(My Sportsbook) - Clearly the Rangers have been trying to figure out who they can move off the roster in order to alleviate some of the stress that one of the highest payrolls in baseball has caused.

Sure, the Yankees lead the way with spending in the majors, but at least they have some World Series titles to show for their efforts.

Not only is Texas far, far away from playing in late October, the team would be lucky to be near .500 ball anytime soon.

At the moment the club is 22 games out of first place in the American League West and is 19 games below .500. The squad did pick up a much needed win on Tuesday with a 7-6 decision against the Oakland A's, but that was just their second in the last 13 contests.

A couple of players have contracts that make them untradeable, but other than that, it appears as if nobody is safe from having to clear out their locker in the near future.

On Tuesday it appeared as though Juan Gonzalez might be on his way out of town for the second time in his 13-year career, but the slugging outfielder has made it abundantly clear that he will more than likely exercise his no-trade clause to block a trade to the Montreal Expos.

Gonzalez, a two-time AL MVP, is in the final year of a two-year, $24 million deal that affords him the luxury of having three days in which to squash a proposed deal.

Back in 1999 he was traded to Detroit where he spent a single season with the Tigers before moving on to the Cleveland Indians as a free agent that following campaign. But it didn't take long for Gonzalez to find his way back to Texas where he re-upped with the Rangers for another couple of seasons.

A deal was all but worked out with the Expos shipping right-handed pitcher Seung Song and infielder Josh McKinley to Texas for Gonzalez, but now it appears as though the 33-year old doesn't want to start all over again with a National League club.

"After some thought and reflection, Juan is going to stand by his no-trade clause and reject the trade to Montreal -- in all likelihood," attorney Jeff Moorad remarked at The Ballpark in Arlington.

Is there still a possibility that something can be worked out with the principles? That's what Expos GM Omar Minaya hopes to find out on Wednesday when he travels to the Lone Star State to try and get Gonzalez to change his mind.

Its been noted that the Puerto Rican native was not all too excited about playing on Astro Turf, and that's what Montreal has to offer at Olympic Stadium. However, should Gonzalez be swayed in some way to make it over to the Senior Circuit, he'll have the opportunity to once again appear in his native country playing in a major league game.

Back in early June the Expos hosted Texas in a three-game set at Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, barely 25 miles from where Gonzalez grew up. Montreal plays seven more games at its home away from home following the All- Star Break, giving him a few more opportunities to play in front of some familiar faces.

There's a chance that the Expos could play half their home schedule in Puerto Rico next year, but at this point nothing is certain.

The Rangers already made one move this month to shake up the lineup a bit, sending Ruben Sierra to the New York Yankees for a minor leaguer, but that was just the tip of the iceberg and it is becoming all too clear to the current roster that the brass are willing to mess with Texas.

"There's a certain message sent when one of your star players is traded," Rafael Palmeiro said. "But we're not losing because of a lack of effort. We're preparing the same way. We're just not getting results."

"It's an unfortunate part of the game," remarked Texas manager Buck Showalter. "You are always looking to make your club better short-term and long-term, and help yourself financially. But sometimes it depends on what order those are in."

Despite being a bit injury prone over the last couple of seasons, missing time in 2002 due to tore muscle fibers in his right thumb and has also missed 10 games this year for various reasons, Gonzalez is still a career .295 hitter with 423 homers and 1,367 RBI. He is batting .286 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI through 65 games this season for the last-place Rangers.

Gonzalez began his career in 1989 with the Rangers as an non-drafted free agent and spent the first 11 seasons in Arlington. He won the MVP award in 1996 after batting .314 with a career-high 47 home runs and 144 RBI. Two seasons later he was once again named the league's most valuable player, batting .318 with 45 homers and a career-best 157 RBI.

WHO'S HOT

Alex Rodriguez has collected eight hits in his last 25 at-bats, including a pair of home runs and a couple of doubles, helping him to produce six RBI in the last seven contests.

Mark Teixeira is hitting .370 over the last seven outings and has matched A- Rod's six RBI in the process.

WHO'S NOT

Of the players that the Rangers are looking to move, Palmeiro has not exactly made it easy for management to want to reconsider his trade value this past week. The first baseman has just three hits in his last 24 plate appearances, although one of them was a home run.

Michael Young has produced six hits in the last seven contests (.194), but they have led to just two runs scored and a single RBI.

COMING UP

The Rangers play tonight and tomorrow against the Oakland A's at home and then take on the Houston Astros in Interleague play over the weekend at Minute Maid Park. The team stays out on the road at the beginning of next week with four straight against the Anaheim Angels at Edison Field.