Rangers rumors: Nelson Cruz PED link will not alter Michael Bourn interest

The Texas Rangers have not changed their plans with regards to free-agent outfielder Michael Bourn in light of the Tuesday report linking right fielder Nelson Cruz to an alleged PED clinic in Miami, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com:

No, the Rangers have not renewed their interest in free agent outfielder Michael Bourn, according to industry sources. Even if the Rangers do lose Cruz until the beginning of June, the plan is still to go with what they have right now.

That may mean either Mitch Moreland or Mike Olt has to play the outfield.

The Rangers were rumored to pick up their interest in Bourn a little over a month ago, but that whisper slowly faded over time. Sullivan then reported last week that Texas was out on both Bourn and Kyle Lohse, and that their initial interest had been lukewarm at best, stopping the Bourn/Rangers rumor mill.

Several writers speculated in the last 24 hours that Texas might renew their pursuit of Bourn as a safety net if Cruz is disciplined by Major League Baseball, but that does not appear to be the case.

While Cruz's name is not the most prominent in the report, it does allege that he purchased at least $4,000 worth of "product" from the clinic last year and that he was at some point a buyer of "troches", which is described as a type of lozenge that includes 15 percent testosterone.

If MLB's investigation concludes that Cruz was indeed a customer of the PED clinic and purchased banned substances, the league can punish him with a 50-game suspension, failed test or no.

In addition to Moreland and Olt, second baseman Ian Kinsler could move to right field if necessary, which would free up room for either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar to play full-time at second.