Rangers Update on Choo and Tanaka

Dec 11, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Rakuten Golden Eagles president Yozo Tachibana (right) walks through the lobby during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Tachibana has not decided whether or not to allow Masahiro Tanaka (not pictured) to sign with a MLB team now that Nippon Professional Baseball and the MLB have agreed on a $20 Million maximum posting bid. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers keep sending us mixed signals during these winter meetings. First they tell us they are not focusing on starting pitching, and then they tell us that they are going to put in the max $20 million bid on Tanaka. Tanaka is not considered to be a number one starter like Yu Darvish is, but he is considered to be a great pitcher. Tanaka has a career ERA of 2.30 in Japan with 1238 strikeouts and 275 walks (in 175 games). He was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season, which is pretty good no matter where you are pitching. I would be all for the Rangers getting Tanaka as he would be an upgrade to Garza by far and he would let Ogando, Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers all stay in the bull pen. It may help bring him here with the fact that the Rangers have Yu Darvish and he is doing very well in the major leagues as a Texas Ranger.

The Rangers also all but told us that they were done with Shin-Soo Choo because the asking price was just too much. We all believed them and began looking at other options when Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan tweeted this:

That’s right, now they are saying there is an offer on the table and Choo and his agent are considering it. I for one think that it is too much money (reportedly around $130 million for six years) and I would rather have Cruz for two to three years instead of Choo for six to seven. Just personal opinion.

So as we keep hearing that the Rangers are being quiet this Winter Meetings, don’t be surprised if they wind up signing both of these players or neither of them before the season starts. I personally think they will get Tanaka and won’t get Choo, but I am almost never right it trying to predict what JD and his crew is going to do when it comes to picking up players.