MVN: Most Valuable Network

Powered by democracy, holograms and the late, great Edna Taylor of Dallas, here are a few Election Night morsels from deep in the heart of Texas:

● While Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News submitted on Monday afternoon that Marlins starting pitcher Scott Olsen was more of a contingency plan for the Rangers if other trade possibilities fell through, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel currently tabs Texas as one of several teams -- of which there are no fewer than six -- that have expressed "significant interest" in the 24-year-old southpaw:

Though the Texas Rangers ... appear a fit because of their catching surplus, Gerald Laird is not the Marlins' first choice. Perhaps an expanded deal could be reached that would involve one of the Rangers other two catchers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Max Ramirez, but the arbitration-eligible Laird is too pricey at an estimated $3.5 million.

Olsen is expected to command around $3 million in salary arbitration, and the Marlins likely need to achieve a net savings in that deal.

Although Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria authorized the expansion of Florida's payroll to $40 million last month, that's still a remarkably stingy total in this day and age of Major League Baseball, and I suppose it's Loria's parsimonious approach to player compensation that prevented Laird from ever seeming like a terribly great fit with the Marlins.

After all, his salary will receive another bump northward in 2010 when he enters his final year of arbitration eligibility, and even if that $3.5 million figure presented by Rodriguez is just a tad inflated, it would still account for roughly 10 percent of the Marlins' 2009 payroll. Texas could always offset the difference with a briefcase full of Tom Hicks' money, but then it's beginning to appear pretty questionable that Laird alone would be enough to acquire Olsen in spite of his many peripheral flaws.

Ramirez or Saltalamacchia straight-up for Olsen obviously isn't going to happen, but a deal involving additional pieces on the Marlins' side might. Unless something pretty compelling was thrown into the mix, however, that would probably be a disappointing exchange of assets from the Rangers' perspective.

Olsen isn't a very good pitcher right now, and unless you're of the mindset that he can recapture his 2006 form and dial his heater back up into the low-90s (two things which probably go somewhat hand in hand), there's not much point in relinquishing major value to acquire his services, because the 2008 version of Olsen probably would have seen his superficially appealing 4.20 ERA skyrocket a full earned run -- if not more than that -- if he had pitched half his games in Arlington.

● SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Rangers' attempts to re-sign offensively prolific designated hitter Milton Bradley have fallen short, as the 30-year-old slugger has instead opted to decline the apparent short-term deal offered by Texas and test the open market. Agent Sam Levinson informed Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his client hadn't yet ruled out a return to Texas, but those prospects aren't looking real bright right now in light of Heyman's report.

There is media speculation afoot that Bradley will seek a four-year deal worth more than $10 million per season, exorbitant demands that this organization should not -- and will not -- meet given his bothersome health history. His past extracurricular adventures will probably also play a role in forestalling a frenzied dash by other big league teams to secure his bat, but then it only takes one impulsive general manager armed with an abundance of capital to do something outrageous.

● For what it's worth, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons has deemed Bradley one of the five most intriguing free agents in this year's market, and writes that the Dodgers could shift former All-Star catcher Russell Martin to third base (or perhaps even trade him), instilling life into the possibility of long-time Red Sox captain Jason Varitek hopping a cross-country flight and filling the void behind the plate in Los Angeles.

In turn, Boston could conceivably pursue Martin as a long-term solution at backstop, which would effectively snuff out any further talk of a deal sending Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden to Beantown if such trade discussions metamorphosed into something with legitimate substance.

● Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald has assumed a decidedly less radical stance with regard to the Red Sox' future catching plans, suggesting that Texas "may be willing to deal for a top young pitcher" -- surprise! -- while noting that the Red Sox have vigorously scouted the Rangers' remarkable cache of backstop talent.

● According to Mike Puma and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, there is talk that the price tag on free agent closer Brian Fuentes -- whom Heyman believes the Rangers are interested in -- could jump from the initial estimates of three years and $36 million to four years and approximately $48 million, exceeding the four-year deal Francisco Cordero extracted from the Reds last November by a total of $2 million.

Pass.

● FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal confirms that Blue Jays right-hander A.J. Burnett has opted out of his five-year, $55 million contract, but there are presently no indications to suggest that the Rangers intend to court the 31-year-old Maryland resident.

● Something about the news that the Angels have been added to the list of teams that Padres ace Jake Peavy would waive his no-trade clause to join badly unnerves me. Really don't want to see him jumping to the Junior Circuit under any circumstances, and even less so underneath the AL West banner.

● Joaquin Arias, who has battled weakness in his throwing arm ever since undergoing shoulder surgery last summer, could be cleared by Rangers farm director Scott Servais to play in the Dominican Winter League as soon as next week. Slick-fielding minor league second baseman Jose Vallejo is expected to begin receiving reps at shortstop in addition to his current defensive responsibilities.

A dozen of the organization's most promising young arms -- including Brandon McCarthy, Eric Hurley, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz and Tommy Hunter -- will participate in the Rangers' first-ever conditioning camp in Arlington next Monday. The mini-camp will focus on sprinting and squatting exercises, designed to enhance the group's durability and explosive power as the Rangers attempt to reverse their historically ill fortunes pitching-wise.

Jim Colborn, the organization's director of Pacific Rim operations, will fly to Japan next week to assess whether Texas could derive some benefit from the small class of free agent imports available this winter, including veteran right-handers Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami and amateur hurler Junichi Tazawa.

According to Evan Grant, manager Ron Washington's recommendation of former Athletics coaching colleague Rick Peterson as the Rangers' next pitching coach was not a condemnation of Mike Maddux, as some (including myself) had previously speculated might be the case.

Legendary baseball statistician Bill James has projected Chris Davis to notch a .302 batting average, smash 40 home runs and drive in 118 runs in 2009; curiously, James was right on the mark in projecting Josh Hamilton's batting average (.307 projected, .304 actual) and home run output (31 projected, 32 actual) for the 2008 season, but badly overshot his OPS (.987 projected, .901 actual), so keep that in mind the next time you encounter a James-conceived forecast.

By the way, Texas won't approach Hamilton about a long-term contract extension until January.

The Rangers could officially exercise their $6.2 million club option on Hank Blalock later this week, but won't do so before the two sides meet face-to-face.

Baseball America's Matt Eddy writes that the Rangers have re-signed right-handers Jose Diaz, Adalberto Flores, and Alfredo Gonzalez, left-hander A.J. Murray, and catcher Kevin Richardson to minor league deals.

And so begins the Barack Obama era.