Kat O'Brien has a piece in the S-T touching on various free agent situations and player moves, acknowledging what has been obvious for a few weeks -- that GMJ is probably not coming back -- while identifying Kenny Lofton, Jay Payton, Dave Roberts, and Brian Anderson as potential replacements for him that the Rangers have varying degrees of interest in.
O'Brien also says that there are five teams seriously interested in Vicente Padilla, and that there's "mutual interest" in the Rangers bringing back Adam Eaton and David Dellucci.
O'Brien also has an item on Mark DeRosa's departure, saying that the Rangers offered him a 2 year, $6 million deal with a team option that could have made it a $10 million package over three years. The Cubs' offer was better, obviously, but DeRosa also is quoted as saying that the most attractive part for the Cubs was the opportunity to be a starter in the infield, something that the Rangers couldn't offer.
Evan Grant reports that the Rangers are pursuing both Barry Zito and Frank Thomas. I'd be very interested in Thomas, although I'm leery of Zito, given his likely price. Grant also says that the Rangers would have some interest in the Rockies' Jason Jennings, who could be shopped if the Rockies can't sign him to an extension. Grant suggests that the Rockies would want something along the lines of Edinson Volquez and a reliever, something I think the Rangers would have to look long and hard at.
The Detroit Free Press has an item reporting breathlessly about discussions between the Tiggers and Rangers, with Jon Daniels and Dave Dombrowski, along with their "lieutenants," talking for twenty minutes at the G.M. meetings. Were they laying the ground work, it is wondered, for a Teixeira-Bonderman trade?
The answer, of course, is no...the F-P article says that never came up:
The dialogue instead centered on less prominent names, and didn't yield any avenues to an immediate deal.
The F-P article also mentions that Jamie Walker is apparently looking at getting a 3 year deal for around $3-4 million per year, which points up again how attractive Ron Mahay could be in the trade market this offseason.
Looking at market news, the Blue Jays and the Mets have talked to Vicente Padilla, Seattle and the Phillies have talked to Adam Eaton, the Orioles and the Astros talked to Carlos Lee, and the Marlins and Giants are among those teams that apparently have shown an interest in GMJ.