Rangers as potential sleepers?

The Rangers are as well positioned as a team could be, money to spend, deep farm system including top prospect in baseball and quality veteran players on expiring contracts.

This team does not have the playoff rotation nor a lineup with the ability to generate offense especially through quality at bats.

I disagree the Rangers should try to acquire a big time bat at the deadline to help the struggling lineup, the SF Giants have won 2 world championships with a below average lineup but stellar defense and even better pitching.  Thats the direction the Rangers need to go.

If you are going to trade quality pieces like a Jurickson Profar, Mike Olt, Joey Gallo or Martin Perez, do it a quality piece at the most important position, bottom line, pitching and more pitching.

What good would a top bat like a Giancarlos Stanton do when the Rangers are trailing 5-0 after four innings?  The team is trying to survive with 3 rookies in the rotation for a significant portion of the season with little help on the horizon until August and thats if all goes well.  Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to acquiring a bat like Stanton but not if the pieces to do it prevent me from getting a top quality pitcher like David Price or Cliff lee.

I would much rather try to acquire David Price, negotiate a long-term contract and give up any prospect not named Profar to make it happen.  He has become un-tradable in my eyes, a key piece for this team going forward.

My plan is do anything possible to acquire a top starting pitcher to go along with Darvish, Holland & Harrison and feel good about any match up regular season or post season for the next few years.  A starting rotation like that makes the Rangers a contender every year and an offense less dependant on the long ball to generate offense.

If the Rangers are more than 5 games out at the deadline, I instantly become sellers and move on from veterans like AJ Pierzynski, Lance Berkman, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz & Joe Nathan.  With the exception of Berkman & Murphy, all others should be able to command quality prospects and possibly a top prospect for Cruz.

Speaking of Nelson Cruz, I am done with him as a right fielder, his consistent inability to take proper angles on a ball is just inexcusable. I like the threat of his bat but he's going to get paid like a big time power hitting outfielder which puts him out of my price range. The Rangers aren't shy of spending money but as long as its on the right player. Cruz is a left fielder #5 bat on my team who does not deserve a 5-year $80 contract in my eyes.

The best way to prepare for that departure is trade him now for a piece that can be my right fielder, designated hitter, catcher and fill out the rotation.