No Room For Joaquin Arias

When Joaquin Arias came to Texas as the 'Player to be Named Later' in the deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to the Yaknees for Alfonso Soriano, he came with serious promise attach to him. At the time, it was thought Arias would be the player to eventually force either Soriano to the outfield, or Michael Young to third base but injuries prevented either from happening. And after injuring his throwing shoulder 2 years ago while trying to learn the outfield (a move thought to facilitate getting his bat to the big leagues) it was thought that Arias' time with Texas was about at it's end.

Then Arias showed up for Spring Training 2009 and hit .417, driving the ball with serious authority. While his arm is still not quite where it once was, Arias can flat out rake and can still fly.



Texas now finds itself in a difficult position in that they want Elvis Andrus to be 'the man' at shortstop, with Omar Vizquel backing him up and showing him the ropes this season. This seemingly leaves Arias to dangle as trade bait. It has been rumored that the Reds might have some interest in him.

Regardless of what happens, Arias has worked himself back into the talk as a bonafied major league caliber player and will be given a chance somewhere. With only one minor league option remaining, Arias will start the season with AAA Oklahoma City, presumably in the hopes that he'll either do so well that a team will make a serious trade offer for him or, that Texas will be forced to bring him up and keep him on the 25-man roster. The last option will be less likely should Andruw Jones continue to regain his old form, leaving no spot on the bench for Arias' bat.

Catalanotto Sent Packing

Despite efforts to trade him over the past few weeks, the hammer finally dropped on Frank Catalanotto today as he was given his outright release. It was thought that Texas has a deal to send him to Florida before the Marlins made a trade with Kansas City for left-handed-hitting Ross Gload. Unless Cat is claimed by another team (which won't happen), Texas will be on the hook for all $4 million of his salary for this season as well as a $2 million buyout for next season. Catalanotto will become a free agent on Opening Day, meaning he can sign with anyone requiring his services. After hitting .317 this spring, there's no doubt he's proven he can still bring something to a team in need of a left-handed hitter to come off their bench. He won't have to wait long for work.



With Cat getting his release, that means Texas has decided to take a chance with Andruw Jones. Jones put together a nice spring, hitting a homerun in the 9th inning of the final spring game and showing more confidence in his swing over the past month. While it's doubtful Jones can be counted on for anything more than a reserve role, choosing him over Catalanotto (a known quantity) has to mean that Texas is hoping to see him return to something similar to his All-Star form of 3 seasons ago. Also, with Hank Blalock finally healthy, having Jones gives Texas a right-handed power bat on their bench to go with Blalock's left-handed power.

Andruw Jones Or Frank Catalanotto? Texas Still Isn't Sure.

With one player you can pretty much pencil in a .280/.290 batting average and a steady, team first attitude. With the other, there's as great a chance for 30 homeruns and a Gold Glove as there is that he'll hit .200 and never be a factor for a team in need of a few lucky breaks this season. Such is the decision facing the Rangers with regard to the ongoing battle between Frank Catalanotto and Andruw Jones for the final spot on their bench.



Both Andruw Jones and Frank Catalanotto have had interesting springs. Catalanotto has been impressive with the bat, hitting .323. Jones, who started off very slowly, seems to have really taken to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo's attention and has made some amazing improvement since the start of camp.

The two players could not be more different. Jones is a 'feast or famine' type of hitter, swinging out of his shoes. Cat is a selective, patient gap hitter. While Jones is a 10 time Gold Glove award winner, Cat has been a player without a true position for all of his career. While Jones would provide Texas a powerful right-handed bat, Catalanotto bats left-handed and can also play first base when needed. Both men seem willing to accept a role as a bench player but Catalanotto has been the only one of the two to have ever had any success in the role as Jones has been an everyday player his entire career.



Despite Catalanotto's spring, it seems as though the Rangers might be leaning ever so slightly towards Jones, meaning Cat could be traded or possibly be released. If a trade is possible, Texas will no doubt have to eat a fair amount of his $5.5 million dollar salary, despite Cat's hot hitting. If Jones is the player to go, he's no doubt done enough this spring to raise a few eyebrows across the league, effectively resurrecting his career.

Chris Davis Finding His Stroke At The Right Time

First baseman Chris Davis has been on a tear of late, going 6-for-11 the last three games, due in part to his efforts to use all parts of the field. Davis also credits the turnaround to being more selective at the plate.

Earlier in the spring, Davis was struggling mightily, chasing breaking balls well off the plate, resulting in a batting average under .200. Davis has since begun shooting the ball the other way, raising his average to a very respectable .291.

Said Manager Ron Washington, "He's not trying to have that super at-bat. He has slowed his mind down, and he's making them get the ball up now. Sometimes all it takes is just seeing some more pitches."

Last season, Davis struck out 88 times in 295 at-bats. Though he was a rookie, 88 strikeouts is an alarming number for so few games played (80). If Davis is to take the next step in becoming the everyday major league player Texas needs him to be, learning to constistently lay off bad breaking pitches has got to be a priority. Doing so will not only cut down on the strikeouts but also extend at-bats, forcing pitchers to keep the ball closer to the zone, giving Davis more opportunities to do what he does best: drive the baseball.

A Look At Kris Benson

Kris Benson has always been one of those guys who just never seems to be able to pull it all together. Since being the selected #1 overall in the 1996 Amateur Draft, he has been highly touted by many experts as a pitcher with ace qualities. For whatever reason, Benson has never lived up to expectations.

In 2000, arguably his best year, Benson compiled a 10-12 record, with 184 strikeouts and a 3.85 ERA in 217 innings. He then missed all of 2001 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, returning in 2002 to make 25 starts, going 9-6.

In 2004, Benson was traded to the Mets where he underwhelmed for 2 seasons to the tune of 14-12, despite pitching in a rotation that included future Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. In 2006, Benson was traded to Baltimore, making 30 starts in 2006 before missing all of 2007 with a torn rotator cuff.



After spending last season with Philadelphia's AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Benson signed a minor league contract with your Texas Rangers, receiving an invitation to Spring Training.

Since coming in, Benson is said to have impressed team officials with his preparation and now have many within the organization backing him for a spot in the starting rotation. A move like this would likely force Scott Feldman to the bullpen.

Another possibility would be to send Benson to AAA. Since he signed his minor league contract at such a late date (Feb. 21), he won't be eligible to opt out of it until May 5th, giving Texas enough time to sort out their major league rotation and determine whether or not they have a spot for him.

"I think maintaining our depth is important," said Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels. "We do have some flexibility there with him (Benson). We'll factor all of that in. "We're going to take the best 12 who give us a chance to win."

Whether Benson makes the opening day roster or not, Texas is yet another in a long line of teams betting on his potential rather that his previous performance. But at 34 years old, might it not be time to start looking at Kris Benson for what he is instead of what he was supposed to be?