Barry Zito is headed for San Francisco and I'm here in Phoenix, taking a little vacation and working on a special project. Therefore the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill is closed this week and probably won't do anymore blogging until after the New Year. But hold those thoughts and opinions because, as you all know, vacations go by quickly....TR

The Rangers have acquired right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy from the Chicago White Sox.

The Rangers acquired McCarthy on Saturday for pitchers John Danks, Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner. The Rangers also acquired Minor League outfielder David Paisano in the trade.

McCarthy was 4-7 with a 4.68 ERA in 53 games, including two starts for the White Sox in 2007. He is expected to join Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla in the Rangers rotation.

Danks was the Rangers No. 1 draft pick in 2003 and was 4-5 with a 4.33 at Triple A Oklahoma and 5-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 13 games at Double A Frisco.

Masset also split time between Frisco (2-2, 2.06 ERA) and Oklahoma (4-5, 4.81) and pitched in eight games for the Rangers with a 4.15 ERA.

Rasner, a seventh-round pick in the 2005 draft, was 6-16 with a 5.41 ERA for Class A Clinton.

In a conference call, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said he is not optimistic about the possibility of signing Barry Zito. More on the website this afternoon.

* Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we were all both a little bit naughty and a little bit nice this year…

* Dr. Noah Federman at the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA told this story to Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers about how athletes' visits do make a huge difference with their young patients.

* One patient's name was Mario and Federman told Simers, " No one could get the kid to say a word and Eric Gagne visits him two years ago, shows him the secret to his changeup, sends him a jersey and the kid just lights up. He was so sick, and now he's running around like any other teenager getting in trouble. Yeah, I believe it makes a difference."

* George Lynch, the former Maverick who played 12 years in the NBA and is now an assistant coach at SMU? Yes, he is Rudy Jaramillo's son-in-law.

* Vicente Padilla – who gets $9 million in 2007, $10 million in 2008 and $12 million in 2009 – gets an extra $3 million if he wins three Cy Young Awards. His new contract calls for a $500,000 bonus for one Cy Young Award, another $1 million winning it again and another $1.5 million if he should win it a third time.

* Hey, it's not the most far-fetched incentive clause in the contract. He gets $100,000 if he wins the Silver Slugger Award. No, the American League does not give a Silver Slugger Award to pitchers. Padilla could get traded to a National League team though. But that doesn't change the fact that he is a career .092 hitter, the 13th lowest for a Major League hitter with at least 100 at-bats.

* Padilla did better than Kenny Lofton. Padilla also gets $100,000 if he wins a Gold Glove. Lofton only gets $25,000 for a Gold Glove and $25,000 for a Silver Slugger. Lofton has won four Gold Gloves.

* Alfonso Soriano's agent worked out a $139 million deal but also didn't forget to make sure his client gets a suite when the Cubs are on the road.

* Greg Maddux also gets a suite on the road, plus membership in San Diego's Del Mar Country Club.

* This one still keeps coming up. Cardinals second baseman Adam Kennedy gets $50,000 if he is the Most Valuable Player of the Division Series. There is no MVP Award given out in the Division Series.

* Some players get bonuses for getting traded. Gary Matthews Jr. gets $500,000 every time he gets traded. Lofton gets $100,000 if the Rangers deal him.

* Best is Bengie Molina's three-year, $16 million deal with the Giants. According to his contract, the Giants have to pay his expenses during the winter in the Athletic Training Performance Program. In other words, not only do they have to pay him $16 million during the season but they also have to pay to make sure he stays in shape during the off-season.

* Just for the heck of it: Dan Miceli.

* Somebody mention Tom O'Malley? Yes, he is the only Ranger to be born on Christmas Day. Hall of Famer Nellie Fox, who was a coach for the Rangers in 1972, was also born that day. And Rickey Henderson.

* Ready for this one? Who has the highest career batting average since 1900 in Major League history, minimum of ten at-bats? Joaquin Arias. He batted .545 by going 6-for-11 last season for the Rangers. So did Luis Silverio, an outfielder with the Kansas City Royals back in 1978.

* That was former Rangers pitcher Jeff Russell's son Casey who was quarterbacking Colleyville High School in the state high school football playoffs.

* Nelson Cruz finished second in the Winter League Home Run Derby in the Dominican Republic.

* Brewers manager Ned Yost on the way Kevin Mench played for them after the July 28 trade:  "I can't explain it and I don't think Kevin can explain it. I mean, he surely didn't want to come over and not play well, but a lot of times, you know, it's a shock when you've never been traded before and you come to a new team and everybody's looking at you and you really try to make an impression. You know this game is played with natural ability and in order to let your natural ability flow, you've got to be relaxed. You can't press."

* The Rangers are talking to Jerry Hairston Jr. about coming back and being their utility infielder.

* You knew of course that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were among the thousands of extras who were in the stands at Fenway Park during the filming of Field of Dreams. You also knew that the Red Sox demanded so much money for the use of Fenway Park that the concession stand scene with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones was actually filmed in Iowa.

* Vicente Padilla will give $150,000 per season to the Texas Rangers Charity Foundation.

A most profound and Merry Christmas to one and all.

The latest hot stove checkup...

Mark DeRosa is gone.

Mark Loretta is still out there and of interest to the Rangers.

Loretta, 35, is a right-handed hitter who started off his career as the classic utility player but has emerged as a regular second baseman over the past four years and a pretty good one.

His best year was with the San Diego Padres in 2004 when he put up Michael Young numbers, batting .335 with 108 runs scored, 208 hits and 76 RBI. Last season he was the Red Sox second baseman and batted .285 in 155 games and 635 at-bats. He was an All-Star both last season and 2004.

He is unsigned so far this winter and the Rangers, who could use a good utility player, have inquired about him.

This guy has even made one appearance as a pitcher at the Major League level. The problem is he has also played just one game in the outfield.

The Rangers also have four infielders who like to play every day. Every single day in fact and that makes it difficult to attract a utility infielder. But there is at least a little uncertainty with Hank Blalock coming off of shoulder surgery.

The Rangers do need one more right-handed bat and it would help if he could play the outfield. They have talked about Rondell White but he looks like he's going back to the Minnesota Twins.

They have also looked at Shannon Stewart, who is coming off a foot injury. Add Loretta to the list.

Seems like we rarely get to talk about the bullpen on Monday Morning Manager. But with Eric Gagne in town today to get his physical, let's do just that. Actually you can talk about anything you want but...

1. Do you agree with the decision to sign Gagne. Why or why not?

2. Who closes, Gagne or Akinori Otsuka?

3. What current reliever needs to be put in the starting rotation and what do you do with Kameron Loe and John Rheinecker?

4. What do you think is the Rangers best seven-man bullpen?

5. If you're Jon Daniels and you're trading Otsuka, who do you call and what do you ask for?

Checking in on the Hot Stove League again

Remember Russ Ortiz?

The Rangers do. So do the San Francisco Giants. It appears that Ortiz will be pitching for the Giants next season.

But the Rangers had strong interest.

Ortiz went 21-7 with a 3.81 ERA with the Atlanta Braves in 2003 and 15-9 with a 4.13 ERA in 2004, then became a free agent. The Arizona Diamondbacks proceeded to sign him to a four-year, $33 million contract that ranks as one of the worst signings in the last few years, certainly since Chan Ho Park but we haven't heard the last of Gil Meche.

He was 5-11 with a 6.89 ERA in 22 starts in 2005, then released after going 0-5 with a 7.54 ERA in 2006. The Orioles picked him up for the minimum salary, hoping pitching coach Leo Mazzone could get him back on track. But Ortiz was 0-3 with an 8.48 with them and let go at the end of the season.

He is now pitching winter ball in Puerto Rico and the reports are he is throwing well again. He has fixed his mechanics and is throwing 94 miles per hour again. That's why the Giants, Rangers and other teams were pursuing him.

The Diamondbacks are still responsible for his salary. Everybody else is just hoping to get lucky and see if a 21-game winner can approach his old self again. The right-hander is still just 32 years old.

The Giants know Ortiz well. He was with them from 1998-2002, their fourth round pick in the 1995 draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He won 67 games for them over those five years and had them eight outs away from a world championship when he left Game 6 of the 2002 World Series with a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh.

Looks like he'll be wearing a Giants uniform again, but the Rangers did try to persuade him otherwise.

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where everybody plays on a one-year contract...

* Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine on the progress pitcher Mark Mulder has made on coming back from shoulder surgery: "He’s aggressively addressing his rehab. He’s very committed to it. It’s something he’s doing on a daily basis. He truly believes he’ll be able to comeback and make an impact for a club next year, which, I think if you talk to most medical professionals, would be a little ahead of schedule. But that’s his expectation. The way he looks at it, he’s going to make a significant impact next year."

* Rangers general manager Jon Daniels on Kenny Lofton: "Kenny Lofton fills a few needs on our ballclub. He's one of the most accomplished leadoff hitters in the game. He has taken care of his body over the years and he can still play center field. Most importantly, he brings a winning pedigree to our clubhouse. If you look at Kenny's personality, I think he's going to bring a little bit of a swagger and winning attitude to our clubhouse." <p />

* Levine on reliever Eric Gagne and his recent back and elbow surgeries: "Anytime you engage in a negotiation with a history of injury, you do a medical history, both past and recent. In this case, we evaluated that very closely. And anytime you sign a player of this magnitude, you have a very thorough physical. Not only look at reports but lay hands on. We wouldn’t have engaged in negotiations without having done that."

* Kenny Lofton is the active stolen base leader. He also has 194 bunt hits and that too is the most of any active player. But Craig Biggio has the most infield hits. Lofton is second to him.

* Lofton played guard on the University of Arizona basketball team that made it to the 1988 Final Four. He later played in the World Series for the Indians. Only other guy to do that was pitcher Tim Stoddard, who was with the Orioles in 1979 and a forward for the 1974 North Carolina State team that knocked off UCLA.

* Actor Kurt Russell played Minor League baseball and made it all the way to Double A for the Angels before a shoulder injury ended his career. Director Ron Shelton had him for the lead in Bull Durham but the studio insisted on Kevin Costner instead.

* Just for the heck of it: Adrian Devine.

* When the Rangers play the Devil Rays May 17-19 in the facility known as The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, it will be the 40th stadium that the Rangers have played in since moving to Texas in 1972.

* Most visited stadiums outside Arlington? Oakland's MacAfee Coliseum and Angel Stadium. The Rangers have played 250 games there each under their various names. Then comes Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Rangers have played there 218 times.

* The Rangers have winning records in only two away stadiums where they've played at least ten games. They are 32-27 at Jacobs Field and 25-21 at Tropicana Field. They were 63-63 at the old Cleveland Stadium.

* You realize the Rangers had a 3.72 ERA at old Arlington Stadium? Only place lower – 10 or more games - is a 3.68 ERA at Comerica Park. They are 5.02 at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

* Current stadiums the Rangers haven't played in? Miller Park in Milwaukee, Petco Field in San Diego and the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Also RFK Stadium, which was their home as the Washington Senators. But they haven't played there as the Rangers. They played in the old parks in Milwaukee and San Diego but have yet to play in St. Louis.

* No the Rangers have not been to Shea Stadium since Inter-League play began. But they have played 12 games there. What? That's right, the Yankees used Shea in 1974-75 while Yankee Stadium was being renovated. Rangers were 4-8 there.

* Actually the franchise – going back to 1961 – has played in 43 parks. If you add the Senators years, then you have to add RFK, Griffith Stadium (right), the Seattle Pilots home that was known as Sicks Stadium and of course Wrigley Field. No, not the one in Chicago, the one in Los Angeles which was the Angels first home.

* Jeff Bagwell is retiring on Friday and is probably headed for the Hall of Fame. But not because of what he did against the Rangers. He hit .230 against the Rangers with just two home runs in 87 at-bats. He was 7-for-42 (.167) with one home run at Ameriquest Field.

* So who did he abuse? The Cincinnati Reds. He had 49 home runs and 154 RBI in 701 career at-bats against them.

* Lofton on the great catch that Gary Matthews Jr. made off of Mike Lamb last season: "I’ve got those catches in my arsenal, too. If you look in the record books, I’ve got them. And I did it more than once."

I have finished my Hall of Fame ballot. I'm sharing it with you. Feel free to blast me. I'm getting plenty of mean e-mail from New Yorkers who are upset I said Texas is a better place to raise a family.

Couple things:

I don't think about that "first-ballot" thing. They are either Hall of Famers or they are not. Secondly, my vote can change from year-to-year. I go over everybody on the ballot every year, review their statistics and career. There are guys I have voted one year and not the next.

That's not being fickle. It's just the way it is.

Ok.

1. I voted for McGwire. Why? Just didn't feel all that righteous. There are already guys in the Hall who were shady, borderline or don't belong and there are numerous players over my years of covering baseball who could rightfully be questioned. I just don't feel like singling out McGwire. That bothers me more than anything, flogging him (so to speak) while others get off. That's why I voted for him and I read all the comments on Monday Morning Manager.

2. Cal Ripken - no-brainer

3. Tony Gwynn - no-brainer

4. Rich Gossage - His dominance as a reliever for a ten-year period is unquestioned. He was truly great for ten years.

5. Andre Dawson - I think he is a huge oversight. A great, great defensive player who was very good to excellent offensively for a decade or more. He belongs

6. Jack Morris - This is a hard one for me. I don't vote for him every year. I did this time. I'm troubled by the fact that he never won a Cy Young and his ERA is a little higher than I would like. But I think - at least today - that he was good enough for a sustained period to be in.

7. Alan Trammell - I think his all-around game - combining offense with defense - is deserving. I agonized over Dave Concepcion this year. Promise you I did. I have a hard time justifying why Trammell and not Concepcion. But Concepcion won just one more Gold Glove (5-4) while Trammell was the much better all-around offensive player.

As for others:

* Save totals aside, Rich Gossage was clearly superior to Lee Smith.

* Dale Murphy, Jim Rice and Dave Parker cause much agony but I just don't think they had the complete career needed to get to Cooperstown. I have voted for Rice and Murphy previously, this year my inclination is no but they are that close.

* I just don't see Bert Blyleven. I just don't. The career numbers are very very good but the year-to-year just does not stand out. I look at him hard every year because people whose opinions I value say he should be in. I just don't see it. I wish I did. Yes, abosolutely there is no doubt in my mind that year-to-year, Jack Morris was the better pitcher.

And your opinion is?

The Rangers have agreed to a one-year deal with Kenny Lofton...They just need to get the obligatory physical out of the way. But they finally have their center fielder in hand. Now back to Monday Morning Manager and Mark McGwire.

Welcome to Monday Morning Manager. A few simple questions.

1. Would you vote for Mark McGwire for the Hall of Fame? I have a ballot and I'll tell you who I voted for at the end of the week. But tell me why I should or should not vote for Mark McGwire.

2. The Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in Mark Teixeira so would you make this purely hypothetical trade. Would you trade Teixeira to the Pirates for Tom Gorzanny and Paul Maholm. If yes, what would you do to replace Teixeira in the lineup?

Resuming the not-quite daily look at the Hot Stove League....

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels admitted at the winter meetings that the club is interested in Eric Gagne, the Dodgers once-great closer who has been limited to nine saves the past two years because of elbow and back surgery.

Gagne wants to close. The Rangers have a closer in Akinori Otsuka. They could use a power arm in the eighth inning but probably don't want to spend too much because of other needs. Gagne, who is represented by Scott Boras, turned down $4 million to return to the Dodgers.

The Red Sox are interested in Gagne and could use a closer. That could be a possible destination for him. How much are the Rangers in on this? Depends on who you talk to but a Rangers officials said on Friday, "It's not close."

Ok...

The Rangers are also interested in Ryan Drese. You remember Drese. He was the 14-game winner for the Rangers in 2004 who struggled in 2005, was put on waivers and claimed by the Washington Nationals. Since then he has had both shoulder and elbow surgery and pitched in just two games for the Nationals last year.

Presumably they are talking to him about a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. But who knows? Thought Kip Wells would get the same thing but the Cardinals gave him $4 million.

Gil Meche got five years and $55 million.

Interesting quote by a Rangers insider about Meche: "Here Seattle needs pitching and they can't wait to get him out of town. That tells you something right there."

The Rangers have signed free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd, who hit .223 for the Washington Nationals last season. He is a career .263 hitter, mostly for the Philadelphia Phillies. More details to come on this center field candidate.

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where nobody needs to pass a physical...

* Of course Gil Meche is worth $55 million over five years from the Kansas City Royals. Only 70 pitchers in baseball have won more games than he has over the past three years. Only 106 of them had a lower ERA.

* They still like to show the film clip of Lou Piniella throwing first base around against the Rangers and he said at the winter meetings: "Look, I'm not proud of those things, fellas.   I'm really not.   I hope the people in Chicago don't expect those things from me.   I take pride in the fact that I won over 1,500 games as a major league manager and that we get our teams to play and players enjoy playing for them, but those other things, hopefully, at 63, I won't have that kind of fun on the field anymore."

* Reds troubled outfielder Josh Hamilton, picked up in the Rule 5 draft, is from North Carolina. So is Reds manager Jerry Narron, whose brother Johnny coached Hamilton on a North Carolina amateur team.

* Rangers manager Ron Washington on all the money being spent this season: "I wish when I was playing that I was getting it. But that's the way the market is.   I want them to get all they can get because I was a player and I'm a player's guy.   I want them to get all they can get."

* Rangers general manager Jon Daniels doesn't like getting lumped with young GMs who only pay attention to statistics. Said Daniels, "I doubt there's another GM who listens more to scouts than I do."

* Astros manager Phil Garner on Andy Pettitte: "He wants to be in Houston, he needs to be in Houston and we want him to be in Houston and his family is dying for him to be in Houston.   His kids are pining every day at school, wondering, oh, Daddy, please don't go anywhere else, stay in Houston. I could hear it all over the city."

* The Dodgers may try to trade Brett Tomko but don't look for the Rangers to get involved. He is one of two past free agent pitchers who told the Rangers he absolutely hated the idea of pitching at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

* The 18 free agents who signed or reached an agreement at the winter meetings will ultimately earn $443.2 million.

* Angels manager Mike Scioscia on their need for offense: "I think our team is maybe not quite as much balance on the offensive side as you would like, we have the ability to score runs, to win ballgames with our pitching staff intact.   If that would go the other way, I don't think you could ever get enough offense to get to be where you want to be. I think if you start to lose some of the key pieces of our starting rotation and the back end of our bullpen, you're not going to find enough offense to win games. We need some guys certainly to provide move offense than they did last year."

* Just for the heck of it: Tom Evans.

* The Rangers Sluggers of the West Awards Dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at Eddie Deen's Ranch in Dallas. The 2007 Ameriquest Texas Rangers Fan Fest will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

* Former Rangers pitcher John Wetteland will be signing autographs from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Foley's Courtyard at Northeast Mall.

* Tigers manager Jim Leyland on the record-breaking five errors committed by his pitchers in the World Series: "It didn't bother me.   Everybody talks about -- I disagree with all of it. The fact of the matter is our five top hitters went 9 for 100 in the World Series. Everybody is focused on the couple bad throws by the pitchers or five errors or whatever. We didn't hit. We were 9 for 100 or something. Who are you going to beat with that?"

* Royals manager Buddy Bell has quit smoking after having a cancerous growth removed from his tonsils. Said Bell, "The only thing I crave now is a pizza once in a while."

* The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional team and an original member of the National League. But they were once expelled from the league for refusing to prohibit the sale of beer at their ballpark.

* Ozzie Guillen on Barry Bonds supposedly signing with the Minnesota Twins, who he called "piranhas" last season: "You hear that you're like, I don't know what people are drinking. I don't think Barry fits good with the piranhas.   Barry is a shark, Barry is not a piranha, that is why I don't see Barry there."

* Headed to the Bay Area next week? You can hang out with Barry Zito and other sports celebrities on Monday at the Pyramid Alehouse in Walnut Creek. Zito is hosting the "Holiday Celebrity Bash" with an entry fee of $95 that benefits children of wounded soldiers. Jerry Rice, Tony LaRussa, C.C. Sabathia and Nick Swisher are among those who are expected to attend.

* Joe Torre was not at the winter meetings and hasn't been there in his 11 years as the Yankees manager.

Attention please, will the last scout leaving the Fish & Fowl Resort please turn out the lights.

It's over at Disney World but the off-season will go on.

The Dodgers will look to move pitcher Brad Penny but they regard him as a major piece who could bring back a big-time hitter. We're talking about a possible trade of Penny and prospects for Vernon Wells or Andruw Jones.

The Rangers aren't likely to play in that league.

Jon Lieber makes $7.5 million in 2007. You would expect the Phillies to pick up some of that if they trade him but Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said, "In this market, I don't know if they'll have to take back money."

The Rangers just weren't willing to go as high as the Oakland Athletics on Mike Piazza.

Piazza is represented by Dan Lozano, the same agent for Michael Young. The Rangers have talked to Lozano about a long-term extension for Young but will likely wait until later in the off-season to give it the serious attention that it deserves.

Said Daniels, "We agreed that we would both like to talk about it but we're going to wait until things quiet down."

The Rangers have talked about having shortstop Joaquin Arias move to center field. They seem open-minded but also reluctant.

Said Daniels, "We talked a little bit about how his athleticism plays out there but this guy is a premium shortstop."

Just can't give a definitive answer on where Barry Zito will pitch in 2007. But if this were a horse race, the Mets would be the betting favorite.

Lot of great comments from readers this week. Thank you. Our regularly scheduled programming continues tomorrow with Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill. Next week we're going to talk about Mark McGwire and my Hall of Fame ballot on Monday Morning Manager.

I'm out of here.

From this morning's Rule 5 draft...

The Rangers did not select a player in the Rule 5 draft but lost right-handed pitcher Alfredo Simon to the Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers had signed him to a Minor League contract earlier in the off-season after he spent last year with the San Francisco organization.

The most interesting pick was Josh Hamilton, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who was taken by the Chicago Cubs. Hamilton's career has been set back by a series of off-field troubles and drug suspensions.

Addendum: The Cubs traded Hamilton to the Reds. The Orioles traded Simon to the Phillies. Hamilton should consider himself fortunate to have Jerry Narron as his manager

As the sun comes up and the spooks in the Haunted Mansion prepare themselves for another busy day...

Early word on Jon Lieber is the Rangers haven't spoken to the Phillies yet but may do so before they leave Florida.

Brad Penny is another possibility for any team looking for starting pitching. The Dodgers have extra starting pitching after landing Jason Schmidt and could be ready to move Penny, a 16-game winner for them last year.

He was 10-2 with a 2.91 ERA in the first half, earning him the start for the National League in the All-Star Game. But he was 6-7 with a 6.25 ERA in the second half and was not used as a starter in their division series against the Mets.

The Oklahoma native is only 28 and would probably like pitching in Texas but the Dodgers and the Rangers may not be a good fit. The Dodgers need offense, especially in right field. They could probably use Hank Blalock as well instead of Wilson Betemit but the Rangers don't have much offense to spare.

By the way, the Rangers continue to have internal discussions on making Josh Rupe a starting pitcher again. He could be the leading candidate for that fifth spot in the rotation. He is a four-pitch pitcher and his durability is still unknown. But using him in the fifth spot could allow the Rangers to give him extra rest over the course of the season.

The Florida finish line is in sight.

While some lady kissed away $196,000 on Deal or No Deal...

One last interesting development for the Rangers at the winter meetings.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitcher Freddy Garcia from the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Gavin Floyd and a player to be named later.

The Phillies now have six starters: Garcia, Jon Lieber, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton and Brett Myers. Look for them to trade Lieber.

The Rangers have had interest in him in the past. Lieber, 36, was 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA for the Phillies last season.

A Rangers official acknowledged that he might be a fallback option if other things don't fall into place.

We now await the Rule 5 draft. General manager Jon Daniels does not foresee the Rangers taking anybody in the Major League phase

A few samples of what new manager Ron Washington had to say on Wednesday at the winter meetings. A full story on the Rangers field boss should be up on texasrangers.com between 5-6 p.m. Wednesday afternoon...

On Hank Blalock playing against left-handed pitchers: "He's going to start playing against lefties, yes, he is. That's what Hank needs.  I don't want Hank coming around thinking, looking over his shoulder and wondering if he's going to play today and wondering if he's going to play tomorrow.  He's too talented for that.  He should be coming to the ballpark saying, I'm going to be the best I can be, and that's the attitude I want to project."

On having a team captain: "I've never thought about that.  I do want my veteran players to be the leaders.  I want them to make sure that everyone in that clubhouse is accountable for every one, even themselves, and if we can get everyone accountable for everyone, I think your focus and your concentration level stays higher longer."

On learning as a manager about handling a pitching staff: "The learning curve is to rely on the experience of my pitching coach. I hit pitching and I hit it very well, so I may not have any experience dealing with pitching, but I can tell by the sound of a bat that he should be taken out of a ballgame."

On stastistics vs. managing a game by feel: "I'm a gut man.  That's the way I was brought up in the game.  But because of all the statistics that are available, I will use statistics. I'm going to look at something, and if it works, I'll use it, and if it don't work, I won't use it.  I'm going to keep it simple. I'm going to use every resource that's available to me, but I'm going to do what my gut tells me and what my eyes see and what my baseball instincts tell me.

Rockin' around the Christmas tree at the Fish & Fowl...

The center field trade market has been hard for the Rangers to crack unless they want to trade John Danks and Thomas Diamond to the Phillies for Aaron Rowand.

Kenny Lofton, who wants $6 million, and Jay Payton, who wants a two-year deal, remain free agent options. Now, how about both?

Lofton, 39, will need time off to keep his defensive legs fresh. Say he plays 110 games in center. That's 52 for Payton, who could get another 75 games rotating between left, right and designated hitter. He would be the right-handed hitter that the Rangers want to pair with Brad Wilkerson and Frank Catalanotto.

He could also spell Nelson Cruz in right field when there is a tough right-hander on the mound. Payton hit .296 against both left and right-handers this year. In his career he is hitting .288 against left-handers and .283 against right-handers.

He is not the big bat that the Rangers were hoping to get from Mike Piazza, who still appears to be headed for Oakland. But Payton does give them more versatility at a variety of positions and also has a reputation for being all about winning.

While the impact of the Brian Bannister-Ambiorix Burgos trade trembles throughout baseball...

About Barry Zito.

Scott Boras is certainly gushing about Rangers owner Tom Hicks. Wonder if he is just trying to get the New York Mets worried.

The Seattle Mariners are supposedly in the mix but their club officials are making it clear that they don't want to go five years.

A lot of people feel Zito won't want to pitch deep in the heart of Texas but Boras said, "Barry is geographically free."

Boras also calls Zito, "The next Greg Maddux."

While on my way to dinner...

Richard Griffin, the veteran and industrious columnist for the Toronto Star, stopped me and asked me if I had heard...

Hank Blalock and two others to the Toronto Blue Jays for Vernon Wells. Said it was being reported on the internet. Jordan Bastian, our hard-working Blue Jays writer, had heard the same thing.

John Hart and Ron Washington were in the lobby. Asked them about it.

"No way," Hart said.

"Haven't heard that," Washington said.

Another Major League source said, "That hasn't been talked about."

Maybe somebody took one too many spins on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride but it is a full moon and this is the winter meetings.

Calling it a night.

The moon is full and a number of managers held press conferences at the winter meetings at the Fish & Fowl Resort.

New Giants manager Bruce Bochy on managing high-maintenance Barry Bonds: "I'm not going to pass judgement here on Barry Bonds. I would look forward to managing him. I've had quite a few players over the years, Phil Nevin, Rickey Henderson, David Wells, Kevin Brown. These guys have all been good teammates. There's some things you can't believe everything you hear."

Mets manager Willie Randolph on Barry Zito: "He's been able to take the ball almost every start that he's had in the big leagues. That's huge when you can be counted on to answer the bell, give innings, keep your team in the game...He's not an overpowering guy, but he takes the ball and be competes, and he's got enough in his arsenal to win his share of ballgames."

Astros manager Phil Garner on whether or not Carlos Lee will have a problem staying active as a left-fielder for six years: "Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, one of our physicians that gave him a physical does not think he's overweight, he is just a big man. People suggested that and I think that's a guy with a lot of pride and I think you will see him play with a little bit of intent on proving people wrong about that."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona on outfielder Manny Ramirez: "You know, if Manny sneezes it's a big deal. I understand. There's a lot of passion in Boston and people care and he's got his quirks. My position is not to point out those quirks. I also see a guy that shows up at ten in the morning and is lifting every day. So there's a side of him that I do get to see that probably other people don't."

While everybody else heads to the Jungle Cruise...

Agent Scott Boras made it clear that Barry Zito's interest in the Rangers is sincere, especially after his visit to Dallas last week:

"We had a great first meeting," Boras said at the Fish and Fowl Resort Tuesday. "Things went well. They did a good job."

The Rangers want Zito, which is why Larry O'Brien - agent for Ted Lilly - said they seem to be out of the running after signing Vicente Padilla

Rangers farm director Scott Servais is busy at the winter meetings trying to fill out his Minor League staff.

Top priority is finding a new manager at Double A Frisco. Daryl Kennedy was there last year but has taken a job with the Kansas City Royals. Former Rangers catcher Mark Parent and Dave Anderson are candidates.

Servais is also looking for a Triple A hitting coach and a Class A Spokane pitching coach.

Asked what's pleased him the most about the winter, Servais immediately brought up pitcher Frank Francisco, is has missed most of the past two seasons because of Tommy John surgery but is pitching winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

"We're excited about him," Servais said. "His velocity is up, he's agressive and in good shape. He looks like he's ready to come in and play a big role on our club."

The biggest disappointment is obviously Ben Harrison, the outfielder who was tearing up the Venezuelan winter league before suffering a shoulder injury.

Servais said the Rangers may change their philosophy a little bit regarding some of their young players who were pushed last year. Guys like John Whittleman, their highly-regarded third baseman, may repeat at Class A Clinton until they start having some success.

The Rangers also feel good about catcher Taylor Teagarden's recovery from Tommy John surgery. He caught the last game in Instructional League and could start the season at Class A Bakersfield.

Greetings from the Fish and Fowl Hotel...

The Rangers are talking center field these day. Kenny Lofton and Jay Payton are the free agent names.

Trades? The Mariners have Jeremy Reed but want John Danks. The Devil Rays have Rocco Baldelli but want Mark Teixeira. The Kansas City Royals are looking to move Joey Gathright but the Rangers don't seem to be too interested. Milwaukee is looking to trade outfielders but the Rangers see Brady Clark as a fourth outfielder.

Ron Washington has made it clear that he wants defense in center. Freddy Guzman? The Rangers like his defense and speed but aren't sure about his offense.

The Boston Red Sox really like Kameron Loe. They've come at the Rangers twice but nothing there right now.

Ted Lilly has not yet signed with the Chicago Cubs. His agent is still talking with other clubs and met with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. The Rangers are interested but of course are still want Barry Zito for Christmas.

Vicente Padilla is on his way from Nicaragua to Arlington to have his physical so that his new contract can be officially announced.

Chris Lyngos, the Rangers traveling secretary is busy. Ever major hotel chain in town is here hosting a reception for the traveling secretaries. The Ritz-Carlton soiree was supposedly quite sumptuous.

Morning at the Dolphin and Swan....

They make for an interesting couple. Former Rangers manager Kevin Kennedy and second baseman Billy Ripken are doing a three-hour radio show on XM Satellite radio from the winter meetings.

Ripken will be in Cooperstown this summer when his brother is inducted into the Hall of Fame. But Billy is already represented there. Remember when Bobby Witt hit the first home run by an American League pitcher in inter-league history? He was using Ripken's bat and it's now in the Hall of Fame.

Rangers pitchers Rick Bauer and Joaquin Benoit are eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. Teams have been known to non-tender arbitration guys and make them free agents. Not so here. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said both will be offered contracts.

Daniels said teams are asking about shortstop Joaquin Arias but the Rangers aren't inclined to move him. Daniels even suggested Arias could fill a role as a utility player but it's more likely he'll be playing everyday at Triple A Oklahoma.

Brian Anderson, who signed with the Rangers last year but had a second Tommy John surgery, is doing television for an Ohio cable sports channel. Buck Showalter was one of his guests on Monday.

The Rangers have reached an agreement with Vicente Padilla on a three-year contract extension worth $33 million over three years. There's also an option for a fourth year worth $12 million. The agreement is pending a physical. Signing Padilla does not prevent them from continuing their pursuit of Barry Zito.

Evening approaches at the Swan and Dolphin...

Word is the Rangers aren't going to get Mike Piazza. The buzz is he's headed for Oakland on a two-year deal.

Jay Payton is potential outfield target for the Rangers.

The Cubs seem to be moving hard on Ted Lilly, possibly on a four-year, $37 million deal. Not going to happen today but that could take them out of the Barry Zito sweepstakes.

The Mets have checked out the Rangers young pitching. They need bullpen help. Thought the Rangers might interest in Lastings Milledge but he could be headed to the White Sox for a starting pitcher, either Mark Buehrle or Javier Vazquez.

That would make Brian Anderson available but the Rangers don't seem to be that interested in him.

The Rangers want to do a three-year deal with Vicente Padilla and are holding off going to a fourth year. That seems to be the obstacle in getting that done.

One scout on Rangers reliever Nick Masset after watching him pitch in Mexico this winter: "He was 95 (miles per hour) with a sharp slider and pitching with very good command. It's the best I've seen him. He's come a long ways."

Bottle of water, salad, tuna fish sandwich...$20. Welcome to the Swan and Dolphin and baseball's winter meetings.

The Milwaukee Brewers are getting a lot of interest in Kevin Mench. They are also looking to deal outfielder Geoff Jenkins.

Yes, teams have asked about Mark Teixeira. There has been talk that the Pirates are willing to trade pitching. The Rangers have told people, "If you want Teixeira, be ready to give up half your roster."

Club officials are shaking their heads over rumors that Michael Young is being traded to the Red Sox or the White Sox. No word if the Reno Silver Sox want him too, but one Rangers official said, "Michael Young isn't going anywhere."

The Los Angeles Dodgers are more interested in Jason Schmidt than Barry Zito. The Dodgers just hired the Giants trainer, Stan Conte, so they must know what they're getting into physically with Schmidt.

The Braves are trying to move right-hander Tim Hudson or left-hander Horacio Ramirez. The Rangers see red flags when Hudson's name comes up.

One official predicted Manny Ramirez will end up with the Dodgers.

Florida has pitching to trade but want a center fielder, which the Rangers don't have. The Rangers are interested in Kenny Lofton but one G.M. said his defense has slipped. Of the two, Steve Finley is considered the better defensive player while Lofton the better offensive player.

One source the Cubs are not as hot after Zito as people think. The team everybody wonders about is the Seattle Mariners and how hard they'll go after Zito.

Wandering the lobby at the Swan and Dolphin at baseball's winter meetings...

The Rangers haven't forgotten about John Thomson, their Pitcher of the Year in 2003 who has spent the last three seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

The Rangers are showing some interest in him even though he has pitched in 35 games, including 32 starts, over the past two seasons, going 6-13 with a 4.63 ERA. He had a shoulder and blister problem last season and an Adam Eaton-like finger injury in 2005.

He was last healthy in 2004 when he was 14-8 with a 3.72 ERA for the Braves.

The Seattle Mariners, who are also looking for pitching, have shown more interest and he could end up there. But he is at least on the Rangers list, although farther down the food chain that Barry Zito, Vicente Padilla and Miguel Batista.

Thomson, who turned 33 in October, was 13-14 with a 4.85 ERA for the Rangers in 2003 before leaving as a free agent. The Rangers drafted Eric Hurley with the compensation pick they received from the Braves.

The winter meetings are underway. Here are the burning questions at the moment....

1. Do you think the Rangres are serious about signing Barry Zito?

2. Kenny Lofton or Mike Piazza?

3. Barry Zito or Ted Lilly?

4. Vicente Padilla or Miguel Batista?

5. Give us one trade you think the Rangers ought to make?

Keeping a pulse on the winter meetings....

Greetings from the Swan and Dolphin, where Rangers public relations director Greg Elkin had no hot water in his room this afternoon.

There is still sticker shock at money being given to free agents and one scout was scoffing at the three-year, $12 million contract that the Orioles gave left-hander relievers Jamie Walker.

"You and I could probably hit him," the scout said.

Well...

Rangers trainer Jamie Reed is here and is keeping a close eye on outfielder Brad Wilkerson and third baseman Hank Blalock. Both are coming off shoulder surgery. Wilkerson had his on Aug. 22 and Blalock underwent the knife right after the season ended.

Reed on Wilkerson: "He's going to start hitting again this week. He's down ten or 12 pounds, working with a personal strength coach and a nutrionist. He seems dedicated to getting himself in great shape and said his shoulder feels much better."

As for Blalock, "I've talked to him about a half-dozen times. He's working out five days a week with a physical therapist and I check in with her every Friday. He's doing great. No pain. We're going to hold off him starting to hit until the first of January but he's doing well."

The Blue Jays are optimistic about re-signing Ted Lilly. The Mets are still very much in on Barry Zito even though they re-signed Tom Glavine.

What do the Phillies want from the Rangers for Aaron Rowand?

Josh Rupe.

Monitoring the winter meetings, coming to you several times a day all this week. At least that's the plan right now.

Greetings from Disney World...or some place close to it.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has a meeting with his staff this afternoon and then is hoping to meet with some agents this evening.

Thus begins the winter meetings at a resort known as the Swan and Dolphin (yes that's it right there below). Actually haven't made it there yet, just checked into the Caribe Royal which is a nice place if you like pink motif.

Here's the Rangers lineup for the five-day affair, which ends Thursday with the eagerly-anticipated, thrill-a-moment Rule 5 draft. These are the players who have been targeted by the Rangers. Call them the Big Six.

1. Barry Zito. He is No. 1 on owner Tom Hicks' Christmas wish list. The financial benchmark is the five-year, $73 million contract that Roy Oswalt signed with the Astros last year and there's absolutely no doubt that agent Scott Boras will be looking for more than that. He'll also have a complete portfolio ready for anybody who wants to know why Zito deserves more than that. The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets are the main suitors although Boras will have other "unknown" teams lined up as well.

2. Mike Piazza. The Rangers see him as a big bat who can protect Mark Teixeira, possibly a more vital piece than a center fielder. If the Rangers can land Piazza, they may settle for Freddy Guzman or Nelson Cruz in center until guys like Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter hit the free agent market next year.

3. Kenny Lofton. He is the Rangers No. 1 external candidate to play center field. The one thing they've noticed is his team has been in the playoffs ten times in the last 12 years.

4. Vicente Padilla. If they can't get Zito...he's Plan B. They could also get Zito and Padilla, but not much else.

5. Ted Lilly. Some think he's a better bargain than Zito, if you consider four years and $40 million a bargain. The Rangers would rather have Zito. Would you?

6. Miguel Batista. The Rangers like him as a potential third starter because he can also pitch out of the bullpen. That could be a desirable trait once their young pitchers are ready to step into a Major League rotation.

A look at Baseball's Hot Stove League on the 202nd anniversary of Napoleon being crowned Emperor of France...

A baseball official described right-handed free agent pitcher Miguel Batista as "steady, durable and not very sexy."

But the Rangers would find him possibly desirable as a No. 3 starter in a rotation headed by Kevin Millwood and Barry Zito.

Batista, who will be 36 in February, has been with seven different organizations and was 11-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 206 innings over 34 games, including 33 starts, for the Diamondbacks last year. The previous year he was used exclusively in the bullpen by the Toronto Blue Jays, making 71 relief appearances with a 4.45 ERA.

All through his career, which includes all or parts of 13 Major League seasons, Batista has gone back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. This is a guy who has also been - at some point of his career - a Rule 5 pick, released, waived, traded and a free agent who signed a three-year, $13 million contract with the Blue Jays after the 2003 season.

They included him in a trade package to the Diamondbacks a year ago for third baseman Troy Glaus.

That he can be used as both a starter and a reliever could be extra desirable for the Rangers because they could use a starter now but have young pitching that could be ready next year.

So if Batista does sign a three-year deal with the Rangers, he could start in 2007 and then move to the bullpen after that if they feel John Danks, Thomas Diamond or Eric Hurley are ready.

The Rangers also get the feeling that it might take only a two or three-year deal to get Batista while Ted Lilly is looking at four years and $40 million. Lilly is also being pursued hard by the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Rangers can open with a rotation of Millwood, Zito and Batista, then they can follow with Robinson Tejeda and one more from their system. But Batista only looks good if Zito and Millwood are in front of him.

The Mets appeared to have the best chance of signing Zito but that seemed to diminish on Friday when they re-signed Tom Glavine.

The Mets, with Pedro Martinez out, could use another starting pitcher to go with Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine and Oliver Perez but may try to address that need through a trade.

General manager Omar Minaya was quoted in Saturday's New York Post as saying, "With Tommy on board, we'll still look at ways of improving the starting pitching. But it's fair to say that if we had to start the year with Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez and the guys that we have, I think we're a pretty good team starting the year."

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, a must-stop for any prospective free agent pitcher and where the patrons don't need incentive clauses in their contracts.

* Rangers trainer Jamie Reed looked in on outfielder Brad Wilkerson last week in Florida. Wilson, recovering from shoulder surgery on Aug. 22, has hired a personal trainer, lost weight and is ahead of his rehabilitation program. He's scheduled to start swinging the bat again this week.

* Of course you know Barry Zito is 17-5 with a 3.76 ERA against the Rangers. His ERA is still lower against the other two division teams. He is 12-2 with a 3.62 ERA in 23 career starts against the Seattle Mariners and 12-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 28 career starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

* Mike Hargrove has 1,143 wins as a manager. So? That's the most for someone born in Texas. His 2,285 games managed is also the most. Frank Robinson managed 2,242 games and won 1,065 games. Hargrove was from Perryton, Robinson was born in Beaumont but really grew up in Oakland.

* Neither won a World Series. Three from Texas won World Series as a manager. Cito Gaston, who is from San Antonio, won two for Toronto in 1992-92. The other two were in the Roaring 20's. Tris Speaker won with Cleveland in 1920 and Rogers Hornsby won with the Cardinals in 1926.

* The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have never had a Cy Young Award winner but Jao Seo, who was 3-12 with a 5.33 ERA last year, has a $100,000 bonus clause in his contract if he wins it next year.

* The Rangers have never had a Cy Young winner. But obviously you can name the four pitchers who won it before they played for the Rangers. Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, Sparky Lyle and Mike Marshall.

* Perry won the Cy Young with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978. He pitched for Texas in 1975-77. That's right. He's the only Rangers pitcher to win the award after he left Arlington.

* If you have been reading Mike Hindman's daily winter ball updates, you know that Nick Masset has a 1.96 ERA and a league-leading 14 saves for Matzalan in the Mexican Pacific League.

* Just for the heck of it: Butch Davis

* By the way, Masset's mom writes the foreword in Jamey Newberg's latest Bound Edition, the end-of-year roundup of the entire Rangers organization, what happened in 2006 and what to look for in 2007. Included in this year's tome is 50 features on Rangers Minor League players. This stocking stuffer can be had at http://www.newbergreport.com/buythebook.htm

* Former Rangers pitching coach **** Bosman was just promoted by the Devil Rays as their Minor League pitching coordinator. He spent the last three seasons at Hudson Valley, their short-season Class A team.

* You know the Mexican Baseball Academy serves that country's 100 best players from June to December at a facility just outside Monterrey. But did you know that the whole program was originally put in place by Rangers scout Mel Didier almost 30 years ago. The owner of the Mexico City Tigers financed the whole thing and asked Didier to get it set up.

* Lou Piniella is of Spanish descent. That's why his original nickname was Sweet Lou from Peru. Now it's only Sweet Lou. Of course he was never from Peru either.

* The Angels once posted some personal items on the scoreboard about their players. For reliever Bryan Harvey, it went like this: WISH – To end all the killing in the World. HOBBIES: Hunting and Fishing.

* Waxahachie's Paul Richards once observed: "The most valuable sign a club can steal is the hit-and-run. Most managers admit that's the only one they try to steal."

* If you want more Mike Hargrove trivia, then you can file away the fact that his .399 on-base percentage while with the Rangers is the highest in club history. That is, for players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.

* So what club record does Cesar Tovar hold, using the same 1,000 plate appearance criterion? He struck out just once for every 18.83 at-bats while with the Rangers in 1974-75. That's the best ratio for a Ranger.

* Yes of course Pete Incaviglia is at the other end. He struck out once every 3.45 at-bats.

* St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is still Mark McGwire's biggest supporter for the Hall of Fame, telling MLB.Com's Matthew Leach: "For me, there isn't anything that's changed about, No. 1, how much I believe in him, and No. 2, what that means as far as his career and his production and some of the historic things he did. I'm hoping that he gets that honor sooner rather than later."

* More Rangers trivial career records? Ruben Sierra holds a 66-65 edge on Rafael Palmeiro in one category. Yes, Sierra has the most sacrifice flies in club history after all these years.

* The winter meetings start Sunday in Disney World. Next year they are in Las Vegas. Bellagio's is the host hotel.

* Kip Wells, according to his new $4 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, gets $50,000 if he is the Most Valuable Player of a Division Series playoff. Surely the Cardinals at least know there is no MVP named for a division series.

* Carlos Lee had seven stolen bases while he was with the Rangers. He also didn't get caught once. Only one guy did better while he was with the team. Remember Ruben Mateo? He was 10-for-10 before being dealt to the Cincinnati Reds.

* Mike Stanley, a catcher who wasn't exactly fast, had 13 steals in 17 attempts over 15 years and 1,467 games. But he never got caught with the Rangers either. He was 6-for-6 with them.