Texas Rangers: Is Chris Davis Still on the San Diego Padres' Radar?

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The Texas Rangers are going to be buyers at the deadline especially where their bullpen is concerned. While we've talked about who they could possibly go after what we haven't talked about is who the Rangers might have to give up to make a deal.

Heath Bell seems to be the one player a lot of Ranger fans have their eye on as the guy who could bolster their bullpen and help them down the stretch towards the playoffs.

With that in mind, I talked to a source with knowledge of the San Diego Padres and what it might take to land Bell in a deal.



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"Nobody [in the Padres lineup] scares anyone," the source told me. "They have plenty of young guys now, they need a young player who has been around for a couple of years."

Chris Davis, a name who has come up on more than one occasion, has been mentioned in connection with the Padres. However, a few Padre fans have told me the team would have no need for Davis with Anthony Rizzo up with the Padres and Kyle Blanks returning next season.

"[Davis] would fit the description of a player who's been around for a couple of years but he hasn't put up consecutive solid years yet. He's going to hit a lot of home runs in the PCL and the Southern League. The ball flies there and there isn't big league pitching in either of those leagues."

Maybe that explains the struggles Davis goes through when he makes the transition from Triple-A Round Rock to the Rangers. He's hit five home runs over his last eight games, something that would make anyone stand up and take notice.

However, every time he's had success in the minor leagues, he's called up to the Rangers and just can't find the same kind of rhythm.

Davis hasn't had a real chance to play on an every day basis this season and it makes me wonder if he would have success if he could find a team who would want him as their every day first baseman.

There's no doubt Davis could be dangled in a deal but will it be enough for San Diego to relinquish their closer?

"Only think I could think of is the Padres can say no until they get what they want," said this source. "They don't have to rush to get rid of Bell. With each day that goes by his value skyrockets because the [trade] market is weak for prime pitching."

"The Padres are in the driver's seat for the deadline. There's always one team every year who goes all in and never wins the World Series."

Unless Davis comes up to the big leagues and lights Arlington fire at the plate, he may be staying in a Texas uniform. At least for the immediate future.

Things always change. Stay tuned for the next month and a half because things always get crazy a few weeks prior to the trade deadline.

That's when teams, in desperate need of an impact player, become desperate.