The DMN is reporting that the Rangers have made a "formal offer" to Octavio Dotel.
A couple of interesting things about this...first, there's no mention of how many years the offer is, although Dotel's agent says Dotel wants a one year, incentive-laden deal. Personally, I'd rather go with a two year deal on Dotel, because if you are going to take the risk on him, you'd like a little longer-term reward.
Secondly, though, Richard Durrett reports that Dotel "is expected to return in April." Dotel underwent T-J surgery in June, so if he makes it back by April, that would be a remarkably quick turnaround. A pitcher who undergoes T-J surgery generally needs 12-18 months to make it all the way back, so if the Rangers were to get Dotel for only one year, they likely aren't going to be getting him at 100%.
Finally, the fact that a formal offer has already been made is a bit worrisome, in that the deadline for offering arbitration has not yet arrived. Dotel is a Type A free agent, so if the A's offer him arbitration, or if he's signed prior to the deadline for offering arbitration (Dec. 7), then the Rangers will lose a 2nd round pick. That's a steep price for Dotel.