Marlon Byrd News

Exactly who might occupy that "second tier" of free agents that prompted the enthusiasm of general manager Brian Sabean? The Giants rarely divulge details regarding their free-agent plans.

Yesterday, I posted an idea regarding a potential free agent signing for a Cubs bench position in 2010.

On the player acquisition front, it doesn't appear as if the Rangers are doing much other than research while they wait for the ownership picture to become a little more clear and while they wait for the free agent market to establish itself.

Yesterday Twitter was all a-tweet with the rumor that Luis Castillo was going to the Chicago Cubs, Milton Bradley was going to the Rangers and Kevin Millwood was on his way to Citi Field.

Outfielder Marlon Byrd is truly a free agent. As of Friday, he can sign with any team.

The Rangers, faced with the real possibility of Marlon Byrd not coming back, will be look for a right-handed bat when the free agency bidding officially begins at 11:01 p.m. CT on Thursday night.

After talking to seven or eight teams about trade possibilities Wednesday, Jim Hendry felt optimistic about his offseason game plan.

The World Series may still be fresh in your mind, but MLB GMs are already focusing on next season.

Jeff Wilson has a story up in the S-T today about the Rangers ' changing perception around baseball, with other teams seeing them as a team on the rise rather than a team trying to sell off its best players to rebuild.

What will it take to get Marlon Byrd back? Do you think Mike Cameron could be an option? -- Mary R., Fort Worth It will likely take a three-year contract from anywhere between $18-24 million to re-sign Byrd.

The Cubs were to meet with four or five teams late Tuesday before the meetings conclude today.

Final bids from three men interested in buying the Rangers are due this month, but a transfer of ownership from Hicks Sports Group might not be competed until January.

The Rangers are going into baseball's free-agency period hoping to re-sign Marlon Byrd and could come out of it with Jermaine Dye instead.

Clint Hurdle might have been a man without a job, but he wasn't a man without options only six months removed from his job as manager of the Colorado Rockies.

The Texas Rangers preached situational offense when introducing new hitting coach Clint Hurdle on Thursday, but the team also is expressing a need for some thunder in its lineup.

Five Texas Rangers were among the crush of major leaguers who filed for free agency on the first day of the filing period.

Outfielder Marlon Byrd filed for free agency on Thursday, the first day of the filing period.

So much so, in fact, that it irritated Bobby Valentine. "What exactly did Fergie tell him," the Rangers ' manager asked, "that we didn't?" Maybe it wasn't what Jenkins told Witt, I remember thinking, as much as who he was and how he said it.

Sigh. After the lost season for the Cubs, I could have easily stayed away until the organizational meetings next month.

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com ! The Texas Rangers had their best season since 2004 and ita TMs no shock that Ian Kinsler was a key component to their success.