SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Last summer, in the tornado that was the trading deadline, the Rangers called up a pitcher to replace Yu Darvish. Three days later, they decided to send him back out, even though he hadn't had a chance to make his major-league debut.
Hey, it's still a business. Guys come and go. Transactions have to be made.
Manager Jeff Banister had to tell Clayton Blackburn, who grew up a Rangers fan, his dream would have to wait for another opportunity, one for which there were no guarantees.
And that's when Jeff Banister found out that somebody had already had that conversation with Blackburn.