After a winter of relative inactivity, the Rangers might be preparing to make a run for right-hander Ben Sheets.
Sheets, who lives in Dallas during the offseason, visited the club's facilities recently. Sheets and his agent met with GM Jon Daniels, president Nolan Ryan, owner Tom Hicks and two of his sons. "It's a little early to make a prediction, but obviously if he's healthy, he's a player we would have interest in," Ryan said. "That's where we are, determining where that is."
Sheets, 30, is considered a top-of-the-rotation starter when healthy, but he has been injured often over the last few years. Sheets pitched at least 215 innings in three consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2004 but has not reached 200 innings since. He pitched 198 innings in 31 starts in 2008 but finished the season with a partial tear in his right elbow and did not pitch in the playoffs. He has also been on the disabled list five times in the last four years.
The Rangers have expressed interest in Sheets at several different points during the winter but were not willing to do a long-term contract with him. As the winter wears down, though, it is looking more and more as if he will have to settle for a two-year deal.
"I think if everything comes together it would be a possibility," Ryan said of signing Sheets. "With any organization trying to improve their pitching, if a pitcher of that magnitude is available, obviously you would have interest."
