In hindsight, I agree this move looks bad. Even at the time, I would still have probably preferred Bowden over Gabbard. However, you have to include where the big league club was at as far as it’s rotation depth at the time. Obviously, they were rebuilding, but they still needed average or even slightly below average pitchers to fill out their rotation at the time. Gabbard gave them that for a time and now he’s being moved to the bullpen. Sure, normally, you want to just take the player who will be playing the best when you are contending, but I think the need of the big league club at the time has to be included when judging the trade.

Other than that, I’m excited by the complimentary things you have to say about the Rangers.

I believe Feliz pitched in Low-A and skipped over High-A right to AA. I could be wrong.

Yes, it is very impressive that the Braves system is still so good, kudos to them.

Harrison was a rookie. Check out what rookie pitchers generally do in their first exposure to the Majors. Check out what Salty has done since last July including winter ball and now ST. The guy has been doing nothing but mashing the ball.

The jury is still out on Andrus and Feliz just like its still out on Hanson, Heyward, and Schafer. You can say that about every single prospect. I don’t see what the point of saying that again is. All t-ball said was that they look like they could be solid players for years to come. Just about every single person who knows anything about prospects thinks the same thing.

What’s more amazing is that the Braves farm system is still one of the top-5 in all of baseball after that trade.

Although I’d have to argue with you about the defition of “solid players for years to come”. Harrison looked awful last season and a .716 OPS for Salty isn’t impressive. Jury is still out on Andrus and Harrison so let’s not count the chickens before they hatch.

1. “Smoak could see the majors by end ’10″: try “will start at 1b on opening day 2010″, and could appear in TX before Sept callups _this year_ if all the scuttlebutt is any indication.
2. “Holland as a one pitch pitcher”: Wow, this is the first I have heard of his “gimpy” repertoire. How ’bout: Holland will be called up to the rotation _before_ Feliz.
3. “Tea could see some AAA”: Wow. Melhuse trumping Tea as the primary backup in 2009 can only be regarded as the 7th sign.
4. “Smoak is an ave 1b defender”: See Callis’ man-crush
5.”..Borbon plate dsicipline – ok but – see winter ball.
6 “Andrus has the makings of an AA infielder”: suggests he is not one now (or better) by using error totals as your measure?