not gonna happen
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... ea178.html
Texas Rangers close the book on Gagne
11:56 PM CST on Friday, December 7, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com
As he retreated from Nashville and the winter meetings, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said he hoped to get closure on a couple of pending free agent issues soon.
He got some Friday.
The Rangers closed the door on bringing closer Eric Gagne back for 2008. Unwilling to give Gagne a multiyear deal, Daniels said through team spokesman Rich Rice that the team would no longer pursue the reliever.
Daniels did not return an e-mail seeking further comment on the Rangers' next step toward improving the bullpen.
Eric Gagne had 16 saves for the Rangers last season before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.
AP
Eric Gagne had 16 saves for the Rangers last season before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.
The Rangers have been speaking with the agent for LaTroy Hawkins, but Hawkins is also seeking a multiyear commitment. He reportedly has drawn significant interest from the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, both of which are expected to be more serious playoff contenders than the Rangers in 2008.
If the Rangers don't meet the contract demands, the only advantage they'd have in negotiating with Hawkins would be the degree to which he wanted to play at home. Hawkins lives in Prosper. The Rangers lost out earlier this winter when fellow Prosper resident Torii Hunter opted to sign a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Rangers have expressed a desire to sign more than one veteran reliever for the bullpen. But the ranks of viable options are thin.
