26 year old lefty swinging Hank Blalock had his worst season in the last 4 years and he still put up solid numbers overall.  Blalock hit .266 last season with 76 runs scored, 16 homers, 89 RBIs and a .726 OPS in 152 games.  Part of the reason for the low batting average is that Blalock often looks helpless against lefty pitchers who held him to a .216 batting average and a .596 OPS in 162 at bats against them.  The Rangers really don’t have a strong hitter to put at third base against lefties so Blalock is likely to still play every day.  Blalock made 12 errors in 122 games at third base last season and that’s too many.  He also doesn’t have much range on defense.  Look for Blalock’s power to return this season as he should hit 25-30 homers, but his average will stay down because he can’t hit lefties.

30 year old Ramon Vazquez looks like the front runner to back up Blalock, but he’s a left handed hitter too.  He played in 14 games at third base last season and only made 1 error while showing slightly below average range.  30 year old Jerry Hairston only played 1 game at third base last season but he could probably handle it defensively.  Desi Relaford and Matt Kata are long shots to make the Rangers, but either of them would be decent on defense at third base.

30 year old Michael Young is the best kept secret in the South as he’s just as good as Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada.  Young played in all 162 games last season and he hit .314 with 93 runs scored, 52 doubles, 14 homers, 103 RBIs and a .814 OPS.  Young has been simply the best shortstop in the game the last 4 seasons.  For 4 years running, Michael Young has gotten over 200 hits per season.  During the last 4 seasons Young has averaged 106.8 runs scored, 18.5 homers, 91.3 RBIs and a .316 batting average!  Young also has outstanding range on defense and he only made 14 errors.  Look for Michael Young to continue to be the best shortstop in baseball again this season!

30 year old lefty swinging Ramon Vazquez is the best equipped back up for Michael Young.  Vazquez only hit .209 with a .550 OPS in 34 games last season for the Cleveland Indians.  Look for Vazquez to rebound with the stick in his hands as he has a career batting average of .255 over 386 major league games.  He showed good range at short for the Indians, but he made 3 errors in only 7 games there last season.  Look for Vazquez to improve on defense as that has been his strong suit over his career.

22 year old Joaquin Arias was the player to be named in the A-Rod-Soriano trade in 2004 and he’s come around nicely.  He played in 124 games in AAA last season and hit .268 with 4 homers, 49 RBIs, 26 steals and a .657 OPS.  Arias came up in September for a cup of coffee with the Rangers and played in 6 games for them.  He went 6 for 11 (.545 avg) for the Rangers.  He also showed off outstanding range last September in his limited time at shortstop.  He has a bright future in the majors.

27 year old switch hitter Jose Morban was signed on to compete for a reserve job on the Rangers.  Morban played in 34 games in the minors last season and he hit .255 with a .806 OPS.  Morban only played in one season in the majors (2003 Baltimore Orioles) and he didn’t play too well.  He was a Rule 5 Draft Pick that the Orioles kept all season and he played in 61 games that season and only hit .141 with a .412 OPS.  He is a very big long shot to make the team.

24 year old Ian Kinsler had a great rookie season that was only interrupted by injury.  He played in 120 games and hit .286 with 65 runs, 14 homers, 55 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .801 OPS last season.  Ian Kinsler showed off fantastic range but that range resulted in Kinsler making 18 errors, which is too many for a second baseman.  Look for Kinsler to put up big numbers for the Rangers this season as long as he stays healthy.  He looks like a future American League All-Star and he might be one this season.

30 year old Jerry Hairston will likely be the back up second baseman for the Rangers this season.  Hairston had a rough season last year as he only hit .206 in 101 games for the Cubs and Rangers.  He should bounce back for the Rangers as he has a career batting average of .257 over 745 games.  He played 25 games at 2B and only made 1 error last season.  He will also probably play some outfield for the Rangers.

25 year old lefty swinging Drew Meyer is a longshot to make the Rangers.  He played in 5 games for them last season and went 3 for 14 (.214 avg).  He also didn’t hit well in AAA ball as he played 95 games there and only hit .228 with a .583 OPS.  He will definately start the year out in the minors.

30 year old lefty swinging Ramon Vazquez will be competing for the utility infield job for the Rangers and he played 7 error-less games for the Cleveland Indians last season. 

29 year old Matt Kata played in 113 games in AAA last season and he hit .263 with 9 homers, 34 RBIs and a .747 OPS last season.  He last played in the majors in 2005 with the Phillies & Diamondbacks and hit only .189 in 40 games.  Kata has played in 160 career games and has a batting average of .248 with a .700 OPS in those games.

33 year old switch hitting Desi Relaford only hit .121 in 11 AAA games last season.  Relaford last played appeared in the majors in 2005 with the Colorado Rockies.  In 2005, Relaford hit .224 with a .627 OPS in 73 games.  For his career, Relaford is a .244 career hitter with a .670 OPS.

The Rangers signed 33 year old Desi Relaford to compete for a reserve infielder job.  Relaford last played in the majors in 2005 when he hit .224 in 73 games for the Colorado Rockies.  For his career, the switch hitter has a .244 average with a .670 OPS.  He has a legit chance to make the team as the other back up infielders that he’s competing with are not that great.

Lefty swinging 32 year old Frank Catalanotto will be the DH against all right handed starting pitchers this season.  He has a career .303 batting average against righties and he should do well against them again this season.  Last year he hit .300 with the Blue Jays with 7 homers, 56 RBIs and a .815 OPS.  He can also play a corner outfield position if the need arises for the Rangers this season.

26 year old switch hitting Jason Botts will battle 38 year old Sammy Sosa to be the DH vs. lefty starters.  Botts hit .294 last season in the minors with 13 homers and 42 RBIs in only 248 at bats.  Botts hit .220 with 1 homer and 6 RBIs in 50 at bats for the Rangers.  He does seem to have the upper hand on Sosa entering camp.

38 year old Sammy Sosa is coming to Spring Training with the Rangers after sitting out the 2006 season.  He had an awful year in 2005 with the Orioles as he only hit .221 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs in only 380 at bats with a poor .671 OPS.  It’s really hard to imagine Sosa making the team.  He has 588 homers and 1,575 RBIs in 2240 career major league games, so the Rangers are hoping he has a little magic left in his bat.