Ken Rosenthal has still more notes from Florida, which includes this item dealing with Texas:
The Rangers might be a more suitable trading partner for the White Sox than the Mets; Texas would figure to be interested not only in right-hander Freddy Garcia, but also center fielder Brian Anderson if they lost Gary Matthews Jr. as a free agent.
White Sox G.M. Ken Williams is enamored with several of the Rangers' top pitching prospects.
Meanwhile, Evan Grant reports that several teams are interested some of the Rangers' good young relievers, and suggests Jon Daniels may be able to work a deal by dealing one of the bullpen arms.
I'm sure that any deal that involves trading a pitching prospect, or a reliever, will no doubt result in a hue and cry from some folks about how the Rangers need pitching, and why in the world are the Rangers dealing pitching prospects when they should be developing pitching?
But the reality is, if the Rangers are going to make a trade, it is going to most likely involve dealing relievers or pitching prospects. Those are the areas of depth in the organization, after all.
What else do the Rangers have to trade? Joaquin Arias? Jason Botts? Drew Meyer? Ian Kinsler and/or Gerald Laird would bring a lot back in return, but then you are opening up holes elsewhere. Mark Teixeira and Michael Young aren't going anywhere, and Hank Blalock looks likely to stay.
And there aren't any positional players off the 40 man roster that are going to be anything more than a throw-in at this point. Kevin Mahar, Travis Metcalf and K.C. Herren aren't going to be the centerpieces of any trades. John Mayberry, Jr., could be come July, but right now, he's someone you are finally starting to see some results out of, and you are probably better off hanging onto him and hoping he significantly boosts his stock this summer.
So the Rangers have two real choices on the trade front...they can trade pitching to try to improve their club, understanding that there's a risk that one of the pitchers they give up could become another Robb Nen or Aaron Harang.
Or they can not make any trades.