Crisp to DL; Gentry likely Opening Day LF for Oakland

With the announcement that Coco Crisp will begin the season on the DL, missing the first 6-8 weeks after having elbow surgery, it looks as if Craig Gentry will have a chance to battle Billy Burns for most of the playing time in left field for Oakland.  

As a Rangers fan, this excites me for a number of reasons.

First, even though you never want a player to be injured, it’s always a plus to know that Oakland’s lineup just became weaker, losing the combination of power, speed, and grit that Crisp adds on a daily basis.  Oakland may be able to replace the glove of Crisp, or his speed, or his OPS; but they do not have a player on their current roster than can fill all three voids.

Second, it is hard not to cheer for Craig Gentry.  Although his contributions in a Rangers uniform were not the greatest, Kitten Face (thanks, Michael Gruber) reminds Rangers fans of more successful summers, where it was always a delight to see Gentry get a chance to swipe a base or track down a long fly ball. 

Finally, I want to see Gentry get an everyday chance so I can finally make up my mind on the Gentry for Choice trade.  I usually have a good idea on how I feel about trades immediately, but I am still clueless on this one.  Gentry was limited in an A’s uniform last season due to injuries and Michael Choice was limited in a Rangers uniform due to inability to baseball, so perhaps a larger sample size from Gentry will help us come to a verdict on the trade. 

In regards to that trade, what is your opinion?  Long term, do you think the Rangers came out on top with Choice, the A’s came out on top with Gentry, or that neither of them will ever make a significant contribution to either squad?