The Rangers Mailbag was hit this week with concerns about the state of the Rangers' finances.

Major League Baseball is trying to round up potential buyers for the club, and team president Nolan Ryan isn't among the groups. The club could be in ownership limbo into 2010 and possibly into spring training or beyond.

Q: Leading up to the Monday deadline to sign draft picks, reports frequently stated that Matt Purke, the Rangers' first-round pick, wanted a contract similar to what Rick Porcello received in 2007 from Detroit, which included a big league contract and more than $7 million. But to date, I haven't read anything about what Tanner Scheppers, the Rangers' supplemental first-round pick whom the Rangers can still sign because he forfeited amateur eligibility, is asking for in a contract.

Aaron, Dallas

WILSON: Scheppers, a hard-throwing right-hander, wants to be paid above slot money, which for the No. 44 overall pick is less than $1 million. The Rangers paid some of their lower-round picks some big bonuses, but they won't go overboard with Scheppers.

He might seem to have leverage with Purke not signing, but he also doesn't want to return to the 2010 draft as a 23-year-old who has failed to sign twice. Scheppers has already missed one year with a big league franchise. Missing another would be foolish.

The Rangers hope to have him locked up soon so he can take part in the Instructional League, which begins next month.

Q: Break down how the return of Ivan Rodriguez came about.

Bryan, Bedford

WILSON: The ball started rolling when Jarrod Saltalamacchia's arm issues developed. The Rangers looked at who had cleared waivers and could be acquired in a trade. There were three or four names on their short list, and Rodriguez was among them. But the Astros had to be convinced they were getting something in return to appease their fans, and Jose Vallejo could be their starting second baseman in the near future. Once sold on that, Houston pulled the trigger.

Q: Saltalamacchia has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. How is it possible that so many of the players diagnosed with that have been Rangers? That can't be random.

Brian, Austin

WILSON: You're not alone, Brian, but the results the players have seen after the surgery suggests that Dr. Greg Pearl is on the level. Matt Harrison, who had surgery last month, said he felt better immediately. General manager Jon Daniels suggested that thoracic outlet syndrome is relatively new on the medical scene and that it could become more prevalent in time. The Rangers trust Pearl, a leader in vascular surgery.

Q: How does Ron Washington handle the overload in the outfield when Nelson Cruz gets healthy? It seems like too many players for three positions. Which of the outfielders are going to be back next year?

Travis, Tallahassee, Fla.

WILSON: As difficult as it might be to do, the Rangers may send Julio Borbon back to Triple-A Oklahoma City for a few weeks. He has options, and so far, has played against only right-handers. Cruz is a full-time player and is a badly needed right-handed power bat.

David Murphy figures to lose some playing time when Cruz returns, and so does Andruw Jones. Marlon Byrd and Josh Hamilton aren't going to sit.

Borbon will be back in September and probably will never go back to the minors. He'll be on the roster in 2010, along with Murphy, Cruz and Hamilton. But Byrd, a free agent after this season, might fly away.

Q: Ron Washington needs to realize he is in a pennant race and quickly re-evaluate his management style. He gave two games away to the Twins. He seems to stay with some players too long. It was clear in the fifth inning Wednesday that Kevin Millwood had lost his command and never should have been sent out for the sixth. The same could be said for Scott Feldman on Tuesday.

Al, Bedford

WILSON: Feldman pitched in the sixth inning Tuesday, when the Twins rallied against him from a 5-0 deficit and eventually won, 9-6. Feldman was ahead of most hitters but just couldn't put them away. Plus, there were two outs, he was 12-4 and probably a better option than the middle reliever.

He and Millwood are the staff aces, and Washington believed they were better in those situations than what the bullpen could offer. Plus, one more out in each inning would have set up the bullpen better the rest of the game.

Keep in mind that the Rangers reached 17 games over .500, and that Washington is a front-runner for Manager of the Year. As much blame as he takes for losses, someone needs to start giving him credit for the wins.

Q: It seems Neftali Feliz's fastball is more often around 94 to 95 mph now. What happened to his 100- and 101-mph pitches?

Joe, Weatherford

WILSON: There's no need to panic. Sometimes guys don't get as loose as they normally do. Other times, their arm isn't fresh. It happens. His secondary stuff has been sharp, though, and that's what really impresses the Rangers.

Q: Do you think Brandon McCarthy will be a big part of the Rangers' success the rest of the way?

James, Winnsboro

WILSON: McCarthy will be a part of the team, though it doesn't appear to be a starring role as of now. The Rangers like their five guys in the rotation, so McCarthy is likely to fit in as a reliever and spot starter. If his rehab continues on its pace, McCarthy could be used to start one of the two games of a doubleheader Sept. 1 against Toronto.

Q: McCarthy is working on new mechanics. Is the need to do this a new reality designed only to avoid injury, or is this an old reality that he has avoided in the past? Have his injuries made him more coachable? Does he have aptitude or attitude problems?

If Bakersfield is such a nightmare for Class A pitching and inflates the stats of pitchers in a bad way and hitters in a good way, why do the Rangers keep the affiliation?

Michael, Ann Arbor, Mich.

WILSON: The mechanical changes McCarthy has made are designed to keep him healthy by taking pressure of the shoulder. He has been a quick study, but that isn't a shocking development. McCarthy is sharp, always has been, and in no way has any attitude problems to suggest he's not a good teammate or hard worker.

The Rangers might not be back to Bakersfield in 2010, and the Blaze's owner has said he has no commitment from the Rangers beyond this season. The ballpark's dimensions, most notably the 354-foot center-field wall, causes ERAs and homer totals to soar, but scouts aren't looking at numbers. They look at players and talent levels to forge their opinions.

Q: I believe the Rangers need to do something to get more production offensively. Hank Blalock is just not getting it done right now. Why not call Chris Davis up for the better defense and to see if he has his offense back?

Ed, Longview

WILSON: To Ed's credit, he confessed to being a Davis homer as they share a hometown. But his thinking isn't completely out of line, and some in the organization share that point of view.

Davis will be coming up Sept. 1 and would be eligible for the postseason. He is a better defensive player than Blalock, but Blalock hasn't been a liability. Blalock isn't having the best homestand of his career but has 23 homers this season and an edge in experience.

Q: In comparison to what Philadelphia gave up for Cliff Lee, what would the Rangers have had to give up?

Brandon, Corpus Christi

WILSON: Philadelphia traded four prospects (one upper-level pitcher, one low-level pitcher, a catcher and a shortstop). The Triple-A pitcher was Carlos Carrasco, who isn't as good as Feliz and is older. The Rangers' equivalent for the other three might have been Michael Main, Max Ramirez and Vallejo. How does Feliz, Main, Ramirez and Vallejo sound for Lee?

Q: Could you discuss "the code" regarding throwing at batters? To my untrained eye, I didn't think Boston was purposefully throwing at Ian Kinsler on Saturday. But my understanding has been that, even if it wasn't intentional, the other team still will retaliate.

I also heard Eddie Guardado say there is a big picture in the Rangers' clubhouse of Big Tex handling Robin Ventura.Can you confirm?

Michael, Texarkana

WILSON: Thanks to Vicente Padilla, the Rangers are very well-versed in baseball's "code." The only reason Boston had to throw at Kinsler would have been in response for an eighth stolen base. No one seemed to think there was intent in hitting Kinsler, so nothing happened the next day. But there are times when something is done to protect teammates from more inside pitching or to get even when a hitter clearly is intentionally plunked.

And it's true. A photo of Nolan Ryan with Ventura in a headlock and arm cocked is in the clubhouse. Ryan even took time to autograph the framed photo.

Q: 1. In one of the games this past week, the same kid caught two upper-deck foul balls on two consecutive pitches to Josh Hamilton. That was so quirky, I wonder whether the Baseball Hall of Fame would be interested in having those balls. Your take?

2. With the acquisition of Pudge Rodriguez, how much postseason experience is now on the roster between players and coaches?

3. If NFL and NBA teams have cheerleaders, how come the practice has never caught on for baseball?

4. I notice Nolan Ryan attends almost all of the home games. What's his typical day like on those days?

Chip, Houston

WILSON: 1. Absolutely not. Quirky deal, but so was Kevin Richardson hitting a foul ball at his family.

2. Five players (Rodriguez, Millwood, Jones, Guardado and Omar Vizquel) have been in the postseason. Four coaches (Andy Hawkins, Gary Pettis, Dave Anderson and Mike Maddux) made the playoffs. Anderson was part of one of the most famous homers in baseball history in the 1988 World Series. He had moved into the on-deck circle as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers, but was done so only as a decoy. Kirk Gibson was sent up instead, and won the game with a homer off Dennis Eckersley.

3. A few teams have cheerleaders or dance squads, most notably the Marlins Mermaids. The Rangers use ball girls and have a group of women called the Six Shooters who are considered ambassadors (doing in-game promotions and such) rather than cheerleaders or dancers. Groups like the Six Shooters are all around baseball.

4. The team president has duties that extend beyond the diamond. He oversees the business side of the franchise and has a big corner office with a conference table and big desk that usually has stuff he needs to review or sign or approve. He also makes many appearances and has a busy schedule with the media. He stays busy.