Rangers Round-Up: Winter Meetings News and Notes

Just a quick jaunt through some news and rumors relating to the Texas Rangers over the past 24 hours or so. None of these were worthy of their own post, but all should be mentioned, so here they are.

The Rangers have begun extension talks with outfielder Josh Hamilton, reports Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. Hamilton notes that “If something is going to happen, it’ll happen this winter or in spring training.” Hamilton will not negotiate once the season begins and the Rangers have held the same policy in years past.

Hamilton will be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Matt Kemp‘s recent 8-year $160 million deal with the Dodgers has been viewed as a contract similar to one Hamilton would be seeking, though Kemp is younger.

As is usual during the off-season, and especially so during the week of the Winter Meetings, rumors are rampant about what teams are interested in which players, but the Rangers interest in retaining left hander C.J. Wilson is real. The club met with Wilson’s agent last night and have offered a reported 4-year, $60 million deal. The Angels, viewed as the favorite to land the southpaw, have stated that they will not go to six years, but my guess is it won’t take that much to sign him, anyway.

Wilson is expected to sign before the week is up and Garber was meeting with the Angels in Dallas again today. The Marlins are involved here as well.

Prince Fielder has been linked to the Rangers several times this week, but Nolan Ryan is telling reporters that his club is not in pursuit of the slugging first baseman. The Marlins are said to have entered the bidding for Fielder, should Albert Pujols decide not to take his talents to South Beach.

Free agent left hander Mark Buehrle has been getting closer to a decision on where he wants to play, according to Jim Bowden. Yesterday, it was noted that Buehrle had trimmed his suitors down to a pool of five clubs and today, that number has shrunk to three. It is unclear whether or not the Rangers remain on the list, but they are believed to have made an offer to the former White Sox hurler. Danny Knobler tweets that the Marlins are still in play, just as is the case on every major free agent.

T.R. Sullivan speculated that Texas could be in on free agent reliever Octavio Dotel. The Rangers officials met with Dotel’s agent last night. Dotel would fit the mold of the relievers Texas has been linked to thus far; a late-inning right hander capable of closing or setting up. Dotel is known to have a handful of suitors.

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