Official Minor League thread

[studcrackers]

Well it's important to be tracking our minor league system especially since it's been rated #1 by nearly every major publication this off season. So I'll be attempting to track the minor leaguers daily, particularly the 'stars' of the system. Another great site to track minor leaguers yearly stats is milb.com the official minor league site, i believe you can also listen to a bunch of radio feeds for several ranger affiliates if you want to track a certain player. So let's get started

scott lucas is arguably the best at following the Texas minor leagues and if you sign up for the newberg report you get daily minor league reports (which would probably be much more in depth then these) here's a link of his showing just how young a bunch of the Ranger players are in there respective leagues: http://rangers.scottlucas.com/site/2009minorage.htm

AAA P Luis Mendoza, AA SS Marcus Lemon and Low A OF Mike Bianucci were all named players of the week in there leagues. Lemon hit an ungodly .545 to start off the season, with all the praise infielders like Jose Vallejo and Elvis Andrus got last year he flew way under the radar, but he's not even 21 til June.

Oklahoma Redhawks lost 4-2 last night, Doug Mathis pitched 6 innings giving up 2 runs and amassing 2 k's. Offense was quiet, Julio Borbon had 1 walk and 1 HBP, he's off to a slow start. As is Max Ramirez who's hitting only .200 through 8 games. Here's to hoping both of them get going quickly

Frisco won 6-5 Omar Poveda went 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 k's. Beau Vaughn (acquired this off season for Wes Littleton) is off to a fine start pitching 2 IP's striking out 3 allowing 0 baserunners, He's gone 5.1 innings and given up 3 runs (although it was all in 1 start) he could see the majors this year if he keeps it up. Jose "Jumbo" Diaz picked up the save after nearly blowing the game. This man was picked up this offseason after not pitching the past 2 years, he throws some serious heat and got the nickname jumbo b/c he weighs near 300 lbs. Marcus Lemon's 8 game hitting streak ended. Chad Tracy had a 2 run homer

Bakersfield lost 9-7 as Michael Main struggled for his 2nd straight start. He was projected to possibly be a fast riser in the system (ala Feliz or Holland) but he's not off to a good start. Although 1 thing you'll always have to remember that Bakersfield is the worst pitching park in the minors (a measly 354 ft. to center, embarrassing, the rangers need to gtfo asap) He struggled to get his curveball over and gave up 7 runs in the 1st 2 innings and walked 5 though, no excuses there. Ryan Tutusko went 3.1 innings allowing 3 hits 1 run and 3 k's. Mitch Moreland went 3-5 with a double, he's one of the more unheralded hitters in the system (he can also pitch if all else fails)

Low A played a double header
Game 1 lost 10-3
3 errors led to 7 unearned runs, Hickory's fielding % is .947, though it should be mentioned most minor league fields are kept in much worse conditions then a major league field and errors are not always the best way to gauge a players fielding abilities (see Andrus last year) 1 time hot shot prospect Fabio Castillo went 2.2 innings 3 k's and 2 walks, he's gone 7 IP's this season and is yet to allow a run.

Game 2 lost 3-1
Wilmer Font pitched 3 innings giving up 0 runs but also walking 4 and surrendering 3 hits. Only DH Jared Bolden reached base twice (BB and single) Hickory possesses one of the most talented pitching staffs and starting rotations in the minors (especially given it's age) but has one of the weakest offenses too

that's all for today

[cmavswin]

I am going to sticky this studcrackers because I am a big fan of the minor league report.

Hope Mendoza continues to thrive and then brings it to the majors in june or july.

[studcrackers]

if mendoza's going to work in the majors it will be in relief, and though he's gotten off to a good start he's still walked 6 freakin guys in 10 innings which is unacceptable. so there's that

also i plan on doing a weekly podcast about the rangers (may eventually be dallas sports) i just finished my 1st one here. 1st 15 minutes were a little boring but then some people start to call me which helps me out: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mitchell-C ... gers-radio

[cmavswin]

That is what I meant Mendoza as a long man next season if he works out his walks issue.

[studcrackers]

4/21 farm report

oklahoma city redhawks 9 omaha 15
neftali feliz struggled again this start. last time out he was able to avoid giving up runs but walked 6 guys and didnt pitch into the 5th inning. this time he got rocked giving up 7 hits 5 runs 2 walks and only 2 k's in 3 innings. kason gabbard continues his steep decline into suck walking 6 out of the 11 batters he faced giving up 6 runs in his only inning of work. thomas diamond gave up 7 hits and 2 runs in 2.1 innings of work, took him 72 pitches for that as well. julio borbon and joquin arias went 2-5 with a walk (rarity for both cases) while greg golson (acquired in the offseason for john mayberry jr.) had a 2 run homer.

but the massacre was so bad the 'hawks brought in infielder casey benjamin to pitch...he was the only pitcher of the night not to give up a run.

frisco roughriders 1 arkansas 0 (13 innings)
this was a pitchers duel through and through and 1st rounder from a few years kasey kiker did not disappoint going 7 innings allowing only 3 baserunners and had 7 strikeouts (he had a no hitter with 2 outs in the 6th til it was broken up) He's averaging 1 k per inning so far. the angels farmhand jordan walden went toe to toe w/kiker also pitching 7 shutout innings. craig gentry scored the winning run on an error by the arkansas shorstop.

bakersfield blaze 2 visalia 5
the blaze fell to 3-10 after blake beavan gave up 5 runs in as many innings allowing 11 baserunners (including an uncharacteristic 3 bb's from him) he did have 6 strikeouts though.

hickory crawdads 12 lexington 0
this team features our best pitching staff by far, there's a different highly touted prospect pitching just about every day. today was no difference, wilfredo boscan retired his 1st 10 batters en route to going 7 shutout innings 8 strikeouts 2 hits and 1 walk. boscan's stuff isnt overpowering but he has arguably the best command in our system, and he doesnt turn 20 until the end of october, he could get a big push this year if he keeps this up. through 3 starts he's gone 17.2 innings giving up 1 ER with a strikeout to walk ratio of 15/3, by the end of this season he could be at the top of the prospect list. the one thing that doesnt get him as noticed as a guy like wilmer font or neftali feliz is he doesnt consistently throw 96-98 but he throws a low 90's fastball. he's apparently rail thin so maybe he can add some bulk and add a couple miles on his fastball

offensively mike bianucci went 3-3 with a double and 2 walks, he's off to a hot start. jake kaase went 4-5 with a double and already has 7 extra base hits this year. david paisano extended his hitting streak to 9 and matt west had 2 hits and a walk

[cmavswin]

Damn I was hoping Gabbard would figure it out soon and be a long lefty up here in the summer. Maybe he is pitching hurt a bit or so I hope.

Same thing with Diamond maybe by summer or spring training next season he could contribute to the bullpen.

I just hope they leave Kiker alone and let him develop if this team needs more pitching than the owner needs to open his wallet and get some in here.

[studcrackers]

that was gabbards problem when he was still with boston and it's been his problem the entire time here. i think diamond will be called up really soon

i think kiker will be in AA all year or maybe a couple AAA starts at the end of the year, he's only 21 so he's they'll take him along slow

[studcrackers]

4/22 farm report

oklahoma redhawks 7 omaha 6 (11 innings)

royce huffman drew a a bases loaded walk to give the 'hawks the win. walks by esteban german, julio borbon and an intentional pass to greg golson help set up this. borbon also singled and doubled in the game. max ramirez finally got his 1st homerun of the season and also singled. beau vaughan pitched 2 scoreless innings to give him 11 innings for the year and he's yet to allow a run while K'ing 12. i mistakenly gave the stats of beau jones in the 1st report (who's in AA Frisco) warner madrigal also pitched 1.1 innings of shutout ball

Frisco didn't play

Bakersfield Blaze 10 @ Visalia 5 (11 innings)
Looks like just about everybody's in our organization has been playing extras lately. The Blaze tied up the game in the 8th after a 2 run blast by Mauro Gomez. Corey Young and Evan Reed combined to shutdown Visalia through the last 6 innings of the game allowing only 3 baserunners and K'ing 6. Starter Michael Kirkman gave up 5 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings but struck out 7. Engel Beltre singled was hit by a pitch and walked (for the 2nd time in 2 days!!!!!!) Mitch Moreland (possible breakout player) walked twice and got his 2nd homer of the season while Matt Lawson went 3-5 with a double.

Hickory Crawdads 3 Lexington 4
Another day, another stellar pitching performance by the Crawdads, Martin Perez went 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 (giving him a 35% strikeout rate on the year, fyi neftali feliz's strikeout rate last year was 30%. so yea perez is pretty good) Jake Brigham who's flown under the radar thus far pitched the final 4 innings allowed 2 runs (both unearned but caused by an error by brigham and a wild pitch) and had 5 strikeouts, he's sporting a 27% strikeout rate.

david paisano had a 2 run double in the 9th to bring hickory within a run but that's about all they did offensively.

[studcrackers]

and now gabbard has been traded back to boston for cash considerations, no huge loss, he could become a loogy but his command is just horrid.

also luis mendoza has been called up as willie eyre has been placed on the dl after leaving the game w/groin issues

[cmavswin]

Gabbard is no great loss however I was kinda of hoping Mendoza would'nt come up until summer.

[studcrackers]

alrigth well ive missed the last 4 days so it's time to catch up

4/23
oklahoma city redhawks 5 vs. omaha 4
mike ballard pitched 6 innings giving up 2 runs and 5 strikeouts. pedro strop came in and got a 4 out save. german duran had a 3 run homer, his 1st on the year.

frisco roughriders 9 @ corpus christi 12
tommy hunter has shown good control but opponents are hitting him hard, he gave up 6 runs on 10 hits in 6 innings. beau jones gave up 4 runs in 1.1 innings. justin smoak, steve murphy and catcher manny pina all homered. jose vallejo was a homer short of the cycle and johnny whittleman went 3-4

bakersfield blaze 6 vs. stockton 5
bakersfield put together a 2 out rally in the 7th to plate 3 and take the lead. tim smith had 3 hits including a homer and a double. matt lawson had his 3rd homer and mauro gomez went 3-3 with a walk. kennil gomez went 5 innings giving up 5 runs w/8 k's and 5 walks

hickory crawdads 0 vs. lexington 3
hickory only had 3 hits. carlos pimentil pitched 6 innings allowing 2 runs w/6 k's.

4/24

oklahoma city redhawks 0 vs. omaha 3
recently promoted pitcher jared hyatt gave up 1 run in 5 innings. okc only had 4 baserunners

frisco roughriders 5 @ corpus christi 1
clayton hamilton pitched 4 scoreless innings on 46 pitches in a spot start. rehabbing lefty AJ Murray went another 3 innings. C Manny Pina went 4-5 with his 2nd homer. since texas signed this guy he's been praised for his fantastic defense and pedestrian bat, thus far this season he's hitting over .400, if he's figured it out it's another catching prospect for texas. chad tracy had a 3 run homer, jose vallejo reached base 4 times and justin smoak reached 3 times.

bakersfield blaze 4 vs. stockton 2
tim murphy went 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits striking out 2. ryan falcon and brennan garr went the next 3 innings allowing just 3 baserunners. matt lawson added his 4th homer on the year.

hickory crawdads 3 vs. lexington 1
the game was called after 6 innings due to rain. richard bleier went 6 innings allowing just 2 hits 1 walk and 5 k's.

4/25

AAA rained out

frisco roughriders 1 @ corpus christi 3
guillermo moscoso went 6 innings giving up 1 run with 3 punchouts. manny pina went 2-4 w/a double. frisco was an abysmal 0-13 with RISP.

bakersfield blaze 2 @ stockton 13
michael main didnt allow a ball to leave the infield the 1st 4 innings, then all hell broke loose. main surrendered 3 runs in the 5th. in the 6th ryan tatuko gave up 7 runs on 5 hits 2 walks and 2 wild pitches. mitch moreland homered singled and doubled

hickory crawdads 4 vs. kannapolis 3
cliff springston went 5.2 innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) with 4 strikeouts. mike bianucci and clark murphy helped give hickory a 4-2 lead and the pitching held on.

4/26

AAA rained out again, there's a double header monday (with neftali feliz pitching) and another one schedule in august

frisco roughriders 9 @ corpus christi 7
frisco plated seven in the 6th. justin smoak is really starting to turn it on, he homered, doubled singled and walked. chad tracy added his 4th homer too.

bakersfield blaze 3 vs. stockton 6
blake beavan like his 1st round counterpart michael main breezed through 5 innings giving up just 1 hit and then hit a wall in the 6th. he gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and a WP not even finishing the 6th. corey young, zach phillips and evan reed didnt allow a hit the remaining 3.2 of the ball game. engel beltre hit his 1st homer on the year along with a double. joey butler also had 3 hits including a homer.

hickory crawdads 2 vs. kannapolis 4
it was all tied up going into the 9th and hickory allowed 2 runs on a hit by pitch 2 errors and 2 wild pitches. wilmer font allowed 1 run in 3.2 innings walking 1 and striking out 4.

[cmavswin]

Justin Smoak is going to make it hard on the Rangers next year boy I love it when that happens. Not sure about Chad Tracy but I need to take a look a at him. Main and Beavan struggling after the 1st half of the game sucks but that happens and it is still very early in the year.

This is so much better than just a couple of years ago when this organization had just 1 or 2 prospects.

[studcrackers]

tracy's an organizational player, the best id see for him is he gets a cup of coffee w/the big league team, but he's a corner OF or 1st baseman without much power and he doesnt take many walks. but smoaks going to be on the big league club next year and most likely start 1st base on opening day next year.

onto todays report, high a and low a had the day off while triple a had a double dip. also incase you didnt know, when the minor leagues have double headers they play 2 7 inning games

game 1
oklahoma city redhawks 1 @ omaha 8
neftali feliz failed to get out of 3 innings without giving up an earned run. a german duran error in the 3rd led to feliz allowing 5 runs (and again 0 earned) but his control again was less then stellar walking 4 and hitting another while stricking out 3. thomas diamond went the next 1.2 innings giving up 2 runs and walking 4. it's a shame seeing diamond struggle like this because it seems the organization is anxious in promoting him but he's struggled as of late. the guy who could be soon getting the call up is beau vaughan who again pitched 1.1 scoreless last night and has 13 k's in 12 innings and still hasnt surrendered a run. greg golson singled and tripled.

game 2
okc redhawks 2 @ omaha 1
doug mathis went the "distance" for the complete game (7 innings as previously mentioned) needing only 86 pitches (feliz threw 88 in less then 3 innings) only 7 batters reached base against him and he punched out 6. julio borbon stole 2 bases and max ramirez's 2 run single provided the redhawks only offense for the night

frisco roughriders 0 @ san antonio 4
somehow kasey kiker only gave up 2 runs in 5 innings despite walking 5 hitting another and giving up 6 hits. kikers walked 12 guys and hit 7 in (he's hit brett wallace 4 times) in 22 innings. it's nice that he's been able to keep a 2.86 ERA despite the walks and that hitters are only hitting .190 (and he's yet to allow a home run) but the walks have to come down. manny pina singled twice and is hitting .487

[studcrackers]

4/28

okc redhawks 1 @ omaha 3
julio borbon walked, singled 2 times and doubled

pedro strop had a hitless 8th.

frisco roughriders 4 @ san antonio 6
michael schlact coming off the dl got through 3 innings fine then came out for the 4th to give up 4 straight singles. rehabbing AJ Murray tossed 2 scoreless innings, i liked murray in his brief appearance in arlington last year but he got hurt quick and has had numerous arm injuries. he could be a quality lefty out of the pen

justin smoak walked twice and doubled

bakersfield blaze 3 vs. modesto 4 (14 innings)
great performances pitching wise but not much offense. michael kirkman went 6 innings giving up 2 ER w/4 k's. ryan falcon went 3 innings with 4 punchouts and zach phillps and ryan tatsuko went the next 5 innings giving up 1 run (the eventual winning run) zach phillips struggled as a starter last year but as a reliever has 12 k's in 11 innings w/1 walk. he's currently sporting a 1.59 era

mitch moreland was 3-5 with a homer

hickory crawdads 2 @ kannapolis 4
martin perez and jake brigham so far have been tag teamming starts all year where one starts and one relieves each other. perez went 4 innings allowing 4 hits 1 walks and 4 k's, he's striking 1/3 of the batters he faces. brigham gave up 4 runs (2 earned) allowing 6 hits and 2 bb's.

[cmavswin]

I still have hope for AJ Murray as a starter the guy is pretty good and I would love to see him at the back of the Rangers rotation next season but even if he became a long man I could live with that.

Question for you studcrackers:

If Cle puts Cliff Lee (which they were reported to have done) on the block and they wanted Smoak,Diamond and Feliz back would you? Plus the Rangers would sign Lee long term as part of the trade.

[studcrackers]

4/29

AAA had the day off

frisco roughriders 6 @ san antonio 0
it was 0-0 going into the 9th and frisco scored 6. rehabbing tommy hunter pitched 5 walking 1 giving up 6 hits and striking out 4. andrew laughter, joe torres and john bannister pitched the next 4 shutout innings striking out 5. justin smoak was 2-4.

bakersfield blaze 1 vs. modesto 3 (suspended in 1st)
power was lost in the 1st inning, game will be replayed may 14th.

hickory crawdads 6 @ kannapolis 4
hickory came back in the 9th scoring 5. jason ogata singled once and doubled twice. david paisano was 2-5 including the game tying rbi and scored the go ahead run. Carlos Pimentel surrendered two runs on four hits, a walk and a strikeout in four innings. Fabio Castillo threw 2 more scoreless innings to give him 10.1 innings without allowing a run. castillo was a very very high profile prospect when we signed him out of the dominican a few years back, perhaps he'll soon move back to the rotation but this guy's a flamethrower and he only turned 20 in february. keep an eye on him.

[studcrackers]

I still have hope for AJ Murray as a starter the guy is pretty good and I would love to see him at the back of the Rangers rotation next season but even if he became a long man I could live with that.

Question for you studcrackers:

If Cle puts Cliff Lee (which they were reported to have done) on the block and they wanted Smoak,Diamond and Feliz back would you? Plus the Rangers would sign Lee long term as part of the trade.

yea im excited about murray if he can ever stay healthy, given the depth our system has i doubt he'll ever be a starter but once holland goes into the rotation he can be another lefty in the bullpen

as for that trade you proposed, no i wouldnt do that. i dont think lee's ever going to replicate last year and id hate to give up 2 of my top 3 prospects. though the only way id trade feliz is if im getting back an established starter, but i dont care much for lee, id like somebody younger. also im not sure if cleveland has room for smoak, i doubt they'd turn him down but the prize player they got last year plays 1st base/dh and they have a couple more players on there roster that are just like that where they're limited to left field/1st/dh.

[studcrackers]

alright time to play catch up

april 30th

okc redhawks 8 nawlins 7 (10 innings)
pedro strop gave up 2 runs in the top of the inning but the 'hawks plated 3 in the 9th. german duran batted in ben harrison and then joaquin arias and esteban german hit backtoback singles to win the game.

frisco roughriders 10 @ san antonio 2
justin smoak was 3-3 with a homerun and 2 walks. catcher manny pina doubled twice and homered. 3rd baseman johnny whittelman singled 2 times and walked and marcus lemon who's cooled since his hot start doubled and tripled.
guillermo moscoso went 5 innings allowing 2 runs and k'ing the same.

bakersfield blaze 5 vs. modesto 6
in 5 innings pitcher tim murphy struck out 8 while giving up 3. the bullpen gave up the final 3 in the last 2 innings. joey butler and renny osuna homered

hickory crawdads 4 vs. lakewood 6
richard bleier went 5.2 giving up 5 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits 0 walks and 3 k's. mike bianucci doubled twice and matt west was 4-4.

5/1

okc redhawks 2 vs. nawlins 11
jared hyatt's 2nd AAA start left plenty to be desired allowing 10 runs in 4 innings. he was sent back down after the game to make room for tommy hunter and john bannister. beau vaughan pitched 2 more scoreless innings giving him 14.1 for the season. joaquin arias singled 3 times.

frisco rough riders 9 vs. corpus christi 3
justin smoak continued his hot streak walking doubling and singling twice. craig gentry was 3-4 w/a HBP and scored 4 times. omar poveda went 7 innings giving up just 2 runs striking out 5.

bakersfield blaze 9 @ stockton 1
michael main had a nice start going 5 allowing 5 hits and 3 walks giving up no runs and punching out 4. engel beltre got on base 3 times and threw a runner out at home. mitch moreland reached thrice

hickory crawdads 6 vs. lakewood 3
matt west's 3 run bomb and mike bianucci's solo effort was all the offense they needed. bianucci also reached 3 more times for good measure, get this man a promotion! cliff springston went 7 allowing 3 hits and 2 run.

5/2

okc redhawks 2 vs. nawlins 5
doug mathis allowed 4 runs and let 11 people get on base.

frisco: rained out

bakersfield 4 @ stockton 10
blake beavan had the shortest outing of his career going 2.2 innings giving up 8.
this is what scott lucas had to say about beavan's struggles:
Against a team averaging 3.5 runs per game in the hitter-happy Cal League, Blake Beavan set career lowlights for innings pitches (2.2) and runs allowed (8). Beavan primary peripherals are actually respectable despite his 7.88 ERA: rates of 2.8% for homers, 6% for walks and 19% for strikeouts. Those are roughly comparable to his 2008 but with a very slightly higher walk rate and a significantly improved SO rate.

So why the five-run jump in his ERA? 1) Last year he held opponents to a miniscule .255 batting average on balls in play (BABIP; that is, excluding homers and strikeouts). In the Majors, pitchers have little control over that rate relative to other peripherals. That’s also largely true in the minors, though you’ll find the best pitchers tended to perform better-than-average in that respect. So, call Beavan’s .255 a mix of luck and skill. In 2009, his BABIP is .368. Huge, huge difference. The luck pendulum has swung the other direction, as it will. 2) Those hits are coming in bunches. In 2008, Beavan stranded 78% of his baserunners. In 2009, it’s 46%, similar to how Luis Mendoza performed in Texas last year.

Beavan’s Fielding-Independent Pitching, which mimics ERA but completely excludes hit rates, was 3.98 in 2008 and is 4.46 in 2009. Considering the difference in the Midwest and Cal leagues, it’s safe to say the primary statistical difference between his 2008 and 2009 is a mostly a function of luck. That’s not an excuse for getting pounded last night, but it does portend upcoming improvement. He’s not this bad.

engel beltre went 2-3 w/a caught stealing.

hickory crawdads 4 @ lakewood 7
wilmer font left with a lead after 5 innings striking out 4 and walking 1. 1 of his 2 runs he allowed was unearned. fabio castillo had been excellent until tonight where he surrendered 3.

jacob kasse was 3-4 w/a triple and it seems like every time i write one of these mike bianucci is featured and this time is no different homering for the 4th time in 5 games.

5/3

okc redhawks 8 vs. nawlins 12 (10 innings)
neftali feliz only walked 2 this start striking out 7 but allowed 4 runs. in the 8th-10th innings new orleans scored 8, beau vaughan finally gave up 2 runs, warner madrigal pitched 2 scoreless innings.

frisco roughriders 0 @ corpus christi 5
kris benson had his 1st rehab start giving up 3 in 5 innings. justin smoak again reached base 2 times.

bakersfield blaze 5 @ stockton 3
michael kirkman allowed 10 baserunners but was able to hold stockton to 3 runs in 5 frames. brennan garr allowed 4 baserunners in 2 innings but had 4 k's and 0 runs. corey young pitched the final 2 innings w/no trouble. tim smith added his 3rd homer and joey butler was 3-4.

hickory crawdads 6 vs. lakewood 1
martin perez didn't yield a walk for the 1st time this year giving up 1 run on 2 hits striking out 3 in 5.1 innings. once again tag teaming w/perez, jake brigham pitched the final 3 innings w/nary a problem.

matt west was 3-4, jake kasse hit his 1st homer of the year

[cmavswin]

I really wish the Rangers would just cut Kris Benson unless when he gets better they bring him up and put Padilla on the DL until he gets better. Scott Feldman is just as good as Benson if not a bit better and 9 years younger. As long as Neftali Feliz gets a bit better each start than that is all I ask. 1st year in AAA can be tough especially early on for a 20 year old. Next year will be interesting to see who DH's more in Davis or Smoak? Because we know that this is Hank's last season with Smoak destroying everything right now. Beavan will be ok just one of those ruts players get in every so often. Still holding out hope for Madrigal hopefully he can find a nitch in the Rangers bullpen in the near future.

[studcrackers]

well benson wasnt terrible in his last start for texas. feldman's been fantastic in his starts he just needs to be stretched out. i think he'll stay in the rotation (especially if his next starts a good one) plus either of them's better then mendoza. really i think once the rangers are comfortable w/aj murray or beau vaghan in place of eddie guardado our bullpen actually looks pretty solid

as for the dh debate, going into this season smoak was praised for his defense but i believe as of now chris davis has rated as the best defensive 1st baseman in the league, so it's his job for the taking right now