Time has come for Daniels to deal

The Texas Rangers are playing some of their best ball of the season in the past 45 or so days -- a string that began, strangely enough, when first baseman/trade target Mark Teixeira hit the disabled list for the first time in his career.a pNow that Teixeira's back, the Rangers are still winning and the former All-Star continues to produce. So what should Rangers GM Jon Daniels do?

The answer is simple. Deal Tex.

It may not be the most popular move in the Metroplex, but if there has been or will be a time to deal Teixeira, it's now.

He has another year on his contract, meaning the team who lands him would get a year and two months of service instead of just two months. And given Teixeira's relatively reasonable 2008 salary (in the $12 million range), he could bring a king's ransom for this depressed market.

The Rangers have to figure out what direction they're heading. Teixerira's comments lately intomate a player who will say so long to north Texas as soon as his contact expires. So why not deal him to Atlanta for some pitching depth (Kyle Davies, Jo Jo Reyes) and maybe a fringe prospect (Elvis Andrus)?

If Daniels is going to make a move, he better do it now or risking receiving only draft picks in 2009 for Teixeira.