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Thursday, March 03, 2005

Why the Texas Rangers will not win in 2005

By K. Jeff Edwards
Nationals MLB columnist


They’re trying. Well, OK, at least they think they’re trying.

By signing starting pitcher Ryan Drese to a two-year $6 million contract, the Rangers are trying to build a pitching staff.

Unfortunately they picked a pretty poor pitcher to throw $6 million at. Drese won 14 games last season and pitched more than 200 innings for the first time in his career… Can you hear the "but" coming?

Drese was also 28 years old and in his first full season in the major leagues. Why was this his first full season. It was because in the previous two years he posted ERAs of 6.55 and 6.85. His 4.20 ERA in 2004 was absolutely sparkling in comparison.

The groundball pitcher also allowed 233 hits in 2004 and struck out only 98 batters and walked 58.

When are teams going to learn that the biggest contract albatrosses come when general managers reward players with extensions after only one great season?

As evident by the Drese signing, the Rangers biggest need in the off-season was pitching. Who did they add? Pedro Astacio, who had a nifty 10.38 ERA in five major league games last season.

But hey, they "beefed up" their offence by signed Richard Hidalgo and Sandy Alomar.

So the Rangers enter the season with a projected rotation of Kenny Rogers (moaning about his contract), Drese, youngster Ricardo Rodriguez (if healthy), Astacio (if healthy) and, perhaps, Chan Ho Park (if healthy).

Golly that’s a lot of "ifs."

Park has been an absolute nightmare, after signing as a free agent after the 2001 season. He hasn’t pitched more than 145 innings in his three seasons in Texas and his best ERA was 5.46 last year when he managed to get into only 16 games.

Did I mention that, in the past three seasons, he made $6.8million, $13 million and $14 million. And there is another hefty paycheck due this year.

Rogers is the ace of the Texas staff but he is 40 years old. He won 18 games last season but also posted a 4.76. Rogers also allegedly threatened earlier this year to boycott spring training if he did not receive a two year extension. He reported though, which I guess is a good thing for the Rangers.

Texas does have an OK bullpen, led by All Star Francisco Cordero, who saved 49 games last season. Also providing relief for a beleaguered starting rotation will be Frank Francisco (if his suspension is lifted for starting a brawl in the stands last season), Ron Mahay, Brian Shouse, Carlos Almanzar, Doug Brocail and R.A. Dickey.

But that, ladies and gentlemen, is it for pitching. There are no great pitching prospects who, in the near future, will save the Rangers from mediocrity.

Sure, they have some of the best young hitters in the game with Hank Blalock, Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano and Kevin Mench, but as the old saying goes: Hitting wins games, but pitching wins championships.

K. Jeff Edward’s general MLB columns will appear weekly during the 2005 Major League Baseball regular season.

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