A year ago, the Texas Rangers pulled off a rare intra-divisional trade, acquiring Cliff Lee from the Mariners. Might they do it again this year? According to Evan Grant, the Rangers covet Oakland's Andrew Bailey, among others ...
MLB Trade Rumors: Rangers Looking For Relief Help
Bailey is hardly the only reliever whom the Rangers have monitored. They had basic conversations with Florida regarding Leo Nunez as far back as two weeks ago, but according to sources, there has been little in the way of ongoing conversation. Texas is also monitoring Heath Bell, who is expected to be the most high profile reliever traded this month.
And Bailey might not be the only AL West reliever in whom the Rangers have interest. There have been reports that Seattle would consider moving closer Brandon League.
--snip--
Rangers GM Jon Daniels does not comment on specific players, but he acknowledged the club has no fear of trading within its own division. The Cliff Lee deal last year, speaks for itself. The Rangers also had serious talks with the Los Angeles Angels in 2007 about Mark Teixeira, who like Bailey and League, would have been controllable for at least one full season after the trade.
"If a trade is in the best interests of the Rangers, we don't have a problem trading within the division," Daniels said.
My personal opinion is that any general manager who’s afraid to trade within his team’s division -- and there are plenty of them out there, I think -- needs to find another line of work. Okay, so I won’t hold Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman to that standard, because they’re obviously good general managers and are subject to special circumstances. But not trading within your division is a sign of abject fear, and GMs shouldn’t be running scared all the time.
Anyway, it’s funny how things have turned.
Last season the Rangers’ bullpen was a real strength, with Texas relievers posting a 3.38 ERA good for second lowest in the American League. This year they’re at 4.56, 12th in the league.
It's not really as bad as all that. Much of the damage to the ERA has been done by David Bush (5.79) and Michael Kirkman (7.33), neither of whom are still around. Still, with the exception of ancient left-hander Darren Oliver, those seventh and eighth innings can be somewhat shaky, leading up to Neftali Feliz in the ninth.
There’s this, too ... The Rangers are set everywhere else. Everyone in the rotation is pitching well, and the lineup’s perfectly solid from top to bottom, with only center field looming as a potential weakness. If the front office is determined to improve the club before August, the bullpen is the low-hanging fruit. And Andrew Bailey or Brandon League or Heath Bell would all make the Rangers just that much tougher down the stretch, and (especially) in October.
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