According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Marco Scutaro says he's been contacted by the Rangers (among other teams), with the Rangers supposedly wanting him to play third base.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons.  First, the Rangers supposedly have no money to spend at the moment (although Evan Grant did say the Rangers have contacted free agents and told them that they had interest, but have to wait until the ownership situation shakes out to do anything).

But second...don't the Rangers have a third baseman?  Guy named Michael Young, who threw a fit and demanded to be traded last offseason when the Rangers asked/told him to change positions?  And who would probably be none to keen about making another switch?

One of three, possibly four, things would have to be at work here.

First, Scutaro could have misunderstood (or is misrepresenting) what the Rangers approached him about, since they clearly do need a utility infielder, and could have interest in Scutaro in that sort of role.

Secondly, Baker could have misunderstood what Scutaro said about what the Rangers had talked to him about.

Third, the Rangers could be deciding to fill the DH hole by moving Young to DH.  I can't imagine that Young would be happy about that, and I don't know that putting Young at DH and Scutaro at 3B makes the team any better.

Or fourth, the Rangers are looking to address some of their financial problems by moving one of their big contracts...and of course, the only really big contract on the books right now (other than the one year left on Kevin Miillwood's deal) is Young's.  Young no longer has the complete no-trade clause that he had last offseason...for 2010 and 2011 (until his 10/5 rights kick in), he submits a list of 8 teams that he'd accept a trade to. 

So it may be the Rangers think that one of those 8 teams would take Young and his contract off their hands, thus alleviating the financial pressure.

And I'm sure that would go over well with the fans right about now.

At the end of the day, I suspect that the real answer is one of the first two scenarios I posited.  But it would be nice if we could get some clarification on this...

UPDATE -- Jordan Bastain says that while the Rangers and M's have interest in Scutaro, it isn't necessarily as a third baseman.  So this maybe can be chalked up as a misunderstanding.