Monday Rangers Trade Rumors: 20-Something Hours To Nowhere

Well, here we go again:

● 4:00 p.m. CDT: The Rangers have been aggressive in attempting to consummate a deal with the Red Sox, and have scouted Aaron Cook and Kelly Shoppach; they have sinced cooled on Cook, but are still in on Shoppach, and while some of the Texas scouts don't like Josh Beckett, that call is ultimately up to Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan (Nick Cafardo, Twitter)

● 12:15 p.m. CDT: Per ESPN.com's Buster Olney: "Source: Cliff Lee is in play in trade talks today. Rangers obviously the most logical landing spot, with 3B Mike Olt as possible centerpiece. ... Source about Lee trade talks: "It's not going to be cheap." Meaning that the Phillies want a significant package of prospects." Joel Sherman adds that he spoke to one executive who said "Lee [will be] traded by [the deadline] or in the off-season, because Philadelphia needs youth back plus dollars saved," and identifies the Rangers as a front-runner in the re-emerging Lee sweepstakes (Twitter)

● T.R. Sullivan says that the Rangers are "listening" to the Red Sox' sales pitch on Josh Beckett, who's slogging through an odd season (better-than-average peripherals, worse-than-average ERA) and is banking $15.75 million during both this season and each of the next two seasons, and notes that the Rangers "haven't ruled out" the possibility of making a play there; according to Jeff Passan, the Red Sox called the Braves and Rangers over the weekend attempting to "dump" Beckett, with those clubs being targets due to Boston's belief that Beckett would waive his 10-and-5 full no-trade rights to pitch for either of those two clubs (MLB.com; Yahoo! Sports)

● Per the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton, the Royals have expressed interest in Justin Grimm in a possible deal that would send closer Jonathan Broxton to the Rangers; however, that rumor doesn't seem to have gained any traction since last night; the Rangers are reportedly also involved on Rockies right-hander Rafael Betancourt and assuredly some other relief names that we haven't yet as of yet (Twitter)