MLB trade rumors 2013: Texas Rangers inquire about Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion

Yesterday I jokingly referenced that if you were a right handed hitter with power, the Texas Rangers have interest in you. That’s becoming more than just a joke now though as the Rangers have apparently gauged the price of just about every right handed hitting power bat in the league.

According to CBS Sports’ Danny Knobler, the Rangers have now not only inquired about the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton but have also cast their net north of the border, calling on both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Per Knobler:

"So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Rangers have continued to ask the Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, even though the Marlins continue to tell them he isn’t available. The Rangers went so far as to make a four-player offer for Stanton, according to one source, who said the offer was strong enough that the Marlins front office considered it worth pursuing.Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, the source said, quickly put an end to any talk of a Stanton trade.But the Rangers continue to think big, recently sending a scout to watch Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays. A deal for either of the two Toronto sluggers was described as unlikely, but the interest shows the level of player the Rangers are looking for."

The price for any of the three would be pretty absurd no matter how much salary the Rangers would absorb (especially for Encarnacion and Bautista), so any deal is extremely unlikely for the players mentioned. Still, the Rangers are more than open to going big it seems if the situation presents itself.