the Texas Rangers and Cole Hamels... any Playoff Chance This Year?

....they should be very competitive next year, Yu Darvish will be back..... Originally Posted by TheWanderer

Yes....hopefully he'll report to Spring Training close to 90 - 95%% (my understanding is the Tommy John surgery timetable has him out until mid-May of '16).

Pitching News Sidenote: I saw the Developing Story scroll on ESPN this morning that Zack Greinke will opt out of his remaining contract (ie: $71 mil / 3 yrs). This is not a surprise to anyone.....if he hits the open market, he'll likely command 5 yrs / $150 mil.

The Dodgers will prolly ante up and pay....the duo of Kershaw / Greinke is one no team would want to break up no matter the co$t.

That said....it would be cool to see the Rangers get in on this should LA decide otherwise.
Wouldn't Banny love to pencil in a rotation of Greinke ....Hamels ....Yu .....Gallardo .....Perez? (Yeah...if you got Zack....that would mean fan-fave Colby is sent packing).

Oh, and sorry to the Dutch Oven Lovers....IMHO Derek Holland has light-years to go to be considered part of a 5-man Ranger rotation going forward. He gave his team and Ranger fans nothing in game 4 vs Toronto in this week's season finale game at home....what a major disappointment. In retrospect, at least Colby Lewis could have given you two bull-dogged trips thru the Jays' lineup before handing it over to long relief. Anyways........

Next year, Holland enters into his final year (of a 5-yr $28.5 m contract) and as far as I'm concerned, he's proven to be nothing but an injury-plagued no-show for 2014-2015 (15 starts total....that's it). I, for one, still do not buy the bogus "I tripped over my dog walking upstairs" when he injured himself losing most of last year.'s campaign.

He's due $10 mil (option) for 2016. I'm sure the Rangers will retain him....but I no longer see Holland as an arm that can be counted on going forward.....especially when most of your chips are pushed to the middle of the table and it's time to nut up.

Evan Grant had a good article. Every starter in the playoff game 5 is under contract for next year.

I still don't get why Gallardo didn't start in game 4, but, oh well.

Re Holland. You can probably count the MLB teams that wouldn't be delighted to have him be their 4th starter on the fingers of one hand with several fingers left over.

You could count the teams that would like to have him as their 3rd starter and run out of fingers on two hands. I understand his limitations, but good starters are scarce as hen's teeth these days.

As for those who want to bitch about Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion may be a free agent (thought I suspect Toronto picks up his $10M option). Trade Moreland (.278/.330/.812) for a pitching prospect(?) and add a good hitting .(277/.372/.929) right handed first baseman.