Fox Sports contributors Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi are reporting that the Texas Rangers are in position to not only pursue Cliff Lee but catcher and first baseman Victor Martinez in free agency this winter.
↵Pursuing both Lee and Martinez would prove to be costly both financially and in terms of draft picks. Victor Martinez is a Type A free agent, so the Rangers would be forfeiting draft picks to the Boston Red Sox as compensation. Of course, Martinez's bat could be worth it in the short term. He posted an OPS of .844 and can catch as well as play first base.
↵Obviously, this would cost a lot of money for the Rangers. Lee is expected to command the most money in free agency this winter - though Carl Crawford might have something to say about that - and Martinez will carry a high price tag too. Both Lee and Martinez are expected to be courted by many other organizations. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman already flew to Arkansas specifically to meet with Lee already.
↵It's good to see the Rangers are willing to spend in the offseason but hopefully they do so wisely. Re-signing Cliff Lee should be the priority - but they shouldn't have a knee jerk reaction if Lee spurns them for New York or elsewhere. Increased payroll is, needless to say, an excellent thing for any organization - the Rangers just have to be sure they are smart with their money.
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