The Rangers traded 20-year old OF prodigy Claudell Washington, veteran C Dick Billings and MR Jim Panther to the Mets for 25-year old lefty starter Jon Matlack, 22-year old catcher John Wockenfuss and MR Francisco Barrios.

Said Execute Manager Riley Payton of the trade, "Washington has looked great in the minor leagues and was tearing it up last year. But we have so much depth in the outfield we don't really have an open spot for him."

"Despite his vast...

Rangers 3B Toby Harrah tore his MCL while running out a double in Texas' third spring training game and has been ruled out for the season. The Rangers quickly signed free agent 3B Sonny Jackson to take Harrah's spot on the roster.

"It hurts to lose our speedy leadoff man," said manager Riley Payton. "He was near the top of the league in walks last year and stole a lot of bases. Toby is a good all-around player and a fringe all-star. We're going to be looking into...

The Texas Rangers, coming off their humbling ALCS loss to the Yankees, sought to improve their team this offseason and put themselves in a better position to content against AL powerhouses like New York.

The first order of business was the draft. With their first round pick, the Rangers chose top lefty reliever Ron Guidry. The young college graduate from Louisiana-Lafayette has ability that is off the charts. Presuming he does not falter greatly during spring training, he will...

The Yankees regular season success against the Rangers pitching staff seemed to magnify during the playoffs. The Yankees collected an astounding 24 runs on 38 hits in a 3-game sweep of the Rangers.

The Rangers had a glimmer of hope for the series in the third game, when they led the Yankees 7-1 after 4 innings. But the Yankees bats came alive again, propelling New York to a 10-9 win and a series sweep.

The World Series thus matched up the Yankees against the defending...

The 75-69 Rangers, behind a 28-18 surge after the All-Star break, are now contending for the AL West title in a tight race with the Twins and the A's. After a thrilling 9-5 18-inning win over the Angels, the Rangers and the Twins now sit a half game behind division leader Oakland.

Said Executive Manager Riley Payton, "I'm proud of the way our guys are fighting. Our starting pitching has stood tall and carried us through some tough stretches. With this division so tight, I would...