Giants Send Bengie Molina To Rangers, Receive Chris Ray

According to the USA Today, the Giants and Rangers have just about swung the first real deal of the deadline phase:

The Rangers have traded for catcher Bengie Molina in a deal that sends pitcher Chris Ray to San Francisco, according to multiple news media outlets.

MLB Network reported Wednesday night that the Molina deal is for Ray and a player to be named later. FoxSports.com, citing a major league source, also reported the deal and that Ray is part of it.

Jon Morosi says that the paperwork may take another day or more to complete, but the deal itself is all but official. Texas was in search of a dependable starting catcher, and Molina has averaged 121 games over the past ten years. The veteran has had a down year and turns 36 in three weeks, but did slug .442 last season in a big ballpark. San Francisco, meanwhile, doesn't get much in the person of Ray, but clears what's left of Molina's seven-figure salary while also clearing space for top youngster Buster Posey to get more consistent at bats. Posey's hit .290 so far, but until now didn't fit very easily into the lineup.