Shin-Soo Choo Rumor: Texas Rangers have offered Shin-Soo Choo a seven year contract, according to T.R. Sullivan.
Sullivan doesn't provide any financial details of the offer other than to say it is less than the $153 million than Jacoby Ellsbury got from the New York Yankees. Sullivan suggests that Choo could end up going to Texas on a seven year, $130 million deal, and says the Rangers' offer to Choo is "strong enough for Choo to consider."
Choo is a high-OBP rightfielder with some speed and some power, a guy who could hit leadoff or in the middle of the order, and he has been thought to be the Rangers' top target this offseason. With the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees both apparently out of the running for Choo, and with the Diamondbacks having acquired Mark Trumbo, the Rangers look like the most serious suitor still remaining.
UPDATE -- Jeff Wilson says that, per a source, the Rangers don't have a 7 year offer out to Choo. So it could be that Sullivan's source is wrong, or it could be that Wilson's source is wrong, or it could be semantics, where the Rangers have offered six but indicated they'd be willing to go seven, or something like that.
We shall see...
UPDATE II -- Sullivan says that a Rangers source says they are not optimistic about signing Choo.
UPDATE III -- Evan Grant tweets that the Rangers are having ongoing Choo discussions, but reports of a 7 year offer aren't accurate.