Cody Ross Met with Rangers

According to Ken Rosenthal, free agent outfielder Cody Ross met with officials of the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Among them were manager Ron Washington and GM Jon Daniels.

September 18, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Cody Ross (7) singles in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ross is coming off a strong season at the plate in 2012 where he posted 22 home runs and 81 RBI to go along with a career-best .807 OPS. The Rangers, who had not previously been linked to Ross, have missed out on a host of elite players this Winter, either through free agency or trade, and need to add offense.

It isn’t clear how serious Texas is in their pursuit of Ross, but it stands to reason that if this were merely due diligence, they could have done that without hosting the player and taking him to dinner. Daniels watched as 67 home runs left his lineup when Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton agreed to sign deals elsewhere. While Ross isn’t the caliber of hitter than Hamilton is, he does have the ability to play all three outfield positions and he hammers left handed pitching. The Rangers without Hamilton lack a strong left handed hitter, however, with only Mitch Moreland and David Murphy projected to start.

Ross has been seeking a three-year deal worth $21-30 million overall based on reports from earlier in the off-season. He has been linked to a handful of clubs looking to add an outfield bat and represents a less expensive option than fellow free agent Nick Swisher.

The Red Sox, Phillies, Braves, Mariners, Orioles, and Mets have been rumored to have some level of interest in signing Ross this Winter.