Everyone expected to be talking about Game Three of the American League Championship Series right now, so it's still a bit jarring to realize that the only baseball being played in the AL right now is being played by the two teams the Rangers beat in the last two league title tilts.
It is time to move on, however, and part of moving on is thinking about who might be wearing a Rangers uniform next season. Some of that is necessary -- Josh Hamilton -- and some of it is speculative. First up in the latter category is David Ortiz.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe placed the Rangers among the teams who might be interested in signing Ortiz should his long association with the Red Sox come to an end this winter. Cafardo seems to be just spitballing, as is Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News off of Cafardo's report, especially since he reports the sides hope to reach a deal before Ortiz hits the open market, but it's an interesting enough idea to bandy about in the absence of actual baseball.
Ortiz would certainly fit into the Rangers lineup when Josh Hamilton makes his way out of town. He's older, but Ortiz still mashes the ball and he'd likely enjoy hitting in Rangers Ballpark a great deal. Ortiz hasn't been hurt much, although he was this season, and the commitment likely wouldn't be for more than two years.
Logistically, it seems like a nightmare. Ortiz can only DH, which is fine on a team that doesn't have Michael Young on it. Young should only DH, and maybe not even that for much longer, and having both on the team would strangle Ron Washington's options with the lineup.
If Young isn't on the team, though, the idea is a lot more interesting. It's nice to have the DH spot to rest a regular now and then, but it's not like it actually helped that much when you consider what the team loses when Young plays the field. You could address that need with Jurickson Profar in the early going, especially if Mike Napoli returns, and Ortiz would give you more than Young.
Getting rid of Young won't be easy, though, and there's no sign that this is anything more than the first longshot bounced against the wall during a longer than expected offseason.
