Long list of off-season priorities awaits Rangers GM Jon Daniels

Next season can’t arrive soon enough for the Texas Rangers, if for no other reason than they want to distance themselves from 2014 as quickly as possible.

But the just-completed 95-loss season, salvaged from worse results only by a remarkable run over the final three weeks, will hang over the club until it starts to win again.

The expectation inside the organization is that a winning team will be on the field in April, though general manager Jon Daniels can’t just snap his fingers to make it happen.

He is at the very beginning of the most critical off-season of his tenure.

If the Rangers are to be contenders again next September, as has been the spin from Daniels and everyone else with the club, much work has to be done ahead of spring training over the next 4 1/2 months.

“It’s the time of the year to get our ducks in a row,” Daniels said. “We’re going to dive right in.”

Here is a look at the off-season priorities:

Injuries, all kinds of them, put the Rangers on the path to the worst record in the American League, with a lack of major-league-quality depth unable to keep the bottom from falling out.

The first step in the road to recovery is to get those hurt players as healthy as possible, not just for next season, but for a normal off-season that will allow them to train as they usually do.

First on the get-well list is first baseman Prince Fielder, who languished the first six weeks before having cervical fusion surgery. The Rangers are already lacking punch in the lineup, and not having a healthy and effective Fielder would put them in a hole.

Shin-Soo Choo also needs to be healthy. He had a problem with his left elbow all season that bothered him on outside pitches and on certain throws from the outfield. His sprained ankle was also a factor at the plate and in chasing down balls defensively.

The pitching staff will have Derek Holland for a full season, assuming Wrigley the dog is a good boy this winter. They’ll have Yu Darvish, too, assuming his elbow inflammation is as mild as the Rangers keep saying.

Martin Perez won’t be ready for the rotation April 6 after having Tommy John surgery in May. A July return might be optimistic. But at least the Rangers know he will be back. They can’t say that about Matt Harrison, who will attempt to save his career after having spinal fusion surgery.

Tanner Scheppers is expected to be back in a bullpen that could use a dominant eighth-inning setup man.

Stick with Bogar

It’s hard to argue with Daniels’ track record in managerial searches. He went with a long shot in 2006, and the franchise enjoyed its best stretch under Ron Washington.

Tim Bogar is part Washington, part Joe Maddon. Or at least that’s the thought. His 22-game stint as the interim manager was an impressive audition, and not just because of the 14-8 record.

The young players who were struggling under Washington blossomed under Bogar. Whether that was coincidence or the new dugout voice is debatable, but Daniels is encouraged by the way Bogar handled the team.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Daniels said.

A search, though, is under way. Washington’s full-time replacement is expected to be on the payroll before the World Series. It should be Bogar.

“I want this job,” he said. “I’m going to approach it like I have to win the job.”

Splurge a little

The Rangers need to be active in free agency. The Rangers’ third overall draft pick will be protected from compensation for signing a player who receives a qualifying offer. There is also plenty of talent in the minors to swing a trade for a significant upgrade.

The Rangers need at least one big bat for the lineup, but two would be ideal.

Nelson Cruz will be the biggest outfield bat on the market, but he will come at a much steeper price tag than he did last winter when he could have been had for $8 million.

If the Rangers believe Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara or Nick Williams is just a year away from big-league outfield duty, veteran Torii Hunter might be a nice addition.

The Rangers have worked out 23-year-old Cuban defector Yasmany Tomas, a corner outfielder, but he’s raw and might not be ready for an immediate impact.

The best pitchers available will be left-hander Jon Lester and right-hander Max Scherzer, but Daniels said that the Rangers won’t be in on the top free agents.

Righty James Shields, an innings-eater with a nasty changeup who could slide into any of the first three spots in the rotation, won’t come cheap, but he could come on a shorter deal. There are others, like righties Justin Masterson and Ervin Santana, who could help without breaking the bank.

Be realistic

The Rangers spent the past four months evaluating players and pitchers from the minor leagues to see if anyone can help them moving forward. The answer is yes, though not in everyday roles or in the upper half of the rotation.

Daniels seems to be tuned into that. Ryan Rua, for instance, had a nice September after being called up from Triple A Round Rock. He posted a .295 average over 105 at-bats, hit two homers and drove in 13 runs.

But, and this applies to a few others, the numbers were posted in the stress-free environment of playing for a last-place team with nothing to lose and nothing on the line.

“I don’t want to put too much stock into 100 at-bats, or whatever we had this month, but it’s certainly part of the puzzle,” Daniels said. “You take it in, you evaluate it, but I’m not going to sit here and make too much out of 20 games.”

Daniels said some of the younger players showed that they could withstand the demands of 162 games and being in contention, and they will have a chance to make the roster in spring training. Others didn’t, and they are destined to be in the minors.

Stay patient

A tip of the cap to Daniels here. He said that prospects Jorge Alfaro and Gallo have little chance of making the Opening Day roster.

“Highly unlikely,” Daniels said.

That’s a good thing. The Rangers were caught significantly short with their minor league depth in 2014. As such, it’s necessary that the prospects be allowed to continue to develop.

“We went into spring training clearly lacking in depth to where if we were hit with injuries in certain areas, we were not going to be able to support the club,” Daniels said. “We’re in a lot better standing today.”

Alfaro, a top catching prospect, and Gallo, the best power hitter in the minors, could both be in big league camp. Pitching prospects Luke Jackson and Alex Gonzalez, among others, will be, too.

Of that group, Gonzalez has the best chance of making the rotation. One American League scout likes Gonzalez more than Nick Tepesch and Nick Martinez even though he has never pitched above Double A.

This story was originally published September 29, 2014 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Long list of off-season priorities awaits Rangers GM Jon Daniels."