He's the back-up You would have thought that the 1948 St. Louis Cardinals had traded Stan Musial, the 1957 New York Yankees traded Mickey Mantle or the 1966 Baltimore Orioles traded Frank Robinson.
It's Matt fuckin' Treanor.
Let's all take a step back and inhale a deep breath. Let's put this all in perspective.
The Texas Rangers know that a shaky bullpen might spoil the beginning of the season, much like it did a year ago. They want to take an extra guy. They also know the starting rotation is a mess.
Injuries to Tommy Hunter and a setback for Brandon Webb has the starting five in limbo. Alexi Ogando might get a shot at a rotation spot. By the end of April, we might be bemoaning the fact that the Rangers are six games out in the AL West because of the shitty bullpen or the lack of a reliable fifth starter. We will not bemoan the fact we don't have Matt Treanor.
The back-up catcher was shipped to Kansas City for cash in light of Jason Kendall's injury that could keep him out three months. Don't get me wrong: I love Treanor. He's not very good, but he's smart and handles pitchers well. If nothing else, the move means a lot to the bullpen and Ogando. It speaks volumes about Yorvit Torrealba, who is having a stellar spring at the plate.
Most importantly, the pitchers -- especially C.J. Wilson -- must be pretty comfortable with the new backstop. One year ago, most Rangers fans could not believe that Treanor could make the club.
A month in, it was ludicrous to think he was on the 25-man roster. Today, folks are beside themselves that the back-up catcher was traded. As if all those World Series plans in 2011 were thwarted with one move.
Chances are, the Rangers won't win a pennant. It's a hard thing to do anyway. A team with so many holes have a steeper hill to climb.
However, come September, we will not look back at this day, the day the Treanor died, and wonder "what if?" Ridiculous.
