Texas Rangers trade rumors: Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross in play

Texas Rangers trade rumors:  Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres starting pitchers, are apparently the subject of talks between Texas and San Diego, according to both Jeff Wilson and T.R. Sullivan on Twitter.

Cashner and Ross, both 28 year old righthanded starting pitchers, were reportedly players the Rangers expressed interest in this offseason.  However, with the Padres being in buy mode rather than sell mode, there wasn't a fit to be had.  With the Padres well out of the playoff race now, however, San Diego is reportedly listening on their veterans, as they look to re-stock a farm system largely depleted by this past offseason's buying spree.

There's been speculation that the Padres and Rangers would be natural trade partners ever since A.J. Preller left the Ranger front office last summer to take over as the San Diego g.m.  Preller was involved with the acquisition of many of the Rangers' minor leaguers, and he no doubt would relish the prospect of bringing some of his favorites to his new team.

Ross seems like a better fit than Cashner, as Ross is under team control through 2017, while Cashner is a free agent after 2016.  The flip side of that is that Cashner, a former first round pick out of TCU, is viewed as having the higher ceiling and more untapped potential.

Ross has a 3.45 ERA, but a 2.75 FIP, in 122.2 IP.  He put up a 2.95 ERA (116 ERA+) and 3.23 FIP in 320.2 IP from 2013-14.  Cashner, who has struggled to stay healthy in his career, has stayed off of the d.l., but has a 3.93 ERA (90 ERA+) and 3.77 FIP in 116.2 IP this year.  The previous two seasons he put up a 2.87 ERA and 3.24 FIP in 298.1 IP.

While I don't doubt that the Rangers have a level of interest in both Ross and Cashner, the fact that two Rangers beat writers both tweeted that the Rangers are talking to the Padres about these pitchers at the same time, and while rumors continue to swirl about the Rangers' pursuit of Cole Hamels, leads me to wonder if there isn't a certain amount of strategic leaking going on.  This could, conceivably, be a ploy to make sure the Phillies know that the Rangers have other irons in the fire besides Hamels, in order to try to get Philly to soften their asking price on Hamels.