KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Having made no real headway in conversations with the Chicago White Sox, the Rangers have turned their primary trade focus back to Tampa Bay, according to a major league source.

Here is where things stand: Tampa Bay wants Joey Gallo.

The Rangers aren't willing to trade him for anyone less than Chris Archer.

The Rays want him for either Jake Odorizzi or Matt Moore.

And so, the waiting game continues.

In the nine days leading up to the trade deadline, either the Rays will consider a package focused around Gallo for Archer, the Rangers will consider Gallo for one of the lesser, but controllable, pitchers or, most likely, the teams won't match up.

That's when the Rangers would fall back to the likes of TCU-ex Andrew Cashner of San Diego, Seattle's Wade Miley or James Paxton or any number of more "minor" deals. Cashner is a free agent after this year and would probably cost the least, but even then, there is the question of perceived value.

There is reason for the Rangers to consider upping the price for Moore or Odorizzi. Namely: the long-term look of the rotation. With a weak upcoming free-agent class, the Rangers can't count on anybody other than Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez for the 2017 rotation.

Right-hander Colby Lewis, currently on the DL, will be 37 in 10 days and is a free agent after the year, and his medical file is thick. The Rangers have an option on left-hander Derek Holland for 2017. The cost, however, is $11 million, which is a big investment for a pitcher who has been on the 60-day DL in three consecutive seasons and who has pitched a total of 1672/3 innings in the last three years.

Moore and Odorizzi are controllable for multiple years beyond the end of this season. If the Rangers aim to avoid another pitching shortage in the future, they may have to consider adding a more perfunctory pitcher now.