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Rangers rumors...

The Toronto Sun today has a piece on the Rangers and Nationals sniffing around Vernon Wells.

The Sun article mentions that Hart's interest in Wells dates as far back as the spring of 2002, when there were apparently discussions of a Hank Blalock-for-Vernon Wells trade.

If the Rangers were to make a deal for Wells this season, they'd probably have to include Laynce Nix in the package, and then add in prospects. Gonzalez isn't going to do much for the Blue Jays, I don't think, but I'm sure that J.P. Ricciardi would be interested in Jason Botts, Gerald Laird, and John Hudgins, along with the usual suspects (Danks, Diamond, Kinsler).

Ricciardi is interested in Brad Wilkerson from the Nationals, although I don't know how willing Jim Bowden would be to part with Wilkerson. The Nationals are apparently also interested in Soriano, although with the idea of moving him to the outfield.

Soriano to Washington would be an interesting option...the Nationals are hanging around .500, and in their first year in Washington, I am sure Bowden would like to make a splash and try to get the team into a pennant race.

I know the team is going to be reluctant to make a deal involving Soriano while the Rangers are near first, but you could make a deal that would allow the Rangers to be better both this year, and moving forward. If the Nationals want Soriano, and Toronto wants Wilkerson, working a three way deal with the Blue Jays and Nationals would be a viable possibility. If the Rangers could give up Soriano instead of Nix to get Wells, that would allow the Rangers to put Wells in centerfield, leave Mench in left, and rotate Nix, Hidalgo and Dellucci in the RF/DH slots.

It opens up a hole at second base, but as I've mentioned before, D'Angelo Jimenez is a perfect option to fill in at second base, or the Rangers could promote Ian Kinsler, who has struggled early on at AAA but is now starting to hit again.

It probably won't happen, but it is something that I'd wish the Rangers would examine. Soriano is gone after this season, most likely, and if they could get something for him that would help them long-term, without weakening the team this season, that would be a move that I'd think the Rangers would have to make...