three spots in the rotation behind Zambrano and Santana.

That would be a nice infusion of homegrown talent and premium free agents, which is just what the Rangers are aiming for.

- Quick Take - With the influx of pitching prospects, this will allow Hicks to claim they don't need free agent pitching and once again, puts all hope onto kids who have 50/50 shots of succeeding in the majors. Instead of taking cues from winning teams (having a healthy mix of top free agents and homegrown talent), Hicks will penny pinch and put all his eggs in the minor league development basket. All the while, saving more money and keeping the payroll in the bottom 1/3 of the league.

PROJECTED PAYROLL
Staff writer Evan Grant takes a guess at how much the Rangers' payroll could cost over the next five seasons (in millions):
2008 $85
2009 $100
2010 $110
2011 $112
2012 $115

- Quick Take - What's sad is, those payrolls are very manageable and within reason, and would still have the Rangers in the middle of the pack salary-wise. The teams that Evan Grant has thrown together within those payrolls would kick ass. The Rangers, finally with top flight starting pitching (Zambrano and Santana), top flight outfielders (Crawford and Hunter), and good young positional/pitching talent, would be immediate contenders. But of course, what are the f'ing odds of this actually happening?


PROJECTED LINEUPS
Staff writer Evan Grant takes a guess at how the Rangers' roster positions could shape up and turnover during the next five seasons. (Free-agent pickups in italics)

2008
C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B: Brad Wilkerson, 2B: Ian Kinsler, 3B: Hank Blalock, SS: Michael Young

LF: Frank Catalanotto/Marlon Byrd, CF: Torii Hunter , RF: Nelson Cruz, DH: Jason Botts

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Kevin Millwood, Kason Gabbard, Brandon McCarthy, Vicente Padilla, RP: Akinori Otsuka


2009
C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B: Ben Broussard, 2B: Ian Kinsler, 3B: Hank Blalock, SS: Michael Young

LF: Frank Catalanotto/Marlon Byrd, CF: Torii Hunter , RF: Nelson Cruz, DH: Jason Botts

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Johan Santana, Kevin Millwood, Brandon McCarthy, Eric Hurley, RP: C.J. Wilson


2010
C: Taylor Teagarden, 1B: Ben Broussard, 2B: Ian Kinsler, 3B: Chris Davis, SS: Michael Young

LF: Carl Crawford, CF: Torii Hunter, RF: John Mayberry Jr, DH: Jason Botts

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Johan Santana, Kevin Millwood, Brandon McCarthy, Eric Hurley, RP: C.J. Wilson


2011
C: Taylor Teagarden, 1B: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 2B: Ian Kinsler, 3B: Chris Davis, SS: Michael Young

LF: Carl Crawford, CF: Torii Hunter, RF: John Mayberry Jr, DH: Jason Botts

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Johan Santana, Brandon McCarthy, Eric Hurley, Matt Harrison, RP: C.J. Wilson


2012
C: Taylor Teagarden, 1B: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 2B: Ian Kinsler, 3B: Chris Davis, SS: Elvis Andrus

LF: Carl Crawford, CF: Torii Hunter, RF: John Mayberry Jr., DH: Michael Young

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Johan Santana, Eric Hurley, Matt Harrison, Omar Poveda RP: C.J. Wilson


- Final Analysis - These teams would be just great. The 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, the development of CJ Wilson into a top closer, the influx of quality pitching at the back end of the rotation, and the top positional talent that would trickle in year by year, would have the Rangers in contention every year.

But how can you trust Tom Hicks to splurge for difference makers in the Free Agent market? We all know his stop-gap habits in signing players. That's why I look at this as nothing more than a pipe dream.






- Nebraska News/Notes




- One of the few freshmen expected to make an impact this year. Quentin Castille, from Texas. Sounds like a Cody Glenn starter kit with his running style, size, and background. This isn't a bad thing at all, I love Cody Glenn and complain all the time about the coaching staff not utilizing him enough. Hopefully they don't waste the first 3 years of Castille's career like they have Glenn's.

Freshman I-back Castille bowls over teammates
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007 - 09:54:50 am CDT


Teammates have practically begged him to get out his “Truck Stick.”

Ah, the daunting “Truck Stick.” In the “Madden NFL 2006” video game, the “Truck Stick” feature allows an offensive player to lower his shoulder and break a tackle -- a burst of brute strength that ranks among Nebraska I-back Quentin Castille’s foremost attributes in real life.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound true freshman brought out his “Truck Stick” during scrimmage action Monday, plowing through a backup safety after breaking into the open field on a stretch play.

“It happened about 20 yards after he got past the line of scrimmage,” Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift said with admiration.

Veteran Husker players are raving about the big back from La Porte, Texas, which is near Houston. With NU junior I-backs Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn nursing injuries, Castille has gotten his share of carries in recent practices. And he’s done enough with those chances that coaches are basically guaranteeing playing time for him this season, most likely in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

But it might be a mistake to place limits on Castille, who arrived in Lincoln in June weighing 265 pounds.

“He fits the profile you look for in a big back; he can run people over,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “That’s what he does best. ... When you’re down in the short-yardage and goal-line situations, it’s good to pound the big backs.”

Castille also has good speed -- in the 4.5-second range for the 40-yard dash, he said.

Said Callahan: “Whatever he needs to do, he can do it. He’s got skills. It’s going to be exciting to watch him develop over the next four and five years. I think he’s a big-time back. He has a lot of talent and a lot of want-to.”

Added Swift: “He’s like Cody Glenn. He has the quickness, but he also likes to put his head down and hit a guy every once in awhile. ... He’s going to be one of those tough-nosed backs.”

Rickey Thenarse probably would attest to Castille’s toughness. The 6-1, 190-pound Thenarse was the victim of Castille’s “Truck Stick” Monday at Memorial Stadium. It’s unfortunate that Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan missed the collision. He was working with his other two freshman I-backs, Roy Helu and Marcus Mendoza, when Castille bolted into the secondary.

Of the Huskers’ three true freshman backs, Castille has generated by far the most buzz through nine preseason practices.

“I just heard the ‘oohs’ of (Castille’s) teammates,” Jordan said of the “Truck Stick” run. “The only thing I saw was the aftermath.”

Playing last season in La Porte High School’s spread offense, Castille rushed for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging nearly eight yards per carry while running mostly up the middle. He also caught 12 passes, including two for touchdowns. All told, he rushed for more than 4,000 yards in high school and was ranked by Rivals.com No. 2 among the nation’s prep fullbacks. He chose NU over Louisville.

Castille said he sees his running style resembling that of former Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips. If need be, Castille said, he’ll try to juke a defender. But he has stories of running over them, such as the time he stepped on a player’s facemask en route to the end zone.

“That was pretty nasty,” Castille said.

As one might expect from a freshman, Castille has some learning to do.

“Sometimes you want to kiss him and hug him, and sometimes you just look at him like, ‘Man, what in the wide world of sports are you doing?’ But he has a lot of athletic ability,” Jordan said. “He’s going to help our team this year. He’s a tremendous kid -- everything we thought he’d be. We’re going to find a role for him.”

Jordan thinks ahead toward cold-weather months -- nobody’s going to want to tackle Castille, the coach said.

“The thing he gives us is a tremendous presence up the middle,” Jordan said. “If he continues to develop, he can add a little bit more (to his repertoire). But he is a freshman. So you have to take it piece by piece.”

Castille isn’t exactly enthralled with his practice performances to this point. In fact, he said he thought he would “do a whole better” than he has so far. After all, he came from Texas, where football is king. He didn’t anticipate college players being markedly better than the ones he encountered in high school, he said.

However, he hasn’t had much trouble with the physical contact part of the college game.

Asked if his teammates hit hard, Castille said, “Some of them do. But me being a big back, it doesn’t really faze me too much. I won’t be intimidated by nobody.”


- Monday Practice Report

NU Notes: Huskers hoping to have Lucky, Glenn practicing today
BY RICH KAIPUST AND STEVE TAKABA
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU



LINCOLN - Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan and assistant Randy Jordan said they hope to have I-backs Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn back at practice today.

Lucky has been out since Saturday with a possible concussion. Callahan said Lucky is still being tested but could be cleared in time for the Huskers' 10th practice.

Glenn has missed several days because of leg problems. With both juniors sidelined, sophomore Major Culbert and freshmen Quentin Castille, Marcus Mendoza and Roy Helu have seen more valuable practice time.

"It's a good thing and a bad thing," Callahan said. "It hurts that those kids are out, but it's a good thing that these young backs get an opportunity to step up and make a lot of plays, and get a lot of reps and exposure. That's really helped them."

Plenty of contact at practices

As most injury problems have been kept to a minimum, Callahan said NU has been able to scrimmage "pretty heavily" since getting into full pads for the first time Friday.

"It's probably the most contact I can think of us having in the last three or four years," he said.

Actually, Callahan said, the contact has been heavy for both for regular drills and scrimmage situations. It's helped to be a mature team, he said, that knows how to handle it.

"We know how to practice and we can work against each other well when we need to go live," he said. "It's clean — that's what I like about it. They've learned how to practice well and learned how to compete against each other well."

Some goal-line scrimmaging was worked into Monday's practice. Guard Matt Slauson said the offense held the upper hand, although there was no extra running by the defense after practice to serve as proof.

"I'm kind of upset about it," Slauson said.

Freshman linemen are learning fast

Slauson put in a good word for the progress of freshmen Jaivorio Burkes, Marcel Jones and Mike Masin on the NU offensive line, saying they've picked up everything faster than he did even though he played as a true freshman in 2005.

"It took me months, and they already got it," Slauson said. "I like to think I'm a smart guy and I studied all the time, but I didn't pick it up as fast. That's awesome for them because they're going to get a chance to play a lot sooner than they would if they were picking it up at a normal rate."

Still, the three are likely redshirt candidates. Burkes and Jones are scholarship recruits, and Masin is a walk-on out of Lincoln Southeast.

Swift neutral on QB decision

Want to know who Nebraska's starting quarterback is going to be? Don't ask Nate Swift.

Swift, one of the Huskers' top returning receivers, wasn't playing favorites Monday when talking about the quarterback competition. Sam Keller is expected by many to win the starting job.

"It's good, I mean it's not much different than any other quarterback," Swift said of receiving passes from Keller. "They all throw a great ball, and Sam throws a great ball, too."

When asked to handicap the QB race, Swift politely sidestepped the matter.

"I don't know," he said. "We're going to have a good camp. It's all coming together now."


- The NoTex Rant Top 25

#25 - Missouri
#24 - Hawaii
#23 - Oklahoma St.
#22 - Alabama
#21 - Texas Tech
#20 - South Carolina



#19 - Boston College

Why would Tom O'Brien leave a program which he guided to eight bowl games (and seven straight post-season wins) to go to a school in the same conference with no real tradition, in what might appear to be a lateral move?
Money talks, and O'Brien, who was unhappy with his salary at BC and no doubt seduced by better facilities, a more lenient academic setting and a broader recruiting base, left Chestnut Hill for North Carolina State and a new challenge. While the move surprised many, it left Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo with a tough job. He needed to find a new head man who wouldn't demand a multi-million dollar contract, but who had the fire and talent to keep BC winning games — it has averaged 8.8 wins over the past six years — within a somewhat restrictive setting.

The winner of the sweepstakes was Jeff Jagodzinski, the former Packers' offensive coordinator who spent a couple of years (1997-98) directing the Eagle attack. Though he doesn't have a big name and there were rumors in Green Bay that his departure was not greeted with wailing and gnashing of teeth, Jagodzinski will likely satisfy the sector of Eagles faithful who weren't always completely thrilled with O'Brien's somewhat conservative offensive philosophy.

The biggest question is whether "Coach Jags" can continue the success and perhaps even build on it, while also adding a bit more pizzazz, with academic requirements that are stiffer than many in the league. Inheriting a team with 17 returning starters, including All-ACC QB Matt Ryan, is a nice start, so there's not likely to be much of a grace period, if any.

This is a good enough team to get to the ACC Championship game, and it has the right makeup to possibly win the whole thing, if Ryan can ease the coaching transition and make everyone around him better. O'Brien instilled a belief that the program could and should win no matter what. Now those beliefs should carry over, even if the leader isn't around anymore.

What to look for offense: BC's offense averaged 400-plus yards a game while Jagodzinski coordinated the offense a few years ago, but don't expect a wide-open attack. Ryan's strong play will allow for a productive passing game, but Jagodzinski's roots as an O-line coach will mandate a strong running profile with a new zone run blocking scheme. The return of top backs L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender will provide more balance and won't put the entire offense on Ryan's shoulders.

What to look for on defense: The decision to keep defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani was a good one. He'll direct a group that returns the entire front seven, which made play after play after play in opposing backfields. A secondary that produced 21 interceptions last year must replace two starters, but overall this should again be a physical, stingy outfit, particularly against the run.

The team will be much better if ... one of the receivers can become a big-play threat. One of the offense's biggest problems has been its inability to burn teams on the deep ball. Kevin Challenger is solid, but he isn't necessarily a home run hitter. Junior Brandon Robinson or sophomore Clarence Megwa have potential and could provide an instant upgrade.

The Schedule: Jagodzinski has a good team returning, with the potential to get off to a big start if the Eagles can get by a road trip to Georgia Tech and the season opener against defending ACC champion Wake Forest. Army, UMass and Bowling Green in a three-game lull should get the team fully tuned up for an absolutely brutal second half of the year. It doesn't get much tougher than at Notre Dame, at Virginia Tech, Florida State, at Maryland, at Clemson, Miami. Good luck, rook.

Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Matt Ryan. After battling painful foot and ankle injuries, a healthy Ryan returns to the Heights for his final season as the league's most experienced quarterback and a Player of the Year candidate. He's got a next-level arm and Brett Favre-like toughness, to go along with a new passer-friendly offense that's going to supercharge his numbers.

Best Defensive Player: Senior CB DeJuan Tribble. Senior linebacker Jolonn Dunbar will lead the team in tackles, and senior tackle B.J. Raji is the top pro prospect, but Tribble is the star of the defense. He led the team in interceptions, and with a shaky secondary returning, he'll be vital at erasing one side of the field.

Key player to a successful season: Senior RBs L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender. The 1-2 tandem will likely swing more towards Callender, who fits the new coaching style and blocking scheme better. Together, the veterans have to add more pop to an offense that became too reliant on Ryan when things got tight. While these two backs aren't necessarily special, they should provide far more balance if the new coaching staff commits to running the ball.

The season will be a success if ... the steady winning tradition continues with the new coaching staff. With ACC road games against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Clemson, not to mention the home dates with Wake Forest, Florida State and Miami, an ACC title is likely out of the question. However, for a program that hasn't won fewer than seven games since 1998, anything less than a bowl season and a strong run in the ACC title race will be a disappointment.

Key game: Sept. 15 at Georgia Tech. Could this be an ACC title game preview? Probably not, considering the schedule, but if BC can win its opening two games against Wake Forest and NC State, it'll be 3-0 with a win in Atlanta. It might be a must-win, considering the next ACC game is at Virginia Tech over a month later.

2006 Fun Stats:

Red zone scores: Boston College 37 of 46 (80%); Opponents 24 of 35 (69%)

First half scoring: Boston College 194; Opponents 107

Kickoff return average: Boston College 25.9 yards; Opponents 17.1 yards

Boston College Eagles
Team Information
Head coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
1st season
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 18, Def. 23, ST 3
Lettermen Lost: 17

Ten Best Players
1. QB Matt Ryan, Sr.
2. CB DeJuan Tribble, Sr.
3. DT B.J. Raji, Sr.
4. LB Jolonn Dunbar, Sr.
5. OT Gosder Cherilus, Sr.
6. OG Ryan Poles, Sr.
7. LB Brian Toal, Sr.*
8. FS Jamie Silva, Sr.
9. DE Nick Larkin, Sr.
10. LB Tyronne Pruitt, Sr.
*if healthy

2007 Schedule
Sept. 1 Wake Forest
Sept. 8 NC State
Sept. 15 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 22 Army
Sept. 29 Massachusetts
Oct. 6 Bowling Green
Oct. 13 at Notre Dame
Oct. 25 at Virginia Tech
Nov. 3 Florida State
Nov. 10 at Maryland
Nov. 17 at Clemson
Nov. 24 Miami



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