Certainly not surprising news, but encouraging news, reported at mlbtradrrumors.com today:

The Rangers “have had preliminary contact” with right-hander Alex Cobb’s representative, Jon Paul Morosi writes. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported earlier this month that the starter-needy Rangers covet Cobb, one of the top hurlers on the open market. Cobb returned in earnest from 2015 Tommy John surgery last season to turn in a career-best 179 1/3 innings of 3.66 ERA pitching, with 6.42 K/9, 2.21 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent groundball rate.