Forget Pitching, These Texas Rangers Need an Impact Bat

The hot topic around baseball as the trade deadline nears is all about Roy Halladay and where he will end up going, if anywhere.   The Texas Rangers have been linked to Halladay because they are one of the few teams with the caliber of prospects necessary to acquire the ace.   Perhaps my initial call for Halladay was a blind knee-jerk reaction to both the history of pitching problems the Rangers have had, as well as the injuries in the rotation.   A second offensive shut-down that followed the Rangers home from Seattle has changed my perspective on what this team needs to make the playoffs.   The Rangers fell from first place with a horrible month of June, largely because they stopped hitting up and down the order.   Once they regained some consistency at the plate, they took two of three in Anaheim and regained first place, only to fall behind again, losing three of four in Seattle.   After the All-Star break, the Rangers started the second...