They’ve stunk up the AL West. They’ve stunk up a trade for Kenny Lofton. And they’ve somehow managed to really stink up the trade for Mark Teixeira. What’s next for Little Jon DanielsHart and Tom Hicks?
Eric Gagne, come on down! You’re the next Rangers trade chip on The Price is Wrong!
Talk has picked up surrounding Gagne with rumors involving the Yankees, Angels and Mets (three teams not on Gagne’s limited no-trade list) as well as the Red Sox and Indians (who are on the list) and the Dodgers and Mariners (whom no one seems to know if they’re on the list or not).
After Jon Daniels gave away Lofton and Teixeira for far less than any competent GM should have been able to get, the sharks are circiling. If I were a GM of a contending team with A or AA prospects, I’d be calling JD with all kinds of low-ball offers now (for Gagne, Benoit, Laird, Millwood, Wright) as he suddenly seems enamored with ultra-young prospects full of question marks.
But they better strike fast, because Jon Daniels shouldn’t have a job for too much longer!
Rangers or Robbers? 
we didn’t stink up the Tex trade,wtf? we got the #1,#2#5 BRAVES prospects ill take those over draft picks any day
TTF – regardless of how they ranked in the Braves organization, the Rangers failed to acquire sure-fire starting pitching in the deal. AND they had to give up Mahay. There’s not a single sure-thing in the Braves package. Meanwhile, the Braves just got the best bat on the market and one of the best lefty relievers available. JD got schooled AGAIN!
Just change Jon Daniels for John Schuerholz and Mark Teixeira for Saltalamacchia and you get an Atlanta Braves fan blog.
Actually, at the beginning of the year Salty, Andrus, and Harrison were ranked 1,2,3 respectively. Neftali Feliz got “Best Fastball” whereas Harrison was labeled with the “Best Control”.
Were the Rangers going to win in 08 with Tex? No Way.
I agree chris, the rangers were not going to get sure fire pitching anyways, we got great minor leaguers, we could have gotten saunders and Kotchman sure but I dont think saunders is the real deal and Im not sold on Kotchman
I think we should have taken the Angel deal. I’m a big fan of Saltalamacchia, but the Angels were offering the better deal. Saunders would have been a better starter than anybody we have. Kotchman is streaky, and while I’d much rather have Saltalamacchia than him, we needed front line pitching. JD did not get that for us with Tex… but I think he may just have done it with Gagne. After yesterdays disaster, I was braced for the worst today when I punched up the Rangers website. But what I found suprised me.
1. Eric Gagne – gone!!! And we got a Major League starting pitcher in return: Kason Gabbard, 5-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 14 career appearances, 11 of them starts. He’s 4-0, with a 3.73 ERA this year. We also got Minor League outfeilders David Murphy and Engel Beltre. JD finally did something right – CAN YOU BELEIIIIIVE IT!
2. The 4th player in the Atlanta deal was named today: Matt Harrison (as expected) AND, since Harrison is on the DL, the Braves threw in another A-ball pitcher, Beau Jones. JD made that 4th pick count. Break out the confetti – finally some good news.
So does this make everything OK? Not really – we should have one AAA pitcher from the Braves, instead of all those lower prospects, as well as Kason Gabbard – but with JD’s track record, I think he did extremely well today.
Just curious who would you have traded Tex and Lofton for?
Can we send Gagne back now?