T.R. Sullivan has an item on the Ranger website, quoting Jon Daniels as saying that he's cautiously optimistic that the Rangers will be able to re-sign Vicente Padilla.
However, it doesn't sound like GMJ will be back...Daniels acknowledged that there are other teams out there willing to pay him more than the Rangers are...
Kat O'Brien has some notes on the Rangers' presence at the g.m. meetings, saying that the front office feels they have a handle on where the market is right now.
O'Brien also mentions that minor league signees Franklyn German and Ramon Vazquez both have invites to spring training. Both these guys are solid signings, I think...German is another power arm that can provide some depth in the bullpen, and Vazquez is a possible option as a utility infielder for next season.
Jim Reeves says that the Rangers made a legit offer on Matsuzaka, but then spends the rest of the column mocking the Rangers for not being able to play with the big boys, and says that they won't pay Barry Zito what it will take to get him here.
The Philadelphia Daily News says that if the Phillies can't re-sign Randy Wolf, their top target among free agent starters is Adam Eaton. The article also indicates that the Phillies are unhappy about the price relievers are getting in the free agent market, which bodes well for the chances of the Rangers striking a deal with Philadelphia for a reliever.
Mark Gonzalez in the Chicago Tribune says that Kenny Williams is irritated by speculation that he's going to trade a starting pitcher, although Gonzalez again lists the Rangers as a possible trade partner, given their depth of relievers and pitching prospects.
Rotoworld is blowing out of proportion this story from Phil Rogers that I linked earlier this week, it appears.
Here's what Rogers says:
While one Mets executive discounted reports of their interest in Javier Vazquez (a favorite of general manager Omar Minaya from their time together in Montreal), the rumors of a possible White Sox-Mets trade persist. Ditto possibilities for the Sox and the Rangers, who are interested in Vazquez and Mark Buehrle. There's the making for a monster deal between these teams, with Sox center fielder Brian Anderson and Rangers reliever Akinori Otsuka among the names in play. The White Sox like pitching prospects John Danks and Nick Masset, and the Rangers reportedly would part with the previously untouchable Danks to land a starter they could control through 2008.
Rotoworld -- which links that story as their source -- turned it into this:
The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers believes the Rangers might be willing to give up Akinori Otsuka, John Danks and Nick Masset for Javier Vazquez or Freddy Garcia.
Rogers may have written elsewhere that the Rangers are willing to give up those three pitchers for Vazquez or Garcia, but I doubt it.
This appears to be an instance where the Rotoworld folks didn't read the Rogers article accurately.