Texas Rangers Notes: Are Kerry Wood and Matt Garza Untouchable?

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With the first day of July upon us, there are just a few weeks left before the most exciting time in Major League Baseball.

The trade deadline.

It's the day where all of us baseball fans monitor Twitter and every other piece of social media we can get our hands on to keep track of what our teams are going to do and what trades they will make.

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For the Texas Rangers, the one name who continues to come up is San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell and set up man Mike Adams.

If you listened to Thursday's podcast, Dan McLellan of CBS Sports talked about what it would take for any team to be able to make a deal the Padres would agree to.

A player in Triple-A who has a chance to crack the 40-man roster and a player who can hit for average and has "big league pop." Not only that but a minor league pitcher or two who are in the development stages in the minor leagues but are only a year or two away from being Major League pitchers.

The Rangers could possibly entice San Diego with a package of players that starts with the likes of David Murphy or Craig Gentry and then go through their minor league pitchers to see who might be a fit. Without having to give up someone like Tanner Scheppers.

If that's too expensive for the Rangers' blood, they will have to move on to other players who might be available. We've talked about guys like Pittsburgh Pirates' closer Joel Hanrahan, Oakland A's reliever Grant Balfour.

Another name I've brought up in the past is Chicago Cubs' reliever Kerry Wood as well as starter, Matt Garza.

Before Ranger fans get excited about either of these players, Clark Addison of CubHub.net says not so fast.

"No way he gets moved," Addison said. "He signed a deal at about a quarter of what he could have made on the open market so he can return to the Cubs where he will likely reap a lifetime of personal services revenue. He's not just another athlete in Chicago, he is special. Being a Cub fan favorite affords a guy lots of opportunity after retirement from playing."

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times echoed those thoughts in his column on Friday morning after Kerry Wood met with the media and talked about the trade rumors swirling around.

"I know the [trade] talks are going to come," Wood said. "I’ve already been hearing it. So we can address it now. I doubt it. We’re committed here. We’ve got a [charity bowling] event in September. I don’t see it happening."

"Obviously, Sarah and I will talk about it, and we have a little bit," Kerry went on to say. "But it would have to be ideal for both, something that is definitely going to help the organization down the road and something that’s going to fit for us, which right now is here. So it would be tough."

So while Wood himself isn't ruling out a deal is possible, the way he worded his response would make anyone think he wouldn't be willing to waive his full no-trade clause unless it was the absolute right situation and gave him a chance at a World Series championship.

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As for young right hander Matt Garza, Addison says while it might be more likely a deal could be struck at the deadline, he still doesn't think it's likely.

"The comment I kept hearing from [Jim] Hendry and [Tom] Ricketts when he became a Cub is that he would be under club control for several more years," Addison said. "I think Garza is viewed as something to build around." 

Don't take this as there is absolutely no chance that the Rangers could make a serious play for one of both of these players. But with Wood holding a no trade clause, and Garza still having another four to five good years in front of him, maybe we should call this for what it is.


Check out Clark Addison at Blog.CubHub.net and follow him on Twitter: @ClarkAddison

Texas Rangers Ready to Showcase Chris Davis in the Outfield?

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The Texas Rangers could be ready to bring Chris Davis back to the big leagues but it's not to play first or even third base.

No according to reports, Davis is going to see playing time in the outfield at one of the corner spots and will move Josh Hamilton from a corner outfield position to center field. Something that could make just about every Ranger fan cringe after all the times Josh has run head long into the outfield walls.



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This is nothing more than the Rangers showcasing Chris Davis for a possible trade at or before the trade deadline at the end of July. Davis has seen time in the outfield with Triple-A Round Rock but if Major League teams are going to be interested in making a trade with Texas, they are going to watch him over the next few weeks to see how he handles the change in position.

The knock on Davis, however, isn't his defense but it's when he grabs a bat and steps to the plate. He has a ton of holes in his swing and hasn't had near the same success offensively that he's shown in the minor leagues.

That being said, Davis is still very much a hot trade commodity and the Rangers know it. If he wasn't they would have no reason to bring him up and stick him in the outfield. They know the problems he's had at the plate and they the risk they're taking in having him in the lineup on an every day basis.

But the Rangers need to show that Davis is a serviceable big league player because they themselves need to include him in a trade that would land them a big time reliever for the bullpen or starter for the rotation.

We have talked about a few names the Rangers could be looking at but what we don't know is which deal Davis would be included in.

The San Diego Padres aren't going to do a one-for-one deal with Heath Bell or Mike Adams. They may not even be interested in Davis seeing as they already have young infielders Anthony Rizzo, Jesus Guzman and Kyle Blanks able to man the first base position.

So if it's not Bell or Adams, where will Davis end up and what will he bring in return.

One deal I've talked about before on my podcast involves the Baltimore Orioles and right hander, Jeremy Guthrie.

This is a guy who could use a fresh start especially since he's spent his entire career with an Orioles' team that has no chance in winning their division let alone getting deep into the playoffs.

They are in need of an infielder like Chris Davis and could do send Guthrie to Texas without the Rangers having to give up a second player in the deal.

Also, the Chicago Cubs are about ready to waive the white flag on their season and could be willing to part with reliever Kerry Wood, again. The Cubs aren't going to sell high on Wood and may send him to the American League on a one-for-one swap.


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But there's one name who the Rangers could, and should, look at and he's another pitcher with the Chicago Cubs. Matt Garza was a guy who was brought to the windy city thanks to the aforementioned Kerry Wood and it seems as if the Cubs could very well be open to dealing him in the right trade.

Garza is a guy who really became a young star with the Tampa Bay Rays and it was one of the biggest reasons the Cubs landed him in free agency after the 2010 season.

He won a combined 34 games over three seasons with the Rays and never finished with an ERA worse than 3.95 during his time there.

This season hasn't been nearly as good to him but he has experience in the American League and he's only 27-years old, soon to be 28 in November, so you're getting a young pitcher who still has a lot of good years ahead of him.

There are more than a few names the Rangers will look at over the next month but their ability to make a deal hinges on how Chris Davis performs over the next month. If he struggles and his batting average takes a tumble, so will his trade value.

The Rangers are taking a definite risk but one they could really cash in on if it pays off.

Texas Rangers: Heath Bell or Mike Adams?

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The San Diego Padres are already waiving the white flag.

Well, at least if you listen to SI.com's Jon Heyman. His column this morning talks about the Padres already engaging in talks about closer Heath Bell and set up man Mike Adams.

"San Diego has even shown a willingness to at least engage in trade talk even about a star young reliever such as Mike Adams," said Heyman. "Padres people may ultimately decide to keep Adams, but they appear to be taking a very realistic approach to their team and season."

It's common knowledge the Texas Rangers are a team who will be looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline and they have already met with Padres' brass at Petco Park in late May.

While they won't be the only ones looking for a guy like Adams or Bell, most of the teams looking for pitching help are going to be focusing their attention on the Padres' set up man instead of the closer.


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One of the more obvious reasons might be the fact Adams will be under team control through the 2012 season and may not cost nearly as much to sign the right hander long term.

As of right now, Bell is making $8.5 million in what will most certainly be his final season in a San Diego Padres' uniform before he hits free agency. Once that happens, Bell is going to land a deal between three and four years and in the neighborhood of $10-$12 million per season.

The Rangers may not want to invest that much money, not to mention that many years, for a guy who is already 34 years old. You're looking at an investment that you hope stays healthy for a full three seasons at an age where most pitchers are starting to wind down their career.

Adams is the best option for Texas to go after but what they need to be concerned about, where both him and Bell are concerned, are the players the Padres will ask in return.

Not only will Adams be under a team's control through the 2012 season but his $2.5 million price tag and an ERA that hasn't been above 2.00 since the 2008 season makes him an attractive reliever in any bullpen.

If the Padres are really serious about selling off Mike Adams, it's going to cause a bidding war either in the days leading up to the deadline or just hours before it expires.

If I'm the Rangers, I get the asking price and figure out if it's something I can afford to give. If not, no matter how good Mike Adams is, I move to on other names who can help fix a struggling bullpen as well as a starter for the rotation.

There's no doubt Adams gives the Rangers' bullpen a much different look and a guy manager Ron Washington can hand the ball to knowing it'll be taken care of.

Heath Bell or Mike Adams? That is the question.

Texas Rangers Interested in Carlos Beltran?

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The Texas Rangers have their list of needs as we get closer and closer to Major League Baseball's trade deadline at the end of July.

Everyone want to talk about fixing the bullpen and maybe bringing in a starter or two to add to the rotation in order to move both Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando back to the bullpen.


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One area that hasn't gotten a lot of talk, for obvious reasons, is the outfield. Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Craig Gentry, and Endy Chavez are the five players who are on the depth chart. Hamilton and Cruz are getting the bulk of the playing time with Chavez, Gentry, and Murphy splitting the rest of the time for one spot.

So, with that in mind, it wouldn't cross most people's minds that this team would look to add another outfielder.

Well, apparently that may not be the case.

According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Rangers are apparently interested in New York Mets' outfielder Carlos Beltran as well as reliever Francisco Rodriguez.

Beltran is making $18.5 million this season and will be a free agent at the end of this season. If the Mets pick up the majority of what remains of his contract, the Rangers might be willing to listen.

The Mets' outfielder is having perhaps his best season since 2008, hitting .278 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI through 273 at bats for New York.

Texas Rangers Notes: Why Heath Bell May Not Be a Ranger After All

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With the trade deadline almost exactly a month away, the talk surrounding how to change and strengthen the Texas Rangers' bullpen will become a hot topic of conversation.

The one name who has continued to come up is San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell. He's a guy the Rangers would love to have and a guy who would be a great fit at the back end of the bullpen.

But there's just one problem.


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Bell is a free agent after this season and there is no guarantee he will sign a long term deal with Texas. Being 34-years old and seemingly at back end of his career, Bell wants to go where he can finally win a championship.

He's been with the San Diego Padres for five seasons now and knows there really isn't a light at the end of their tunnel. At least not any time soon.

The Padres are going to look for some young prospects from any team showing interest. The Rangers will be one of those teams but the fear is having it end up as another "Cliff Lee deal." In other words, send prospects to San Diego for a three month rental.

Texas sent Justin Smoak to Seattle at the trade deadline last season in return for Lee even though they knew there was a good possibility he would end up going elsewhere once the season was over. Nolan Ryan didn't seem as convinced, even saying at times he felt confident that they would be able to get a deal done and bring Lee back for the 2011 season.

But, no matter how much they tried to talk to him and woo him back to Arlington, Lee did what was best for him and his family, eventually signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Well, as it turns out, the Rangers might have to compete with the Phillies once more. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Philadelphia is apparently asking around for bullpen help and could turn their sights directly to the west coast and Heath Bell.

With Jose Contreras out four to six weeks with a strained forearm, it's only natural they would start shopping around to see who's available. The Phillies, already boasting the likes of Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and the aforementioned Lee, would be an enticing place for Bell at this point in his career.

But unless the Rangers can talk Bell in to signing long term as a part of a trade, general manager Jon Daniels along with Nolan Ryan, might have a hard time giving up top prospects for yet another rental. Even with Bell in the mix, this team is still a long shot to get back to the World Series, let alone repeat as ALCS Champions.