Add the Texas Rangers to the list of teams taking a look at free agent outfielder Magglio Ordonez during baseball’s Winter Meetings.
On Monday, reports out of Boston said the Red Sox were interested in Ordonez as a right-handed bat to stick in their predominantly left-handed lineup. The Rangers would pursue Ordonez as an alternative to Vladimir Guerrero at designated hitter, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.
The Rangers’ preference is to re-sign Guerrero, who had a resurgent year in Texas with a .300/.345/.496 average, 29 home runs and 115 RBIs. He may have run out of gas by the postseason, however, during which he managed only three extra-base hits.
Guerrero reportedly wants a multi-year contract, however, and Texas only wants a one-year deal. As a result, the Rangers have told Guerrero to shop around for that multi-year deal, while they look at possible replacements. Hideki Matsui was also mentioned as a possibility.