Hank Blalock

While rumors swirl about Adam Dunn or Adam LaRoche coming to the Halos in a trade, is first base the real trouble spot for the Angels?

Just a few short years ago, Hank Blalock stood among the giants of the game. Now he is fighting for his major league career.

When the Rays signed two-time All-Star Hank Blalock to a minor league contract, they gave a 29-year-old player another shot to reclaim a career that was once one of the most promising in the Majors.

Blalock finished the 2005 season as one of baseball's rising stars, batting .263 while belting 25 home runs and 92 RBI. It was Blalock's third straight season with at least 25 homers and 90 or more runs batted in.

Third baseman Hank Blalock has signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays worth $925,000, plus an extra $400,000 in incentives, reports Jon Heyman .

Blalock's contract is worth approximately $6 million less than what he was earning with the Texas Rangers last season. 

What I’m Reading

• Uh-oh. Looks like “Broken” Brandon Webb might be starting the year on the DL. Yes, even after spending the past year on the DL.

• And how about Joe Nathan? Might be too early to tell, but this isn’t a good sign for the hopeful Twins.

The Texas Rangers came into the series hosting the Angels at the end of a terrible June.  For the month, Texas had a losing record, the worst hitting, and worst on-base percentage.  And worst of all they had lost their lead over the Angels.

Down 1.5 games to the Angels, and the Mariners only 2.5 behind Texas, the Rangers needed a big showing against the defending AL West champ Angels and defending AL champ Rays.

Monday: L, 2-5 (40-35)

Entering the holiday weekend, the Rays came in as one of the hottest teams in baseball. When it was over, the Texas Rangers were in first place and the Rays fell further behind in both the AL East Divisional race and the AL wildcard chase.

Texas swept Tampa Bay by silencing the red hot bats of the Rays, and taking advantage of uncharacteristic defensive lapses in their three game sweep.

Leading the AL West over the Angels by 1.5 games and still unbeaten against the Mariners this year, the Rangers went into last night's game looking to continue their winning ways.

Texas sent Brandon McCarthy to the mound as he looked to redeem himself after getting blown-up in his last start in Oakland.  Brandon also had a personal battle, he has yet to pitch seven complete innings in a Rangers uniform. 

Wednesday night against the Mariners he was able accomplish both goals.

About one month is in the books for the 2009 Texas Rangers season. Before jumping into grading each hitter for their first month performance, lets look at the team's overall rank for key stats in the American League 

Current place in the Standings: 16-13, 1st in the AL West

Home Runs: 50, 1st in AL

Runs: 166, 3rd in AL

Batting Avg: .282, 4th in AL

Stolen Bases: 23, 4th in AL

On-base Pct: .334, 10th in AL

Ranger fans like no other fans know what roller coaster type seasons are like, the Texas Rangers have been having that share over the past ten seasons.

Last year the entire season almost went by before the Rangers swept a series and were swept in a series, it took the first week of the season to accomplish both this year.

The Rangers opened the season at home with a three game series against the Cleveland Indians. The Rangers went on to sweep the Tribe 9-1, 8-5, 12-8 and comply 29 runs, 37 hits, and 18 extra-base hits to start the season.

This is a projection on the players that I believe will make up the Texas Rangers 25-man Major League roster come Opening Day.

Since Spring Training is still not over, obviously this is not my final list and I will make adjustments by the week and as we get closer to Opening Day.

Those players that are italicized are players that I believe are locks for the 25-man roster, and the stats listed with them are their 2008 season stats.

STARTING ROTATION

Kevin Millwood- 9-10, 5.07 ERA, 168.2 IP, 125 K, 49 BB