Trade deadline talk: Ty Wigginton

July, 27, 2010
7/27/10
8:00
AM CT
We looked at the Rangers' best option on the right-handed hitting, corner infield market in Jorge Cantu on Monday. Click here to read that entry. The Rangers have had conversations with the Marlins about Cantu and a deal could be getting closer to completion, according to Gordon Edes, our colleague at ESPNBoston.com. But one thing you know with Rangers GM Jon Daniels is that he checks into every available option. The Rangers have had conversations with a variety of teams, including Baltimore about Ty Wigginton. Let's take a quick look at him:

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Ty Wigginton
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty ImagesTy Wigginton could provide an affordable, right-handed bat for the Rangers.
Wigginton, 32, is hitting .249 with 16 homers and 49 RBIs. He started the season batting .308 in April and had a solid May. But he's fallen off in his production since then. Wigginton hit just .209 in June with one homer and 10 RBIs. He hasn't improved much in July so far, batting .212 with two homers and seven RBIs.

He does, however, have a favorable salary in that he's making $3.5 million in 2010. That means there wouldn't be a whole lot remaining on the salary for the rest of the season. His splits show he is still hitting left-handed pitching OK, something the club would need from him down the stretch. Wigginton is batting .253 with one homer and 8 RBIs in 95 at-bats against left-handed pitching.

Wigginton is versatile, having playing first, second and third base this season. In fact, he has almost as many at-bats at second base as he does at first.

Wigginton, like Cantu, has hit lefties well in the three seasons prior to 2010. He hit .286 against them from 2007-09 with a .860 OPS.

Cantu is hitting the ball better right now and makes more sense for the stretch run. But if MLB doesn't give the Rangers any more financial relief, Wigginton could become a better option because of his low salary.

What do you think of Wigginton? Who would you like to see the Rangers get as a right-handed bat at the deadline?
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.

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