Kuzul

Over the last 24 hours, fans, players and announcers alike have had their say concerning the suspensions handed down in the Biogenesis scandal.

But none were heavier than the words of San Francisco Giants announcer Mike Krukow during Monday’s broadcast.

According to the CSN Sports broadcast (h/t Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Kaduk), Krukow states Nelson Cruz has “taken a dump on the Texas Rangers.”

“…Well maybe this is the best time because Nelson Cruz has taken a dump on the Texas Rangers. How do they feel down there, the Texas faithful. They’re great fans. They don’t deserve this. So I’m sorry this has to happen to them and to that organization and to that fanbase…”

Those are some strong words from the announcer.

But does Krukow have a right to feel that way? And what about his past transgressions and those of Giants’ players?

The Past

Digging deeper into Kaduk‘s column, he noted that Krukow furiously defended Barry Bonds in 2007, even calling Curt Schilling a “horse’s ass” when Schilling accused Bonds of steroid use.

A blog posted on the San Francisco Chronicle‘s website by a writer with the name “Betting Fool” shows Krukow didn’t hold back when talking about Schilling:

Krukow essentially said that Schilling is a blowhard, calling him an “idiot” who always seems to pop off about things he doesn’t need to comment on and saying “a little knowledge goes a long way. He thinks he knows a lot about everything.”

One has to wonder why he said nothing on Bonds, despite a reported failed amphetamine test in 2006, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). 

Then there’s this interesting bit:

During an interview with Gary Radnich on KNBR radio (9:36 mark), Krukow admitted to taking amphetamines during his time playing professional baseball. 

“I did take amphetamines. There towards the end I couldn’t lift my arm up. I had a guaranteed contract. I wanted to make that contract good…”

“I felt an obligation there to justify that contract…”

“I justified it because it was a part of the game…”

That sounds like the pot is calling the kettle black.

Still Needs to Be Said

Regardless of Krukow‘s history, it’s still something that needs to be said.

These players are ruining things for their teams. But Krukow might not have been the best person to speak out on it.

Players like Evan Longoria, who tweeted this out yesterday, need to be the ones speaking up:

You wouldn’t have Mark McGwire or Rafael Palmeiro speak up about players involved in the Biogenesis scandal would you? What about Jose Canseco?

Players who have been clean need to be the ones ultimately speaking out about performance-enhancing drugs. 

Someone who used amphetamines to prolong his career and make good on his contract is no better than Cruz, Alex Rodriguez or any of the other players involved in the Biogenesis scandal.

Cruz did take a dump on the Rangers. But Krukow did the same to baseball when he violated the integrity of the game just so he could “make that contract good.”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the All Star break officially underway, many of the Texas Rangers will get the opportunity to rest up after a long first half of the season. With the exception of Joe Nathan, Yu Darvish and Nelson Cruz, the entire Texas Rangers organization will use this four day break to recharge and get ready for the long haul ahead.

For some Rangers the break could not have come at a better time, as cold streaks can often be cured by taking some time off of the diamond. On the other hand, there are other players who came into the break hot who probably wish the time off could have happened at another time. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who the hottest and coldest players for the Rangers are heading into the second half of the season.

Hottest

Adrian Beltre

July Stats: .440/.491/.920, 7 HR and 13 RBI

Adrian Beltre hasn’t just been the hottest player on the Rangers, but may also have been the hottest player in the month of July in all of baseball. Over his last 10 games before the All-Star break, Beltre had five multi-hit games, but none were better than his performance on July 9 against Baltimore.

In an 8-4 win over the Orioles, Beltre reached base five times, going 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBI. Currently, Beltre ranks in the top seven in the American League in batting average, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS. If Beltre can continue to rake like he did at the beginning of the month, the Rangers will be in a good position to keep up with the Athletics in the second half of the season.

Nelson Cruz

July Stats: .309/.345/.473, 2 HR and 8 RBI

In the midst of a contract year, Nelson Cruz is making a strong case to be paid like one of the best outfielders in the game. For the season, Cruz is batting .277 with 22 homers and 69 RBI and has helped offset the departures of Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Mike Napoli.

In the month of July, Cruz was batting .309 with two homers and eight RBI, and he had three multi-hit games leading up the the All-Star break. Don’t expect the break to cool down Cruz either; as mentioned above, he has a contract to play for next season. Expect Cruz to carry his momentum into a big second half for the Rangers.

Coldest

Mitch Moreland

July Stats: .250/.295/.375, 1 HR and 5 RBI

Though Moreland‘s numbers don’t look awful in the month of July, his splits that include the month of June are much worse. Moreland has gone 19-for-95 since the start of June, and only has two home runs after hitting 11 in his first two months. Sure, an injury to Moreland may have something to do with it, but his slugging percentage was nearly .300 points lower in June than it was in the month of May.

Rangers fans will be hoping that Moreland‘s injury has more to do with his slumping than him falling back into bad habits. Moreland was one of the feel good stories for the Rangers at the beginning of the season, and he is a very important part of the lineup. Texas will need Moreland to perform better in the second half, and it would not be a surprise if they find someone else if he can’t.

Jurickson Profar

July Stats: .161/.278/.226, 0 HR and 2 RBI

Some of this can be contributed to the fact that Profar is in the midst of being transitioned to the outfield, and some of it can be contributed to his inconsistent playing time. But the fact of the matter is that Profar struggled mightily through July and was the coldest hitter on the Rangers coming into the All-Star break.

This break may end up doing a world of good for Profar, as the time off could help him get some extra swings to get back into a groove. Profar came out firing when he first got called up in May for the Rangers, and he could wind up being the key for the Rangers in the second half.

Justin Grimm

July Stats: 11.1 IP, 0-2, 11.91 ERA, 6 K and .426 BAA

Grimm’s struggles as the season went on became so bad that he was recently moved to the bullpen after leaving his last start with forearm soreness.

After a brilliant first month in which the rookie went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA, Grimm has been getting lit up by opposing hitters, and has yet to have a month in which his batting average against wasn’t lower than .309. To make matters worse, Grimm’s walk rate has skyrocketed as well. After walking just four batters in 17 innings in April, Grimm has walked 24 batters in his last 76 innings.

Similar to Profar, the break may be what Grimm needed, as he may have been wearing down in the Texas heat. Unfortunately for Grimm, his time in the rotation may have come to an end. With the return of Martin Perez to the rotation and Alexi Ogando on the mend as well, Grimm may see clean-up duty from here on out.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers (42-32) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals (47-37) 6-4 at Busch Stadium on Friday night.

Neal Cotts (4-1) earned the win in relief, Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) suffered his first loss and Joe Nathan tallied his 23rd save of the season.

Nelson Cruz led the way with three RBI and Derek Holland recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings and receive a no-decision.

Holland gave up four runs on four hits in the first two innings, but would settle down and retire the final 12 hitters he faced. He walked three and struck out four in a strong finish. He also went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run scored.

Tyler Lyons started for the Cardinals but only lasted 1.2 innings giving up four runs on three hits with three walks. Lyons is now winless in his last four starts. The Cardinals have the best record in baseball, but are just 5-5 in their last 10.

Allen Craig added a two-run double to increase his season total to 57 RBI. Carlos Beltran earned his 46th RBI in the first inning, but flew out to the wall in left-center field to end the game.

This was the Rangers’ first regular season trip to Busch Stadium and the first since Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

The Rangers lost games six and seven in Busch Stadium en route to their second consecutive World Series loss. It was the Cardinals’ 11th World Series title.

Saturday’s Game 2 is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and features Martin Perez (0-1) against Shelby Miller (8-4).

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Do a quick Internet search for the term Steroid Era and the call backs include headlines like “Baseball Pays the Price for Steroid Era,” “Hall of Fame shuts out steroid-era stars” and, my personal favorite, “Baseball’s Steroid Era put in perspective,” as if that time in the history of the game is over, a time long since passed.

The Steroid Era isn’t over. It’s never going to be over.

There’s no way to put the Steroid Era into perspective because we have no idea when it’s going to end. We are acres into the performance-enhancing forest, with no idea how deep this thing will go.

Now Tim Elfrink of the Miami New Times has published a damning report that links the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Gio Gonzalez and a host of other major leaguers to businessman Anthony Bosch and his Miami-based company Biogenesis, an organization the report calls “the East Coast version of BALCO“: 

The names are all included in an extraordinary batch of records from Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic tucked into a two-story office building just a hard line drive’s distance from the UM campus. They were given to New Times by an employee who worked at Biogenesis before it closed last month and its owner abruptly disappeared. The records are clear in describing the firm’s real business: selling performance-enhancing drugs, from human growth hormone (HGH) to testosterone to anabolic steroids.

The report chronicles Bosch’s dealings with professional athletes, as documented in hand-written notebooks he kept with specific records of which steroids and performance enhancers he provided for which athletes, and how much money he was charging them. 

Per the report, some of the drugs he provided include HGH, IGF-1—a banned substance in baseball—and something called “pink cream” that includes testosterone. 

When exactly did the Steroid Era end?

Maybe all the people who pronounced the end of the Steroid Era in baseball when MLB finally put in actual punishments for failing drug tests just wanted us to stop using the term “steroid.” In fact, per the Miami New Times report and many documented cases over the last decade, anabolic steroids have become one of many different drugs to fall under the classification of performance enhancers. Perhaps, technically, the Steroid Era is over and we’ve reclassified it to a broader “PED Era.” 

That has to be it, because the darn thing isn’t over nor will it be any time soon.

The truth is, baseball players have been cheating for generations. Players would routinely pop greenies on their way out to the field. Greenies, for those unfamiliar with the term, were amphetamines and weren’t banned in the game until 2006. From a 2006 New York Times story on the ban:

But a practice that was essentially winked at will no longer go unpunished now that Major League Baseball has rules banning the use of amphetamines. For the first time, baseball will test for them, meaning that any number of players will have to adjust.

The suggestion by a host of Major Leaguers interviewed for that 2006 story was that coffee and energy drinks would become the replacement for greenies. Turns out, in addition to caffeine drinks, bogus prescriptions were the unspoken answer. 

So many players were hepped up on drugs like Adderall that MLB had to change the classification after last season to consider the drug a performance enhancer.

The drug of choice may be new, but the concept surely isn’t. Players have often been one or two steps ahead of the process. Hell, Rodriguez admitted in 2009 to taking drugs during the early part of his career while with the Texas Rangers.

Did Rodriguez publicly admit to taking drugs because he failed a drug test and was suspended? No. Sports Illustrated published a detailed report that said he had failed a test in 2003, back when MLB’s testing came with no enforceable punishment. Still, it took six years for that news to come out, and when it did, Rodriguez swore it was something he no longer did.

This era will never end, and reports like the Miami New Times one will continue to come out year after year after year because players will continue to find shady opportunists who will happily supply whatever they need to stay ahead of the competition, and the league. 

This wasn’t even a sophisticated system in Miami. Records were kept in hand-written notebooks by a fake doctor who was reportedly dumb enough to keep client nicknames right next to the players’ actual names.

Take a page in another notebook, which is labeled “2012” and looks to have been written last spring. Under the heading “A-Rod/Cacique,” Bosch writes, “He is paid through April 30th. He will owe May 1 $4,000… I need to see him between April 13-19, deliver troches, pink cream, and… May meds. Has three weeks of Sub-Q (as of April).”

Cabrera was listed 14 times in Bosch’s notebooks, sometimes under the nickname “Mostro.” Nelson Cruz was nicknamed “Mohamad.” Bosch also had a player he called “Josmany” and “Springs,” which was likely code for Yasmani Grandal, the former Miami Hurricanes catcher who played scholastically for the Miami Springs and now plies his trade for the San Diego Padres.

Think about this for a second: Baseball was being outwitted by a fake doctor dumb enough to put his clients’ actual names into a hand-written notebook, and the guy can’t even spell the names right.

Though to be fair, MLB did catch both Cabrera and Grandal last season, slapping them each with a 50-game suspension. Still, a lot of other players, even some named in this report, weren’t careless enough to get caught. 

That’s what the Steroid Era has become—it’s no longer about which players are cheating, it’s about which players are careless (read: dumb) enough to get caught. 

Baseball needs some players to get caught. Frankly, MLB needs enough players to get caught to justify the testing process but not too many to warrant further action. The testing will surely continue to get better, with the understanding it’s only in place to serve as a deterrent, and not a method of policing the game.

There is no way Bud Selig and those in charge at Major League Baseball want to catch the players who are cheating. They simply want to make it harder for those who are cheating to continue to circumvent the rules and hope it turns some players off the idea altogether.

While that’s a noble task, we can’t really believe the players are suddenly going to stop cheating because testing got a little bit harder. They’re just going to find better drugs and better ways to beat the tests. Those “troches” listed in the report are akin to throat lozenges. That’s how advanced the sciences have become that performance enhancers can come with a side of soothing throat relief.

The cheating will never stop. Those who can’t figure out a way to beat the system will continue to get caught, becoming the sacrificial lambs of the testing process.

Those who can beat the system—those who will never get caught and never get suspended despite a career fueled by PEDs—will probably end up in the Hall of Fame.

At least, well, those players will get voted into the Hall of Fame once the stigma of the Steroid Era finally disappears for the voters. Whenever that will be.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here are five ways to recover the numbers lost from Jacoby Ellsbury‘s six- to eight-week absence from the Red Sox lineup (dislocated shoulder)…without necessarily gutting your fantasy roster.

(That may be a lie.)  

Option No. 1: Grab Cody Ross off waivers

OK, so this isn’t the most exciting way to start a column, but with Carl Crawford (hand) still nursing his way back into the lineup, Ross will undoubtedly be granted full-time at-bats for the foreseeable future.

For the 2008-09 seasons with the Marlins, he combined for 46 homers, 163 RBI and 132 runs. Given his age (31) and the cozy dimensions of Fenway Park, Ross has a chance to replicate the numbers of years past—at least on a per-game basis.

Since the Red Sox are already thin with starting pitching and the bullpen, I doubt club execs will make a substantial trade for an outfielder in Ellsbury’s stead. The team’s best minor-league option may be Bryce Brentz…but even that seems like a short-term step down from Ross and his 22-homer potential.

Option No. 2: Target Jason Bay, Mike Carp, Will Venable, Brandon Belt or Jon Jay in free-agent waivers

All five outfielders certainly have their warts—Bay and Belt are slumping, Carp’s been hurting and Venable and Jay are routinely overlooked in fantasy circles—but hey, that’s why they’re free agents in most leagues.

Astros center fielder Jordan Schafer would have been the best available Ellsbury clone earlier in the week, but you’ll never go unwanted in fantasyland after collecting five steals in a 48-hour period. He’s gone.

Look, unless you’re playing in a 12-team league full of absentee borderline moronic owners, it’s going to be a tough road without Ellsbury. We’re talking about a top-six outfielder (although no one should expect 32 homers again) and top-15 overall asset. It’s nearly impossible to flourish in his absence.

But in short bursts, Bay (four-category factor), Carp (25-75 guy in the minors), Venable (20-steal potential), Jay (poor man’s Martin Prado) and Belt (future NL batting champion) can bring a level of fantasy respect to anyone’s team.
 

Option No. 3: Grab Chone Figgins off waivers, or trade for Mark Trumbo

Before Opening Day, Figgins was only 3B-eligible and one of baseball’s more anemic corner-infield options. But with a seemingly permanent spot in the outfield (left or center field) after just nine games, Figgins (.270, 4 RBI, 1 SB) should garner full outfield eligibility sometime in the next 10 days, making him attractive to owners who crave modest three-category success and dual-position versatility.

Regarding the 1B-eligible Trumbo, he should have full 3B eligibility sometime around April 25. Depending on how the Angels handle the Mike Trout and Vernon Wells situations, Trumbo (29 HRs in 2011) could see up to 30 games in the outfield this season.

For owners of Ellsbury (105 RBI, 119 runs, 32 steals last year) and Emilio Bonifacio (2B-3B-OF eligibility), a sneaky Trumbo acquisition would subsequently bump Bonifacio to the outfield spot in Ellsubry’s place.

As a secondary move, I highly endorse the act of grabbing Trout (baseball’s No. 1 prospect) off waivers ASAP, in anticipation of a May call-up that will be permanent (and enriching).

Bottom line: Replacing Ellsbury’s eight-week production doesn’t necessarily demand the plug-and-play addition of an outfielder. It can also come from a simple redistribution of current assets, prompted by a modest trade.

And for those with grander thoughts… 

Option No. 4: Trade your Round 1 superstar

During spring training, Ellsbury had an Average Draft Position value of 15, meaning the majority of his owners also grabbed Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Justin Verlander, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez or Prince Fielder with their low Round 1 selection.

The quickest way to overhaul the composition of your roster involves a simple six-word email/message-board dictum to the rest of the league: “(Superstar’s name) is on the block!” This should draw immediate responses, in the general form of four trade proposals:

• 1-for-1 value: Jon Lester, Dan Haren, Nelson Cruz, Hunter Pence or Starlin Castro
• 1-for-2 value: Melky Cabrera and Bud Norris
• 3-for-2: (Round 1 star)/Yovani Gallardo/Jordan Schafer for Ian Kennedy/Matt Holliday
• 2-for-3: (Round 1 star)/Matt Moore for Jason Heyward/Jason Kipnis/Max Scherzer 

Option No. 5: Put Ellsbury on the trade block

The final solution requires certain fantasy owners to perform an honest assessment of their rosters and prospects for the entire season.

1. Can my team endure/absorb the two-month loss of Ellsbury?
2. What are the chances I’ll be in ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th place overall on June 10?
3. What other areas (outfield aside) are in need of significant help?
4. What categories or positions could not sustain a key injury?

If the above answers are roundly negative, it may be time to make the early executive decision of selling Ellsbury to the highest bidder, as a means of fortifying the outfield and one other area of concern.

After all, if your club was barely a pennant contender before Ellsbury’s right shoulder had a fluke encounter with Rays shortstop Reid Brignac, then perhaps it’s time to cut your April losses…and hope for a profitable return in May and June.

This is where it pays not to get too attached to original draftees. Very few teams can win a roto championship without disrupting the core, via trade, at some point; and whether these hard decisions occur in mid-April or late July, change is inevitable.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This level of excitement, anticipation and heartache is generally reserved for March, but baseball has staked its claim as the most exciting sport of 2011.  

The last day of the regular season sparked the beginning of a breathtaking nine days of baseball.

Heavyweights like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies fell in dramatic Game 5 finishes, and slugging up-and-comers like the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers seized the moment and captured the nation’s attention.

We’ve encountered Beast Mode, T Plush, expletive-filled post game celebration and squirrels; and that’s just the National League.

What can the LCS possibly bring us?

Here are 7 things I expect to see when the LCS rounds start tonight with Game 1 between the Rangers and Tigers. 

Begin Slideshow

The Texas Rangers have outscored their opponents 57-23 in the past eight days, and Endy Chavez has been the unsung hero of this recent hot streak. While players like Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz have been hitting balls out of the park, Chavez has been hitting .435 in 13 games while crossing the plate 11 times.

The emergence of this new hitting machine has surprised many in the Rangers fan base. Chavez began the year in AAA Round Rock hitting .305 in 30 games. He recently made his first major league appearance since 2009 where his season ended with a torn ACL. He was called up after Julio Borbon was placed on the disabled list but has remained on the roster despite Borbon being activated.

Chavez is putting up career high numbers in a lot of offensive categories and in many cases is outpacing the player he was sent to temporarily replace. Here’s a look at some figures comparing this year’s stats with his previous career-high stats.

It’s very telling that he’s seeing fewer fastballs and more secondary pitches yet his average is up over .100 on his career high. Even dropping pitches outside of the strike zone isn’t enough to keep him off the bases.

If Borbon wants to come back to the majors, he’s going to have to improve his plate discipline. He’s certainly more of an elite defender in the outfield than Chavez but the Rangers can’t afford to keep Endy’s hot bat on the bench. Don’t be surprised to see a trade involve David Murphy because the Rangers don’t really have a need for two outfielders to warm up the dugout during games, especially if the Rangers really want Borbon to come back.

Can he keep this hot streak alive through the rest of the season? Only time will tell.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers‘ outfield had their third trip to the DL Saturday, as Julio Borbon held the lucky ticket. That makes the trifecta complete. All three opening day starting outfielders are currently on the DL.

First came Josh Hamilton on the infamous slide in Detroit April 12.

Next was Nelson Cruz on May 3. Cruz left the game with “tightness in his quad.”

Borbon left the game Friday due to a “pull in his hamstring.”

The Rangers still won the game 4-1, but losing your best defensive outfielder will take a toll on the workload of the bench.

Craig Gentry was recently called up to replace Cruz. The Rangers called up Endy Chavez from AAA Round Rock (Tex). Chavez is 33 and has nine years of big league experience. He is a career .270 hitter who had to miss part of the 2009 season due to a torn ACL after a violent collision with Yuniesky Betancourt.

He signed with the Rangers for the 2010 season, and started in AA Frisco. He posted a .545 batting average in 32 games and was quickly promoted to AAA Oklahoma City (currently Round Rock), but sustained an injury yet again.

For the 2011 season he is back, healthy, and like Brett Tomko, ready to play for a major league club again. The opportunity came when Borbon was placed on the DL.

This begs the question: Would highly touted prospect Engel Beltre have been called up if it weren’t for his trashcan throwing fiasco?

Beltre is ranked as the best outfielder in the farm system, and fifth best overall prospect for the Rangers. According to BaseballAmerica.com, he has the best outfield arm and is the best overall defensive outfielder for the Rangers.

From the San Antonio Express News:

“Frisco RoughRiders outfielder Engel Beltre has been suspended indefinitely by the Texas League for his role in an altercation with fans after Tuesday’s game against the Missions.

The suspension likely will be for 10 days, but a definitive ruling is scheduled to be announced today, a spokesman for the league said.

Beltre was identified as the player who tossed the trash can into the stands moments after the RoughRiders’ 7-6 loss to the Missions.

The Texas Rangers, Frisco’s major-league parent club, also disciplined the outfielder, placing him on the temporarily inactive list and optioning him to the team’s extended spring training site in Arizona.”

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Frisco-player-suspended-as-a-result-of-melee-1355970.php#ixzz1MNXILuJc

It’s sad to see that high emotions cost a great young athlete a chance at making the big club. There was a good chance he could have been called up after Borbon’s injury. For his sake, i hope he learns from this situation.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

On October 4, 2005, the 2010 Texas Rangers took steps to becoming the first team in franchise history to win a playoff series.

Tack onto that another playoff series win, advancing to the World Series for the first time in franchise history and instilling a long-lost hope for baseball in North Texas.

This is the day that general manager John Hart stepped down from his position, leaving 28-year old Jon Daniels in charge of a team that had not reached the playoffs since 1999.

Daniels was given a team with arguably the most talented young infield in the game in  Alfonso Soriano, Mark Teixeira, Michael Young and Hank Blalock.

However, only one of these promising players was on the Rangers World Series roster in 2010.

Let’s take a look at how Jon Daniels’ trade success (and failure) led to a team that came out of nowhere to capture the imaginations of fans across the country.

The Alfonso Soriano Trade

Days after being handed the team, Daniels made his first big trade as GM. It was also one of his worst. Daniels shipped off Soriano to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Brad Wilkerson, outfielder Termell Sledge and pitcher Armando Galarraga.

Wilkerson’s time in Texas was incredibly unfulfilling, leaving Texas after two years with a batting average for the Rangers of .228 while playing in only 214 games out of a possible 324.

Sledge is most remembered in Texas as being involved in another bad Daniels trade, one we’ll discuss later.

Armando Galarraga, unlike Sledge, did find success in the majors, throwing a near perfect game in the summer of 2010—for the Detroit Tigers. Galarraga finished his career in Texas with a 6.23 ERA and was traded to Detroit in 2008 for Michael Hernandez.

All Soriano did for the Nationals was hit 46 home runs while also stealing 41 bases, finishing third in the MVP balloting.

He then went onto a good career as a Chicago Cub being of the select few that can combine plus power and plus speed.

Strike out.

The Adrian Gonzalez Trade

Texas Rangers fans have played the “what if” scenarios over and over again in their heads over this one. A month after the Soriano trade, Daniels got the itch again and dealt the incredibly talented first base prospect Adrian Gonzalez to San Diego along with starting pitcher Chris Young and the aforementioned Termell Sledge. Texas received in return (get ready to cringe) starting pitcher Adam Eaton, relief pitcher Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian.

Adam Eaton had a career ERA of 4.34 with the Padres, never winning more than 11 games in a season before being sent to Texas. As a Ranger he made 13 starts with a 5.12 ERA, leaving after the season.

Billy Killian has been a career minor leaguer for the Rangers, White Sox and Orioles.

The one success from this trade for the Rangers was Otsuka. Otsuka pitched for the Rangers for two seasons, recording 36 saves and owning a miniscule 2.25 ERA. He has not pitched in the majors since 2007.

On the other hand, San Diego found success in Young, who won 33 games over five years, owning an ERA of 3.60.

What happened to Gonzalez? He is now considered one of the best all-around first basemen in the game. He mans first for the Boston Red Sox and has hit over 32 homeruns four of the past five seasons while also hitting for a high average.

Swing and Miss.

The Nelson Cruz Trade

The trade that started to turn things around for the Daniels administration occurred in July of 2006. The Rangers acquired Nelson Cruz, the starting right fielder for their World Series run. Yet Cruz was not the acquisition ranger fans were most excited about.

On July 28, and in the thick of a playoff push, Daniels pulled the trigger on a deal that would send Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench and Julian Cordero to the Milwaukee Brewers for Cruz and highly sought-after Carlos Lee.

Lee was expected to come in and lead the Rangers to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

It was not to be, and Lee bolted south after the season to the Houston Astros. The trade appeared to be destined for disaster early.

After a few years of struggling between AAA Oklahoma City and the big league club, however, Nelson Cruz finally put together all the pieces to his enormous potential at the end of the 2008 season.

He then became an All-Star in 2009 and carried that over into the rangers’ memorable 2010 run. Cruz batted in the heart of a potent Rangers offense and delivered time and time again, with the numbers to back him up.

Although not apparent at first, the Cruz trade contributed overall to the Rangers’ incredible run about as much—if not more—than the next few (higher profile) trades.

The Mark Teixeira Trade

This trade, at the end of Daniels’ career, will be the one he is most remembered for. On July 31, 2007, amidst high speculation, Daniels traded superstar Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves for a group headlined by Jarrod Saltalamacchia signaling to Ranger fans that the team was in full-on rebuilding mode.

Teixeira’s career, before and after the trade, has been one that makes you wonder whether the trade was a success or an epic failure. Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, All-Star appearances, and a bevy of other awards are those owned by Teixeira.

Why trade arguably the best young hitter and defender in baseball at his position for any amount of prospects. The stats show that many high profile prospects fizzle out in the pros and never amount to anything.

Daniels knew that the entire organization needed an overhaul, and the chance to acquire five top prospects for Teixeira was a risk that needed to be taken. If just two of the prospects flourish in the majors, you can count the trade a success. So who was it going to be to succeed and make Daniels look like a genius?

Saltalamacchia? The centerpiece of the deal? If you had to put your money on someone to be the superstar, it would probably be the one that gets the most recognition at the time of the trade.

Well, Salty’s career has been nothing short of disappointing; he has failed to live up to the hype. As a Ranger, he owned a .243 batting average with 19 homers over four seasons. He is now currently residing on the Boston Red Sox roster.

Beau Jones hasn’t seen the majors since the trade and is currently playing for the Rangers AAA affiliate in Round Rock.

Matt Harrison was a highly touted Braves’ prospect at the time of the trade and has had an up-and-down career. He is the Rangers’ No. 3 starter and started the 2011 season 3-0 while going at least seven innings and not allowing more than one run a game.

Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus were both just 18 at the time of the trade—Feliz, a rookie-level right handed fireballer, and Andrus, a shortstop in High-A ball. These names, just prospects at the time, have turned into the crown jewels of the trade.

Andrus was ranked by Baseball America as being the Braves No. 2 overall prospect before the trade and was heralded as a possible Gold Glove defender. Jamey Newberg, noted blogger for the Rangers, made this comparison between Andrus and floundering Rangers prospect at the time Joaquin Arias:

“Andrus shows the plus range, plus arm, and fluid hands that Arias has always shown, not to mention the athleticism and promise of offensive productivity as his body matures. He exhibits an advanced ability to use the entire field with the bat, his walk rates are unusually good, and he’s an instinctive player in all phases.”

While Arias, who was chosen over Robinson Cano by the Rangers in the Alex Rodriguez trade, has failed, Andrus has fulfilled much of the promise at a very young age.

Andrus has developed into one of the more exciting players in the game with his incredible range and arm at shortstop. He gets to balls up the middle that have never been gotten to before from other Ranger shortstops. He is a Gold Glove winner waiting in the wings for the baseball community to stop their obsession with Derek Jeter.

Feliz, the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year, has fulfilled all the promise—and then some—for the Rangers. Newberg also wrote this about Feliz at the time of the trade:

“In 29 innings last year, Feliz used a mid-90s fastball that reportedly touches 98 with late life, plus a still-immature slider and change, to hold hitters to a .192 average — and no home runs — issuing 14 walks and punching out 42 hapless opponents. He was at his best down the stretch, logging 11 scoreless innings in four August appearances, scattering four hits and one walk while fanning 15 hitters. At the conclusion of the season, Baseball America judged his fastball to be the best in the entire Braves system, despite just 39 innings of work in his two pro seasons combined.”

Taken from the same article by Newberg, Baseball Prospectus said, “”This is a teenager with a lightning arm who could turn into a frontline starter or a dominant closer, but right now, he’s a teenager with a lightning arm.”

Nail on the head. Feliz has been a lights-out, shutdown closer and set-up man for Texas since his call up in 2009. He owns a .232 ERA and 47 saves while striking out over a batter an inning.

The future is bright for young Feliz, whether as a shutdown closer or future ace of the staff.

The Cliff Lee Trade

The 2010 season was unlike any other in Rangers history. Coming into the season, the Mariners were the talk of the American League West by boasting two of the best pitchers in baseball in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, and the best defense on paper. The A’s were young and talented but still seemed a year away, and the Angels were the incumbent west champions and favorites to repeat.

The Rangers, full of young talent in Andrus and then-setup-reliever Neftali Feliz, were ready to take the next step in their rebuilding process—which began with the Teixeira trade three years prior.

Coming off a scorching hot June, The Rangers found themselves in first place in the west with a growing fan base. All of a sudden, the Rangers had gone from a cellar-dwelling franchise to a playoff contending team—seemingly over night to the rest of the baseball community.

Jon Daniels, however, was not happy with just a playoff contending team, and neither would the emerging fan base. Enter Cliff Lee.

Approaching July 9, it was all but assured that the Yankees would trade top prospect Jesus Montero—along with others—to the Mariners in exchange for Lee. But with the Mariners coveting Rangers first-base prospect Justin Smoak, Daniels and the Rangers come out of nowhere to land Lee and immediately turning the Rangers into serious World Series contenders.

Daniels sent Smoak along with pitchers Blake Beaven and Josh Lueke and infielder Matt Lawson to the Mariners in exchange for Lee and Mark Lowe. Newberg responded to the trade with:

“That Texas landed baseball’s best left-handed pitcher, a proven big game warrior on a short list of the league’s best pitchers, period, without giving up Perez or Scheppers or Holland or Hunter or Ogando is sort of stunning. I understand that Seattle was targeting a young hitter. But I’m still having trouble getting my head wrapped around a deal for a pitcher like this where you part with a young blue-chip position player but don’t have to dip into what is a very deep top tier of your pitching prospect stable – and that’s without even considering that you had to have the Mariners put cash into the deal, something other teams wouldn’t have insisted on.”

In the future, Justin Smoak will be an All-Star for a long time as a Mariner. Everyone in the Rangers organization knew this. But when you feel you’re one piece away from competing for a title, these are the risks you take. There will be many-a-game when Rangers fans will watch Smoak trot around the bases and think about what could have been. But the goal was to reach the playoffs and win a series for the first time in franchise history.

Mission accomplished.  

Jon Daniels has overcome ugly trades early-on in his career to become one of the most talented general managers in all of baseball. Through these trades, Daniels landed Andrus, Cruz, Lee and Feliz while also making room on the roster for second baseman Ian Kinsler.

This is not a concise list of all of Daniels’ successes and failures though. 2010 MVP Josh Hamilton was not even mentioned. Nor was the inability of Daniels to pull the trigger on a trade that would have sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to the Rangers instead of the Red Sox.

Whether he remains in Texas or moves on to other opportunities, Daniels has engraved a winning attitude on this team and this community and will forever be remembered as the architect of the first American League champions in franchise history.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Monday night at the Ballpark in Arlington, the Rangers handed the Mariners a 6-4 loss to remain undefeated in this young 2011 MLB season.

A decent outing for Derek Holland, as he pitched six innings en route to his first win of the season. He allowed three runs and seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Neftali Feliz who has been getting used, but in his first save opportunity, pitched a three up-three down, to retire the side, and receive his first of what could be many saves this season.

Ex-Ranger Justin Smoak ripped an RBI double to bring the score to 3-2.

But before the Mariners could celebrate, Nelson Cruz remained hot at the plate hitting his fourth home run in as many games to make the score 4-2.

Nelson Cruz joins an elite group, with Willie Mays and Mark McGwire as being the only two other players to start the first four games off with a homer. Who hit five you may ask? No one. So tonight, Cruz has a chance to own a record.

Next up—Alexi Ogando is scheduled to make his major league starting debut tonight against the Mariners. Ogando went 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA, in mostly stretch relief work, for the Rangers in 2010 setting up Neftali Feliz in the closing role.

Some Meat To Marinate On

There are now only four teams in the MLB that are undefeated.

The Rangers and the Orioles are 4-0 while the Red and Phillies are 3-0.

There hasn’t been a start like this for the Rangers sense 1996 when they went 7-0 to start the season.

Obviously, Arlington has been a place where the Rangers are enjoying the success this season. The road will be vital for this team, as home has been their safe haven to this point.

The Rangers will be on the road for the next three series (nine games) after this series with Seattle.

The Rangers start off with a three game series with the Orioles who are also undefeated, as stated earlier. Then it’s off to Detroit for a three game warm-up series, before moving on to the Bronx, and the N.Y. Yankees.

In those nine road games, it will be interesting to see if the Rangers will be able to remain as hot as they have been in the first four games.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com