The long-running Real Life Progressive League is looking for a replacement owner for the Texas Rangers, and we have started the draft off the clock.. The Rangers are expected to pick around #20, in what is a very deep draft. For the 2004 season, the Rangers have over 1,300 IPs already (including over 1,100 starter IPs). You could probably trade one of your high IP starters who isn't great in 2004 (Jason Johnson) for a better 2004 pitcher with lower IPs. Your batting in 2004 is also solid, with seven players having over 500 ABs, and four more with over 300, so you can focus on getting an ace on the starting pitcher side to compete for the playoffs, or aim for the future. In fact, batting looks really good through 2008, so, again, you can focus your future drafting and trades on pitching only. If you want to rebuild, the 2005 draft is awesome on the pitching and very deep on hitting, while the 2006 draft is awesome with hitters, and also solid with pitchers.

This progressive league is like most, except that any player who started his career in a season is available to be drafted that season in the first round. In other words, for this season's 2004 draft, OF Curtis Granderson (47 career WAR), 1B Adriane Gonzalez (44 WAR), P Jeremy Guthrie (18.7 WAR) and some others started their careers -- but they are not WIS eligible until 2005 or later. A prospect (we keep a separate draft list to make it easy) joins any players you have on the DL/IR until he is WIS eligible. If you select a prospect in the first round, you can pick up your 25th player in the supplemental draft round, which occurs after the normal draft is finished. The rest is pretty standard, with 4 AAA that you select from the 2004 season, and a DH is used in the AL. We have been around for over 60 seasons, and the rules are very detailed to prevent tanking. Plus, there is a great group of owners in this 24 team league, with lots of friendly banter and plenty of trades.

Please sitemail if interested, and for further details.

Texas Rangers: TBD
Need 3 (you can cut more)

C: Brad Ausmus
1B: Sean Casey, Tony Clark, Julio Franco
2B: Brian Roberts
3B:
SS: Edgar Renteria
OF: Larry Bigbie, Milton Bradley, Reed Johnson, Jacque Jones, Wily Mo Pena, Randy Winn

SP: Jason Johnson, Esteban Loaiza, Greg Maddux, Mark Prior, Kirk Rueter, Randy Wolf, Jerome Williams
RP: Kyle Farnsworth, Javier Lopez, Erasmo Ramirez

DL: None
Cut: P Matt Mantei (DL), C Brook Fordyce, 1B Eric Karros, 2B Marlon Anderson, 2B Fernando Vina, 3B Damian Rolls, SS Ramon Vazquez
Retired: None
Trades: None