Texas Rangers rumors: the Rangers should trade Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, says Jon Paul Morosi

Texas Rangers rumors:  Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus should be shipped out at the deadline for pitching, according to Jon Paul Morosi, even if that means that the Rangers need to eat some of the salary Elvis and Beltre are owed.

Morosi argues that the Rangers can't really count on any starting pitcher going forward other than Yu Darvish, and the Rangers "don't have as many major-league-ready starting pitchers in the upper minors" as they do infielders, so he repeats the lifelong mantra of the Dallas/Fort Worth talk show caller:  "When are the Rangers gonna git sum pitchin' up in here?"

Of course, if we're talking about 2015 and beyond -- which Morosi clearly is -- his analysis on the Rangers' needs seems to fall apart.  The Rangers have Nick Martinez and Nick Tepesch currently in the rotation, Derek Holland due back shortly, Luke Jackson pitching very well for Frisco, Chi Chi Gonzalez making a mockery of the Carolina League, and Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, and Sam Wolff on the radar.

Oh, and there's Martin Perez, who was pitching great -- in the majors -- pre-injury, and is due back in the second half of next season.

Are all of those guys going to make it?  Of course not.  But the Rangers have a lot of viable pitching prospects who are a year or two away...or, about the same distance away as Rougned Odor, Luis Sardinas and Joey Gallo, the players that Morosi is comparing the pitching to when he says they don't have as many starting pitchers in the upper minors.

I'm sure the Rangers would listen on anyone in the organization.  If a team wants to make a serious offer for Adrian Beltre or Elvis Andrus, I'm sure the Rangers would listen on either player.  But I think Morosi's piece is deeply flawed because, one, I don't think the Rangers need to look to trade either player to get better in 2015, two, I don't think a contender is going to give up young, quality major league starting pitching for either player without the Rangers eating a huge chunk of the contracts, and three, the Rangers' glaring need for 2015 and beyond isn't starting pitching, it is an impact bat.

But there you go...we haven't even reached Memorial Day, and we have a national columnist advocating the Rangers trade the heart of the team to git sum pitchin' in here.

Sigh.