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Wow.
The greatest all-time Texas Ranger is coming home.
Despite Kevin Richardson’s two-hit debut in last night’s win, the Texas Rangers are this close to trading for catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. The deal, according to a team source I just got off the phone with, would send two “mid-level” prospects to the Houston Astros.
This, of course, is a five-star sign that management is in full-throttle, go-for-it mode.
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Taylor Teagarden will remain the Rangers’ starting catcher. But with Jarrod Saltalamacchia out with what could be a serious shoulder injury, Rodriguez makes total sense as a defensive-minded veteran.
Pudge, alongside Nolan Ryan as the most popular players in Rangers’ history, is hitting .251 as a 37-year-old in Houston. He played in Arlington from ‘99 ’91 to ’02, winning the AL MVP in ’99.
Last time the Rangers played a playoff game – Oct. 9, 1999 – Pudge was behind the plate.
