Carlos Beltran Part II ... No Hello

Carlos Beltran to the Giants.  Oh well, great move for San Fransisco adding some pop to the middle of a lineup that has lacked pop all year.  With what seems to have been pitching alone up to that point the Giants were (60-44) before Beltran got to town.  Even with Beltran going (0-4) with two strikeouts last night, Giants pitching overwhelmed the team with the best record in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies.  When Beltran hits, and he will, the Giants will be a tough team to beat down the stretch.

I am happy the Rangers didn't give up too much to get Beltran even though he would have added a whole other dynamic to our lineup - especially come playoff time.  Unlike in San Fransisco where he is batting third, Beltran probably would have only had to handle the pressure of batting seventh, being just another cog in our already powerful lineup.  His slugging percentage was so attractive but I still think the Rangers can win with a speedster manning the last outfield spot.  Chavez, Gentry and Murphy have all proven that they can get the job done and do it well.

There doesn't seem to be another outfield rental piece out on the market right now that would be worth the cost of prospects.  Hunter Pence still has a couple years left until he hits free agency and the Rangers already have Leonys Martin penciled in for next year with him killing the ball down in the minors.  Your also not going to ask Josh to play center all season next year so you probably can't figure Pence into the Ranger equation.  The Texas Rangers' offensive seems to be set unless Jon Daniels has some crazy move up his sleeve that we don't know about.  So onto the bullpen we go.

From what I've been hearing out 'there,' here is a list a potential pitching targets:

Starters Worth Mentioning:
Hiroki Kuroda, Jeremy Guthrie, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez, James Shields, Erik Bedard, John Danks, Carlos Zambrano

Relievers Worth Mentioning:
Koji Uehara, Heath Bell, Tyler Clippard, Mike Adams, Drew Storen, Andrew Bailey, Jon Rauch, Frank Fransisco, Grant Balfour

Someone Like You ... Carlos Beltran Part I

I am indeed warming to the idea of trading for New York Mets' outfielder Carlos Beltran as we are a week away from baseball's trade deadline Sunday at 3PM Central.  I have been in the boat that says we don't need another offensive piece because there is no room being it that we already have Endy Chavez, Craig Gentry and David Murphy behind Josh and Nelly.  That last sentence itself says there is room for upgrade.  I love what Endy and Graig have done as a dynamic duo in center field, each playing a crucial role on the Rangers 2011 road to the postseason.  Not to mention David Murphy, having played in over half the games this year, has been a key player for the Rangers since he arrived in the Eric Gagne trade back at the deadline in 2006.

I am all for the strategy involved in baseball that is switching players in and out of the lineup.  It is fun to watch when you understand match-ups and ultimately to keep your strong bench involved and ready.  Rick Carlisle preached the need for every player to always be ready on the Mavericks and it made the team strong top to bottom.  Ron Washington believes in every one of his players and works everyone of them into games consistently throughout the season.

If you brought in Carlos Beltran though, the Rangers would know their starting outfield every postseason game that the played.  Beltran switch hits and is having a phenomenal year, almost a throwback to what he was when the Mets originally signed him.  Is a Beltran move necessary to the Rangers success this year?  Is it going to prove a valuable move in what it will cost you in prospects?  That is the most important question.