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Texas Rangers rumors: Alex Rios and Neal Cotts could be wearing new uniforms by this evening, as rumors continue to buzz about the two in advance of today's 3 p.m. Central non-waiver trade deadline.
Ken Rosenthal just tweeted this about the Rios market:
Sources: #Mariners want Rios, but #Rangers "closer elsewhere."
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2014
Jon Heyman describes Rios as "perhaps the best all-around outfielder on the market," saying that the Royals, Giants, M's, Reds and Indians are interested in him.
Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles isn't enthused about the possibility of Rios going to San Fran, so he'll probably end up there just to torment Grant.
Meanwhile, Neal Cotts is a solid lefthanded reliever who is a free agent after the season, and those sorts of guys always have value. T.R. Sullivan just tweeted about him:
Red Sox swarmed with offers for LH Andrew Miller. Teams that don't land him may turn to Neal Cotts.
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) July 31, 2014
Of course, Sullivan also wrote that the Rangers might decide to extend Cotts rather than trade him. So there's that. And there's always the info that the Rangers are putting out there that they might want to bring Rios back next year instead of trading him, although I suspect anyone who talks to Ron Washington might get a different story.
In any case, chances are there will be a move involving the Rangers in the next 4 hours. And then we can obsess and dissect the move, before returning to arguing over whether the 2015 Rangers have a chance of making the playoffs.
UPDATE -- From a Mariner beat writer:
Very fluid but hear #Mariners' top preferences are Rios and Zobrist; Bonifacio and Denorfia are backup plans….about three hours to go.
— Bob Dutton (@TNT_Mariners) July 31, 2014
Rios being the M's top priority, and yet still not being that close on him, is intriguing.
