It appears the Giants, Braves and Phillies have some company.
Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports that the Rangers remain “very much in play” in the pursuit of Carlos Beltran. The first-place Rangers have reportedly zeroed in on Beltran and Padres’ closer Heath Bell as their primary trade targets before the deadline.
While the Rangers have a scout in Miami watching Beltran, a source tells Rubin that the Mets have ramped up watching Rangers’ minor leaguers. In fact, Mets scout Bryan Lambe is watching the Rangers’ Class A Hickory club after being redirected.
Some prominent members of the Hickory roster include shortstop Jurickson Profar, outfielder Jake Skole, third baseman Christian Villanueva and right-hander Roman Mendez. Profar was recently ranked as the game’s No. 12 prospect on Baseball America’s midseason list and is highly unlikely to be included in a potential deal for Beltran.
