Kevin Millwood, Vincete Padilla, Scott Feldman, Matt Harrison and Brandon McCarthy, these are the 5 staters that Ron Washington hopes to start off the season with. How confident am I that this is actually the opening day rotation? Well, Padilla, Feldman and Harrison would seem a safe bet and IF Millwood is healthy he is a no brainer. So that leaves us with the often injured and overall fairly unimpressive Brandon McCarthy. Should he falter the Rangers have a few options.

Kason Gabbard and Lulis Mendoza (netiher of whom could hold a spot last year) may get another try. Tommy Hunter also could get a more extended look.  My money is on Dustin Nippert. Nippert got into some games last year with the Rangers and was just ok, but he did show some flashes.

Could Neftali Feliz or Derek Holland actually make the rotation to start the year? It is not likely, but stranger things have happened.

The Texas Rangers have taken a cheap gambled on centerfielder Andruw Jones has they have signed him to a minor league contract for the 2009 season. Jones played with the Dodgers last season but was released over the offseason. The Dodgers will be paying half of his salary since they released him.

The contract will pay $500,000 if Jones remains in the minor leagues and atleast $1 million of Jones makes the big league roster. To reach the full $1 million and bonuses, Jones would need to be an everyday regular player. There is also a March 20th opt out clause that Jones can use if it doesn’t look like he will make the big league roster out of spring training.

Everyday Eddie Guardado is coming back to the Texas Rangers it appears. The deal will be a non-roster contract so he will have to earn his way onto the 25 man roster during Spring Traning but I’m sure he can help out the Rangers bullpen and shouldn’t have a problem making the active roster.

The deal could ultimately be worth more than $3 million should Guardado make the big-league club and meet all performance incentives, and it could include some form of no-trade protection.