It's a really long article, but ESPN Dallas' Jim Reeves thinks the Rangers just may get their crap resolved. And that's good news for us:
For all the doom and gloom that spread rampantly this week after Judge Lynn's ruling that the team's creditors were impaired, Rangers executives came away with a sense that the Judge is cognizant of the time element involved with the fast-approaching trade deadline and how important that could be to the franchise. One of his jobs is to maximize the value of the franchise and what better way to do that than to clear the decks so that the Rangers can be a player in trade talks by the end of next month?
How often, by the way, has baseball's trading deadline been brought up by a judge in court?
It's also important to note that Judge Lynn installed William Snyder as the chief restructuring officer, meaning Snyder has the ball right now and the judge can take his long-planned vacation cruise as scheduled. One other point: Those who understand all the legal gobbledygook say Judge Lynn's plan, if followed strictly by Greenberg and Ryan, will be virtually appeal-proof...
...Throw in the fact that Houston owner Drayton McLane said this week that the Astros would be willing to eat some of Oswalt's contract and that Ryan is already on record as saying he'd love to have Oswalt ... well, it may come down to what the Rangers would have to give up in prospects to get one of these two prime-time pitchers.
I do believe the Rangers wouldn't need to give up as much to the Astros as they would the Mariners for the half-season of Cliff Lee (and his much-lower salary). If the Mets or Twins move on Cliff Lee early - which it seems like they may do - that will only increase the Roy-to-Arlington chances.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
