Peter Gammons has a couple of items today that Rangers fans should find interesting...
First, he says that the Braves are wanting to move either John Thomson or Horacio Ramirez to make room for Kyle Davies in the rotation.
This dovetails with the rumors that Atlanta and Texas have talked about John Thomson coming back to the Rangers, and with Galloway saying that the Braves asked for Kevin Mench for Thomson.
Gammons says that there's a Victor Diaz for Thomson rumor out there, but that he doesn't think the Braves would send a starter to the Mets. But regardless, it looks like they are looking for an outfielder or a first baseman if they move Thomson.
I'd be on board with bringing Thomson back to Texas, particularly since I think it is at least even money that either Eaton or Padilla breaks down this season. If I thought the Rangers would make Juan Dominguez the 5th starter, and leave him there for three months, then I wouldn't be as pro-Thomson...but since I don't think the Rangers are going to do that, I'd rather they get Thomson instead of going with Rick Bauer or Josh Rupe or C.J. Wilson.
The real question, though, will boil down to cost...Kevin Mench is too much to give up. But if the Braves would take Dellucci or GMJ, I'd be fine with that. There was apparently some talk about Phil Nevin going to the Braves for Thomson, with the Rangers picking up most of Nevin's salary for 2006, and that would also be fine. I think all three of them are imminently replaceable within the Rangers system.
But then, their replaceability is what makes it unlikely that the Braves would be willing to give up Thomson for them. So it seems like a deal like that would be a longshot.
The other interesting Rangers-related item from Gammons this morning regards Carlos Pena:
One of the tough things in the Tigers' camp is that it appears Carlos Pena will get released so the club will have to pay him only a sixth of his $2.8 million salary. Pena still has great power, and when he finds his way to another team and makes some adjustments, he can still be a big offensive player.
Carlos Pena being released would really surprise me, and if the Rangers didn't already have a couple of lefty DH candidates in Dellucci and Durazo, I'd advocate trying to pick him up.
Really, I'm not sure where Pena might end up, if he got released...Florida might want to take a flyer on him, rather than being stuck with Mike Jacobs, and the Giants might be a viable choice, given the choices they have at first base.
But he'd be a good project for a bad team to take a chance on...