Quiet morning out there...
The S-T has an item up indicating that Jarrod Saltalamacchia could start the 2008 season in AAA, depending on...well, it isn't quite clear. This stems from the team's commitment to keeping him behind the plate, though, and it sounds like the Rangers may feel that letting him start the year in Oklahoma while he works some on his defense may be a viable option. Or it may be a smokescreen. I don't know.
Evan Grant writes that teams have been approaching Hank Blalock, hoping to scoop him up on the cheap, but the Rangers aren't interested in moving him. He also notes that teams have inquired about Vicente Padilla, whose contract isn't all that unreasonable given the market right now, and who is viewed as a fallback option for teams once Johan Santana gets dealt.
Jim Reeves writes about the Rangers interest in Johan Santana, and the cost involved. There are a couple of interesting items in there, regarding Rangers prospects:
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One Rangers official ranked Andrus No. 1 and Hurley No. 2 among Texas prospects, followed by Davis, young center fielder Engel Beltre and catcher Taylor Teagarden. Teams have constantly been asking Daniels about Texas' younger players.