Trade Rumors That Will Never Happen, Part I

It’s July, and the Rangers are in contention to win the American League Western division for the 3rd time in 4 seasons. Between now and the end of the month — much like how it unfolded during this most recent Hot Stove season — Jon Daniels & Co. are going to be linked to almost every major name on the trade block. But don’t be shocked if all the organization picks up is another catcher to play alongside A.J. Pierzynski.

The rumors have already started flowing:

– Jon Heyman reports the Rangers are 1 of 5 teams scouting Marlins RHP Ricky Nolasco.

– ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine mentions the Rangers being in on White Sox outfielder, Alex Rios, who will be owed about $4 million for the rest of 2013, and has a $13.5 million team option that will almost certainly be picked up in 2014.

– In a video blog of sorts, Ken Rosenthal says the Tampa Bay Rays have been “flooding the Rangers farm system,” though it isn’t believed a David Price deal is in the works. Not right now, anyway. The Rays are still well within sniffing distance of the AL East lead, and Price is their best pitcher. It wouldn’t make a ton of sense to move him right now.

That said, if the Rays are “flooding” the Rangers’ minor league system, you would have to think it suggests something. It wouldn’t terribly surprise me if Jon Daniels has a different object of his desire. Tampa is as deep in pitching as any team in baseball, so perhaps Texas has another arm in mind (Jeremy Hellickson, maybe?).

– Jon Heyman also writes that the Rangers are one of several teams inquiring about Matt Garza, though I have a hard time swallowing the idea that any deal will ever come into fruition. Garza is one of the more overrated pitchers in baseball; conflate that with his extreme unreliability in the health department, and you are looking at a risky, unattractive option.

The speculation has begun, and it won’t stop until July 31st finally passes. In that time we’ll be reminded of names like Giancarlo Stanton, Cliff Lee, Carlos Gonzalez, Oscar Taveras, and people will clamor for Jurickson Profar to be traded … and it’ll all just be one great big hot mess. And 98% of it won’t come true.

Let’s face it, the Rangers have a cagey front office. Especially around this time of year. No one has a clean grasp on what their intentions are, and we won’t know anything until it actually happens in reality.

When there’s mystery, the possibilities are endless. The less we know, the more we have to talk about.

So, as always, I encourage you not to believe anything you read around this time of year.

Unless it’s me, of course.