Todd

Walker

The Rangers considered adding Walker as their second baseman last winter. Now they see him as a potential DH. Tino Martinez and possibly Mo Vaughn are other names they’re considering. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also reports that the Rangers are concentrating on Jermaine Dye, Richard Hidalgo and Danny Bautista as potential right fielders and Jon Lieber and Odalis Perez as rotation candidates.

The Rangers see Walker as a designated hitter, which is certainly not where he’s at his most valuable. Walker has a solid bat, but there are players in the minors who could do just at least as well as a DH for 15-20 percent of what Walker is going to make next season.

The Cubs have some interest in bringing Walker back, probably as their primary second baseman. However, since they don’t plan to offer him arbitration, a deal would have to get done by Dec. 7.

Walker is only interested in returning to the Cubs as a regular second baseman, so that’s probably what he’d be. He’d likely compete with Corey Patterson for a spot at the top of the lineup.

Walker also was feeling ill, and felt the shoulder flare up after batting practice. He’s day-to-day.

Walker is recovering from an illness and a sore shoulder. He’s day-to-day.

Walker has raised his average from .304 to .325 over the course of the streak.

“I love this team,” he said yesterday. “This, by far, is the best team I’ve ever been a part of and I can’t imagine winning anywhere else. Why would I want to go anywhere else? . . . The bottom line is unless there’s something absurdly beneficial for me to go anywhere else, I don’t want to go anywhere else. That being said, you hope the city and the team want you back. I don’t know what the feeling is right now.” A couple of weeks ago, it was clear that Walker would be elsewhere. However, after his five postseason homers and a couple of excellent defensive plays in Game 7 of the ALCS, the Red Sox figure to at least look into bringing him back.

Iguchi wanted to make the jump, but he’s set to stay with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks for another year. It was believed that the Red Sox, Mets and Dodgers were among the teams that had interest in him.

The Rays could re-sign Rey Ordonez and move Julio Lugo to second or sign a second baseman like Walker and let Ordonez go elsewhere. Either way, it doesn’t look like Marlon Anderson will return.