More Vlady

As is always the case this time of year, rumors continue to fly around as to where players might sign, who’s interested in whom, who’s being traded, non-tendered, etc., etc.

One rumor that has popped up is that the Texas Rangers are "interested" in Vlad Guerrero. The popular notion is that Vlad would be a great fit in Texas because he hits so well there. His career numbers are off the charts. I just wonder if the people who throw this fact around have ever stopped to think that Vlad hits well there not because of the stadium, but because he’s feasted off Ranger pitching all these years. So… unless we’re talking batting practice, there’s no real reason to think Vlad would excel in Texas (although that’s always possible).

In any case Joey Matschulat of Baseball Time in Arlington does a great job of shooting down this rumor.

Interesting note… Got a “thank you” email from OC Dugout for coming to their Vlad Guerrero signing. The note included this… Vlad shook hands, talked with fans in both Spanish and English, and gave out a personal bat and game-used ball (both of which he signed). He even played catch with one lucky fan – go to youtube.com and search “Vladimir Guerrero OC Dugout” for the clip.

Given one of my previous posts about Vlad, I just found the emphasis on Vlad speaking both Spanish and English a little too coincidental. It’s as if there was some sort of Vlad PR Machine in effect. I’m just saying...

In any case, keeping up with the Hot Stove can be crazy at times. If you're interested in staying on top of the latest, you should check in on mlbtraderumors.com and ballbug.com (which is kind of like mlbtraderumors on steroids) for all the latest.