The Texas Rangers, Ian Kinsler and Laundry

A lot of people are up in arms over the comments of Ian Kinsler in a recent edition of ESPN the Magazine. He called Rangers general manager a sleazeball and said he hopes the Rangers go 0-162 for the season.

Kinsler later backtracked a bit and said the comments were taken out of context, etc., etc.  Whatever.

There was much consternation over Josh Hamilton's parting comments a couple of years ago saying Arlington was not a baseball town.

Here's the deal. Kinsler and Hamilton are no longer Texas Rangers. They don't wear the laundry of my favorite team.

Baseball is a business. Don't get too attached to the players. In this day and age of free agency, chances are your favorite player is going to change teams. Get over it.

Whatever roving band of bat-wielding mercenaries is currently wearing my favorite team's laundry, that's who I'm rooting for.

We welcomed back a Nelson Cruz after his suspension. No longer wearing the home team's colors? Goodbye and good riddance or good luck, depending on your perspective.

The way things are today, I root for laundry. For better, or for worse, that's the way it is. And it's a lot less messy that way.

Kinisler for Fielder, Rangers and Tigers

We don't analyze salary implications. We don't delve into metrics. We opine on what we see. And how that might affect our Texas Rangers. And we don't really care how that affects the other team involved.

Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder.

That is the crux of it.

The Rangers needed more power at first base. Fielder provides that.

The Rangers needed a spot for Jurickson Profar. Moving Kinsler provides that.

Are we happy about losing Kinsler? Of course not. Ian is one of our favorite players.

Are we excited about what Fielder may bring to our Rangers? Of course we are. Apologies to Mitch Moreland, but seeing Fielder hammering the Home Run Porch in Arlington has us salivating.

Losing two really good guys (David Murphy to Cleveland via free agency and Kinsler) is hard to swallow, but this is all about making the team better. Hopefully, this is just the start.

The Rangers still need to upgrade the outfield and get more productive at catcher.

We like this move, but it can't be all. There is more work to be done.

Josh Hamilton Now an Angel: Not Exactly the Apocalypse

We want to preface all that follows with this:  we wish Josh Hamilton were still a Ranger.

What stings most is not that Hamilton is gone.  We had prepared ourselves for that.  What stings is that he is now with the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim California.  Texas' most hated division rival.  That's what stings.

In our opinion, the Rangers never had any intention of resigning Hamilton unless it was to an organization-friendly deal.  But given the chance (which Josh never gave them, probably not his fault) the Texas brass would have matched an offer by the Angels.  Just our opinion.

While Hamilton was an integral part of the Rangers' three straight post-season appearances, he was not the whole team.  Hamilton has the ability to carry an entire team for a span when he is hot.  When he is cold, he also has the ability to suck the life out of a team.  While the good outweighs the bad, the loss is not insurmountable.

This team still has Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, and Nelson Cruz.  Throw David Murphy, Mitch Moreland into the mix.  Then the Rangers have young players like Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar, just to name two. The cupboard is far from bare.  Texas also has what most consider to be the best minor league system in the league.  So there.

The losses of Hamilton, Michael Young and Mike Napoli hurt.  But it's not the end of the world (that comes 12/21/12).  There are still free agents and trade possibilities available this winter.  It's not over yet.  Then comes the chance for some of those prospects to bloom during spring training.  Let's also not overlook the possibility of in-season trades.

While the past few days have not been ideal from a Rangers' perspective, do not panic.  This whole Major League Baseball thing is a marathon.