Last week in Newsday, Ken Davidoff reported the Mets contacted the Rangers earlier in the off season about Laird, but that there had been no talks of late.

Morosco had been considered Detroit’s fifth-best pitching prospect, according to Baseball America.

The 29–year-old Laird hit .276 in 95 games for Texas in 2008, while hitting six HR and 41 RBI with a .329 OBP.

Update, 2:14 am:

The Detroit Free Press reports Tigers pitching prospect Carlos Melo will also go from Detroit to Texas in the deal.

Melo was not ranked in Baseball America’s Prospect report.

“There hasn’t been much discussion there lately,” writes Davidoff, noting, instead, how the Mets have prioritized ‘the renovation of their pitching staff.’

In early November, at SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote:

“Some Mets people are concerned about their catching.  But some in their hierarchy don’t like that the best free-agent options… Pudge Rodriguez and Bengie Molina don’t exactly make them younger.”

The Dallas Morning News has written the Rangers will listen to offers for all of their catchers, including Max Ramirez, Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

However, in all cases, the Rangers will want a top-flight, proven, under-contract, young pitcher in return, such as Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz, according to the Boston Globe.

For what it’s worth, according to Ken Davidoff in a previous report for Newsday, the Rangers have shown interest in RHP Aaron Heilman, who will turn 30 later this month, and who is not eligible for free agency until after 2010.

The 29–year-old Laird hit .276 in 95 games for Texas, while hitting six HR and 41 RBI with a .329 OBP.

In 2008, he threw out 28 percent of runners who tried to steal against him, compared to a 39–percent success rate in 2007 and a 45–percent success rate in 2006.

That said, the Rangers are willing to trade C Gerald Laird, according to one baseball source, reports the Boston Globe.

According to Evan Grant in the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers will actually listen to offers for all of their catchers, including Max Ramirez, Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

However, in all cases, writes Grant, the Rangers will want a top-flight, proven, under-contract, young pitcher in return.

Additionally, the Mets have discussed trading for Giants C Bengie Molina, writes Heyman.

Speaking of catcher, according to Heyman, Boston will offer C Jason Varitek a two-year deal, but not the four-year contract he is looking for

Varitek, as well Brad Ausmus, Josh Bard, Paul Lo Duca, Pudge Rodriguez, among others, are all free agents.