Rangers trade rumors: Sergio Santos trade falls through

For all the drama at the Winter Meetings, it seems they are not without a sense of irony, either. The Rangers and Blue Jays reported had a deal in place sending reliever Sergio Santos to Texas, but the deal fell apart when another player in the deal failed a physical, according to Jon Paul Morosi.

Santos' career in Toronto was plagued by devastating arm injuries, so it's surprising to see the deal fall through due to someone else's crummy physical results. After coming over in a trade from the White Sox before the 2012 season, Santos was named the closer. He only pitched five innings in 2012 though due to a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. 2013 was only a bit better for him, as he was limited to just 25 innings due to bone chips in his elbow. He made the most of those innings though, notching a 1.75 ERA. He is set to make $3.75 million in 2014 and has team options for 2015 through '17.

The Rangers bullpen was excellent last season, as their five top relievers all posted ERAs of 3.03 or lower. The best of the group was closer Joe Nathan, who posted an ERA of 1.39 and saved 43 games. Nathan signed a two-year deal with the Tigers though, so the Rangers need to find a way to replace his production. If Santos can stay healthy, he just might be that guy. It is not known at this point if the failed physical from the mystery player killed off the deal completely or if talks could possibly resume.