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2007 Picked up on waivers from Toronto, Quiroz saw just how much his stock dropped when the Mariners sent him down to Double-A in July. Still, he showed a little life with the bat at Triple-A, and his defensive reputation remains intact. A free agent, he signed a one-year major league contract with the Rangers. He`ll compete with Miguel Ojeda for the backup job behind Gerald Laird. 2006 Quiroz struggled in his first exposure to Triple-A in 2004, and wasn`t helped any by questions about his conditioning or a broken hand that cost him serious playing time. But things only got worse in 2005: he suffered an upper back/shoulder injury, and also had to deal with a second collapsed lung, the same ailment that afflicted him in 2003. So what was supposed to be a year in which he bounced back instead saw him limited to 177 PAs before heading off to the Arizona Fall League, where he didn`t hit. He still showed good power in his limited time, and will be in the major league mix this year, assuming he can keep both lungs inflated. 2005 Injuries marred Quiroz's progress for a second straight season. A pitched ball broke a bone in his left hand, costing him a couple of months and dampening his output when he came back. He's still regarded as a good defensive catcher, even though his caught-stealing numbers dipped. As a hitter, he'll rely on his extra-base power, putting runs on the board without reaching a .280 average. Likely to be underrated throughout his career, which will begin for real in July.
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