FIXED The trio of Texas prospects had a cool nickname: DVD, in honor of John Danks, Edinson Volquez and Thomas Diamond. But with nothing but failure to show for this decade, the Rangers need experience more than potential. So Danks was swapped for a more refined young pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, an understudy in the White Sox pen last year. "He's a Jack McDowell type," says one longtime AL talent evaluator. "I don't know if he's going to be a top-of-the-rotation guy, but he can be a good pitcher on a good staff." The Rangers already have an ace in Kevin Millwood and an innings-eater in Vicente Padilla, so they should be competitive with the other AL West teams. It's the rest of the league that'll give them trouble.

NEEDS FIXING In early March, Eric Gagné climbed a mound and threw all of his pitches, turning over his changeup, spinning a breaking ball, and in his elbow he felt something unusual: nothing. "I'm over the hump," says Gagné, who¹s been limited to 15 IPs the past two seasons. If Gagné is back, it would be a huge boost for the Rangers, who need all the bullpen depth they can muster.

MIDSEASON FIX Rangers fans are already tired of Kameron Loe, Bruce Chen and Jamey Wright; imagine how they'll feel in July. Enter 6-foot-4 Eric Hurley, a No. 5 starter with No. 1 stuff.
-- Buster Olney