Texas is still in the hunt...will this move help them to surpass the Red Sox for the wild card?

It sounds as if Chris Davis will take over at first base for the majority of the remaining games. Hank Blalock just wasn't getting it done and has been relegated to a bench player for the stretch run.

Since being demoted to AAA, Davis hit quite well and changed his batting stance in order to see the ball better.

Can we expect anything better than what we saw before his demotion? The team is playing well and it would be nice to see him contribute down the stretch.

Trevor Cahill during the last month:

2.65 ERA

1.12 WHIP

He hasn't given up more than 3 earned runs during his last six starts.

It looks as if he is getting better as the season rolls along. One thing I don't know is his ground ball % on balls in play. Has that improved? It would also be nice if he could raise his K/9 rate a bit but I'm thinking that will come in time.

He's certainly one to watch as we approach the second half of the season...

Before long, all of these guys should make their respective teams starting rotations. Given the following fantasy stats. W-IP-K-ERA-WHIP, which of the following rookie pitchers do you like the most for the upcoming fantasy season?

Who makes the biggest fantasy impact?

Brett Anderson

Trevor Cahill

Tommy Hanson

Jordan Zimmerman

James McDonald

Other.......

Please feel free to pass along any thoughts, opinions, or other ponderings that may have led you to your decision.

Thanks guys...

It looks like Nelson Cruz will finally get his chance to be an everyday outfielder for the Texas Rangers this year. At age 28, what can we expect? Will he bat in a productive place in the batting order? Can he hit 30 HR and maintain a solid batting average?

Is it worth mentioning that he has played a ton of ball over the past year to include:

AAA

MLB

Winter ball

WBC

Spring training

Will this wear him down over the course of the year or can he sustain his hot bat for the forseeable future?

What kind of numbers do we see him producing this year and in what place will he bat in the order? I like this guy a ton and hope he does well.

All comments welcome....

I was wondering what the opening day rotation is going to look like.

Here's my guess so far:

1) Justin Duchscherer (elbow injury, cortisone shot)

2) Dana Eveland

3) Sean Gallagher

4) Dallas Braden

5)

A) Gio Gonzalez

B) B.Anderson

C) Trevor Cahil

D) J. Simmons

My question is whether or not Anderson and/or Cahill can crack this rotation right from game one. These guys both have the potential to stick solidly in the rotation once there.

What is your opinion???

Which prospect do you think will be playing for their MLB team on opening day this season? Who makes an immediate impact and has the best chance to stay with their team for the season right from day one?

Here's my pick:

Tommy Hanson

MVP of the Arizona Fall League

7 starts, 5-0 record, 0.63 ERA...we know the kid has good stuff.

He hasn't pitched above AA but GM Frank Wren admits he will be given a chance to crack the ATL rotation this spring.

Who do you like to do big things this year and please give your reasons.

Clayton Kershaw

So what kind of reasonable numbers do we expect from this young stud in the making for the upcoming season?

Last year when he hit the bigs, he had his ups and downs (to be expected).

His strikeout rate was fine. My concern is that his WHIP was up (1.50) considerably from when in the minors (0.95?). What was this a product of?

Does he in fact have a rotation spot all locked up at this point?

He's got to be there right with the best of the second year starters, right?

Any insights or thoughts greatly appreciated.

Nelson Cruz is up and it sounds like he'll be there for the remainder of the year as rosters expand soon. I believe he will get a good look this time around in order to give Texas a better idea of what he can do at the major league level. Big time power potential with some speed to go with it!

OK, he flopped with his call up last year. Why?

Any predictions here? Any major flaws that may be exposed over the next five weeks for him? How do you think he will do and will he in fact play everyday?

It appears as though Scherzer is working his way back to the bigs after some time off (shoulder fatigue). He's throwing in the upper 90's again so his velocity is there.

Right now, Y. Petit has taken over Owings rotation spot (demotion to Tucson).

If Scherzer is once again healthy, does he get a rotation spot with the D'Backs or will he be placed in the bullpen? It would be fun to see him as a starter again, but it seems the D'Backs are being extremely cautious with their prized young arm.

What do you think?

Oh boy, this has turned into a bit of a mess with the investigation now taking place.

Liriano has been absolutely lights out for the last month now. This we know. He should without question be in the Twins rotation NOW.

But an investigation pointing to arbitration issues? I'm not so sure this is the right way to get back to the bigs.

It is my undestanding that he would earn more money next year by being up on the Twins now so I think I see this part of the point. But are he/Genske (agent) taking a risk here?

Will the Twins tire of this and potentially put him out there for a trade? It sure seemed like a simple promotion a week ago but now it has turned into so much more.

Any other thoughts or opinions out there as to how this will shake out?