27-year old lefty C.J. Wilson took over the closer job mid-way through last season and he was have that role from the beginning of this year. He pitched in 66 games for the Rangers last season and he was 2-1 with 12 saves, a 3.03 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He also whiffed 63 batters in 68.1 innings which shows what kind of stuff he has. Look for him to have a solid 2008 season for the Rangers.

30-year old righty Joaquin Benoit will vulture a couple of saves this season pitching against tough righty batters. He really stepped up last season as he pitched in 70 games and was 7-4 with 6 saves, a 2.85 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. The Rangers hope last season wasn’t a mirage for Benoit.

37-year old lefty Eddie Guardado will also pitch late in games for the Rangers this season. He pitched in 15 games for the Reds last season and he was 0-0 with a 7.24 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He has pitched in 796 games (25 starts) in his major league career to date and he is 41-55 with 183 saves, a 4.31 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Look for him to pitch well if his left elbow feels good.

31-year old righty Kazuo Fukumori was signed in the off-season to provide depth in the bullpen. He pitched in 34 games in Japan last season and he was 4-2 with 17 saves, a 4.75 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. He pitched in 377 games in his career in Japan and he compiled a 34-42 record with 73 saves, a 3.68 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.

28-year old righty Franklyn German has a big time arm but he has serious control issues. He has pitched in 138 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 8-4 with 7 saves, a 4.60 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. If he doesn’t throw more strikes he won’t be on the Rangers pitching staff too long.

25-year old righty Josh Rupe will likely be a long reliever for the Rangers this season. He didn’t pitch in the majors last season but he has pitched in 20 games (1 start) in his major league career and he is 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

26-year old righty Dustin Nippert was picked up in a trade with the Diamondbacks right before the season started for a player to be named later. He pitched in 36 games for the Diamondbacks last season and he was 1-1 with a 5.56 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.

Righties Frank Francisco, Scott Feldman and Wes Littleton will start the season in the minors but they all will likely get a chance to help the Rangers’ bullpen at some point in 2008.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: C-

The Texas Rangers have the look of a poor baseball team. They have an underachieving pitching staff and they will not score enough runs to win a lot of games this season. Take the under with the Rangers but at least they won’t finish in last place this season….that will be the A’s.

The Rangers starting rotation was a disaster area last season. 33-year old Kevin Millwood was a big disappointment for the Rangers last season. He started 31 games for them last season and he was 10-14 with a 5.16 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. The Rangers need him to pitch more like his career norms which is why they gave him the big money two years ago. Millwood has a career record of 133-101 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.

30-year old righty Vicente Padilla also needs to rebound after a pathetic showing last season. He started 23 games for the Rangers last year and he was 6-10 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Look for him to rebound somewhat as he’s a much better pitcher than he showed last season.

29-year old righty Jason Jennings was signed in the off-season to serve as the #3 starter for the Rangers this year. Much like Millwood and Padilla, he has good stuff but the results have not looked pretty lately. He pitched in 19 games (18 starts) for the Astros last season and he was 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.

26-year old lefty Kason Gabbard will be the #4 starter for the Rangers this season. He started 15 games for the Rangers & Red Sox last season and he was 6-1 with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He doesn’t miss many bats so he will have to be fine with his stuff to have success in 2008.

24-year old righty Luis Mendoza won the #5 starting job in spring training. He pitched in 6 games (3 starts) for the Rangers last season and he was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Mendoza was solid in AA last season as he pitched in 26 games (25 starts) and he was 15-4 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.

Failed starters Robinson Tejada and Jamey Wright will be in the Rangers’ bullpen waiting for another shot to start. And, Cameron Loe will start the season in AAA ball.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: D+

34-year old lefty swinging Frank Catalanotto and 27-year old righty swinging Nelson Cruz will likely platoon in RF for the Rangers. Catalanotto played in 103 games for the Rangers last season and he was 86 for 331 (.260 avg, .781 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 11 homers and 44 RBIs. He didn’t play in RF last season for the Rangers but he played in 64 games in LF and he didn’t make any errors while showing slightly below average range.

Nelson Cruz played in 96 games for the Rangers last season and he was 72 for 307 (.235 avg, .671 OPS) with 35 runs scored, 9 homers and 34 RBIs. He played in 82 games in RF last season and he made 5 errors while showing above average range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: C-

27-year old lefty swinging Cf Josh Hamilton exploded on the scene for the Reds as a rookie last season and the Rangers hope the good vibes continue in 2008 for them. He played in 90 games for the Reds last season and he was 87 for 298 (.292 avg, .922 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 19 homers and 47 RBIs. He also played a solid CF for the Reds as he made 4 errors in 71 games while showing good range. Look for Hamilton to have an outstanding season as long as he can stay healthy.

26-year old lefty swinging David Murphy will be Hamilton’s backup this season. He was acquired in the Eric Gagne trade with the Red Sox last July. He played in 46 games for the Rangers & Red Sox last season and he was 36 for 105 (.343 avg, .936 OPS) with 17 runs scored, 2 homers and 14 RBIs. Murphy played in 10 games in CF last season and he didn’t make an error while showing slightly below average range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B+