Rangers could be dangling Brandon McCarthy

Texas' MLB.com beat writer T.R. Sullivan has some notes on the glut of SPs in Texas' organization.

Notably, Brandon McCarthy could be made available as Neftali Perez looks like he'll be in the rotation for Texas come 2010.

Sullivan:
Texas could be willing to talk about trading somebody like Brandon McCarthy with the many teams that are searching for starting pitching...

...McCarthy (7-4, 4.62) ended the season as the fifth starter, but the Rangers are talking about moving Neftali Feliz into the rotation. They also know that they have Matt Harrison and Eric Hurley coming back from shoulder surgery. They know that Dustin Nippert was 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 10 starts, and Guillermo Moscoso was 5-4 with a 2.31 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma. They have talked about moving C.J. Wilson into the rotation as well. McCarthy's history of injuries will make teams think twice. He has made just 22 starts over the past two seasons. Other teams would much rather talk to the Rangers about Hunter and Holland. But many clubs are looking for pitching, and this will not be a great free-agent market for starters.

McCarthy's history of injuries will make teams think twice. He has made just 22 starts over the past two seasons. Other teams would much rather talk to the Rangers about Hunter and Holland. But many clubs are looking for pitching, and this will not be a great free-agent market for starters.

What would Texas want? Sullivan notes they'd rather add a bat than subtract one, and the Astros are short on bats. He does note that they could use a utility infielder, or a right-handed bat. Carlos Lee, is a perfect fit as a DH, you say? Ahhh, hold on.

Sullivan:
Clubs are always willing to eat some money to make a trade happen, but the general rule is the more money that's eaten, the more prospects are asked for in return. The Rangers, given their economic situation, are not looking to take on a big contract.

I, for one, wouldn't be interested in a Lee/McCarthy swap, unless there were some Triple-A prospects involved, given McCarthy's history of injuries. But if the Rangers aren't interested in paying Lee's millions, then it's probably a non-issue.