In an ongoing series, we'll take a look at possible free-agent and trade targets for the Texas Rangers this winter.
Target: Tyson Ross, RHP
2014 stats: 13-14, 2.81 ERA, 195 strikeouts, 72 walks, 195 2/3 innings pitched
The rumor mill continues to grow between the Rangers, San Diego Padres and trade talks, and with some good reason considering former Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller is now the GM at San Diego. With that said, Preller and his right-hand man Don Welke, who went with him from Texas, are very familiar with the Rangers' system (obviously) and know who they want.
Ross is one of three Padres pitchers the Rangers are suggested to have interest in, along with Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy, and Ross is maybe the brightest star of the bunch at 27 years old and coming off a career year in 2014. The brightest spot about Ross is that he's a first-year arbitration eligible guy, so he can be had at a cheap-ish price for the next three seasons before he becomes a free agent in 2018. Of course, that also means the Rangers would have to give up more in the way of prospects than they would for Cashner or Kennedy.
