http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/11/blue-jays-to-sign-melky-cabrera.html

It looks like the Jays are serious about winning...for now. With Hunter and Melky gone, what other FA (not trades) OF do you think the Rangers may go after?

Anybody in on Victorino or Pagan?

If i had to guess, Plan A is to sign Greinke and fix the other holes by trade...

WIth that being said, I wouldn't mind Victorino if the price is right.

I think Shane Victorino at the right price would be a great additon. He is a good player and can play all 3 outfield spots. Angel Pagan played pretty well for the giants during the playoffs. Both probably have some good intangibles that this club can use.

Count me in the disappointed category. I think that's a fantastic value for a guy was putting up a performance similar to Josh Hamilton until the suspension. I trust in JD, but I would have loved this signing at that dollar because I think you could have traded Cruz or Murphy for value if you needed the financial flexibility to sign a Grienke or Josh Hamilton.

Pagan interests me. Victorino OTOH looks washed up. He's not an upgrade over a Gentry/Martin platoon. Sounds like the Braves are pushing for BJ Upton but I wouldn't hate if the Rangers got him.

Im still all for Ichiro

@PHart: I agree, but we're fools if we think the Rangers are favorites to sign Greinke. And if they don't do that, then they may not have anyone notable left to go after, and may have to hope they can swing a trade for someone important. I think it's even less likely we pull off a trade for a Shields or Price than that we sign Greinke, even though that's what I'd like to see if we don't.

If that's the case, we're probably not going to do better than signing Victorino or someone like that, that isn't worth getting very excited over. I'm not really interested in a CF of only decent quality; we have Gentry and Martin already.

@aggiecurt05

I have to say I'm surprised at how good of a deal the Jays got. I think I agree with you...for that price the Rangers should have been in on Cabrera.

Every year in FA there's usually someone who ends up going through December without signing only to see most of the money and opportunities dry up. I think I'd rather the Rangers wait for that player this season than sign someone like Pagan now (Victorino actually seems like a good candidate for that given that he's aging, coming off a down year, and isn't going to resign with the Dodgers). They're in the fortunate position of not being desperate for an OF bat which is always the best place to be when it comes to free agents and if they had to open the season with Murphy, Cruz, and Gentry/Martin in the OF I'd be fine with that. I also think there's a decent chance Kinsler ends up in LF next year with Murphy sliding over to RF and Cruz spending far more time at DH.

That said, of the available free agents, I think Victorino or Ichiro would be my favorite choices as I doubt they'd cost too much in terms of contract length (which is probably more important than dollars at this point) and are good candidates to bounce back. Ichiro would also have the added bonus of pretty much making the Rangers the official team of Japan which would be kind of cool as well.

I keep thinking Victorino will end up back with the Phillies on a one year deal. I like the idea of signing Ichiro if the price is right.

Cabrera will be a bargain for the next two years and I'm a bit surprised he signed so quickly - especially with Toronto. I didn't know that was a place guys looked forward to playing at.

If Pagan, Victorino & Ichiro all come off the market quickly without being tied to the Ranger's you've got to start thinking JD isn't just sending up smoke signals when he says he sincerely wants Hamilton back. He's got a better picture of the market than any of us and I can't see us rolling to Surprise with an outfield of Murphy, Cruz, Martin, Gentry, Moreland, Kinsler & Joey Butler.

" I think that's a fantastic value ..."

It would be if you were getting the PED-enhanced version for that price. But you aren't. Without the added boost, he's just a guy.

Kinda like Cabrera for that price but I also see enough red flags on the guys to say no. Would love for us to go after Grienke instead of anybody else but if we miss out on him I like the thought of Marcum on a one year deal.

Bautista can introduce Melky to a masking agent that works.

HAHAHHA that was awesome God

"Bautista can introduce Melky to a masking agent that works."

There might be some truth to that.

As I said on the Melky Cabrera post about a week ago, Melky was nothing more than a Plan B option, anyway. If the Rangers can't get some deal hammered out with Arizona for Justin Upton, I'm fairly certain they will try to recoup the loss by going after his brother, B.J. Melky would only have been pursued if the Rangers struck out on both.

Eric you may be right but now there is no Plan B or safety net if your feelings are correct. So it still could be a big deal if Plan A does not work out. Let's hope everything will work out. I am sure they will with JD as the GM

guest, the Rangers have about 17 Plan B's. We good, bro.

All I need to know about BJ Upton I found out when Evan Longoria called him out for loafing and he blew his top like a bitch. I could look past that if his numbers were out of this world but they aren't. Just my opinion but I don't want anything to do with an inconsistent loafer like Upton.

They got over it. B.J. turned out to be pretty beloved in Tampa, despite the perception that so many fans buy into. Plus, the Rangers don't have clubhouse issues.

I'll take a 4.0 WAR replacement for Hamilton any day.

I like both Upton Broz... so do Rangers. B.J., although a 4.0 WAR, seems to lose
his edge in the pinch of playofffs. Olney states he see Stanton gone in 20 months,
Lets overwhelm Miami and bring a "new core piece" to OUR Club. I'm ALL IN!