Rangers Notes: Profar Out to Prove Worth as Camp Begins

After a brief big-league introduction last season, infielder Jurickson Profar is poised to compete for a regular role on the club this spring.

The Rangers assembled for their 11^th spring training under the desert sun this week, with pitchers and catchers reporting to the team’s facilities in Surprise, Ariz., on Tuesday and the first full-squad workout scheduled for Saturday.

Perhaps no player enters camp with more lofty expectations than infield prospect Jurickson Profar, the Curacao native who turns 20 next Wednesday. While Profar is a natural middle infielder, shortstop and second base are currently manned by All-Stars Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler, respectively.

“Our stance with Jurickson is if he demonstrates he’s one of our best 25 and maybe one of our best nine,” Texas general manager Jon Daniels said, “if we’re convinced he can make an impact on the team and continue his progress, we’ll be open-minded.”

Considered by many to be the top overall prospect in Major League Baseball, Profar’s playing time in Cactus League games will be determined in part by a decision he has yet to make — that being whether or not to participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic as a representative of the Netherlands.

Although Profar had recently indicated he would skip the Classic and instead devote a full spring toward trying to make the Rangers’ roster, he has since acknowledged that he won’t make a final choice on the matter until after reporting to camp this week.

Other than 17 big-league at-bats with Texas last September, Profar has never played above Double-A in the minors, and opinion seems split over whether he could benefit from some experience playing every day at Triple-A Round Rock.

In order for Profar to be a regular in the Rangers’ lineup, either he or Ian Kinsler would likely have to play out of position while the other starts at second base, though manager Ron Washington has said that Profar will stay in the infield for the time being.

“He’s going to come in and work on the infield. … I have no intentions on him playing the outfield,” Washington said. “I hope we can just keep this young kid focused on where he can best go.”

Texas Counting on Cruz in Right

The team expects to begin the season with Nelson Cruz as its everyday right fielder, Jon Daniels said last Friday, despite MLB’s ongoing investigation into a Miami newspaper story naming Cruz and several other players as clients in a performance-enhancing drug ring.

According to the Miami New Times report, some other names linked to Biogenesis, a South Florida anti-aging clinic, are Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Gio Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez.

“Our expectation is that Nellie is our right fielder,” Daniels said. “Until we hear otherwise, nothing fancy about it. That’s just the truth.”

Last year, in his first full big-league season not hampered by injury, Cruz batted just .260 for Texas but drove in a career-best 90 runs while hitting 24 homers and a team-high 45 doubles.

Bourn to Tribe, Upton to Braves

Should Cruz draw a suspension from Major League Baseball, the Rangers can no longer look to outfielders Michael Bourn or Justin Upton as a potential replacement.

The 25-year-old Upton was dealt from Arizona to Atlanta late last month in a seven-player trade that also sent third baseman Chris Johnson to the Braves and infielder Martin Prado to the Diamondbacks.

Upton will be joined in the Braves’ lineup by his older brother B.J., who had been a free-agent target of Texas early in the offseason before signing a five-year deal with Atlanta.

As for Bourn, the two-time National League All-Star agreed to a four-year contract with the Cleveland Indians on Monday that will pay him $48 million over the course of the deal.

Rangers Notes: Final Starting Spot up for Grabs

Southpaw Robbie Ross enjoyed a breakout rookie season in 2012, going 6-0 with a 2.22 earned run average across 58 innings pitched.

Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in Surprise, Ariz., next Tuesday, and the Rangers’ starting rotation is almost set with only the final spot yet to be determined.

Much of the rotation is in place with right-handers Yu Darvish and Alexi Ogando joined by lefties Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

Two members of last year’s Opening Day staff (Neftali Feliz and Colby Lewis) are working their way back from season-ending surgeries — as is new setup reliever Joakim Soria — and won’t be ready to pitch until early- to mid-summer.

In addition, Holland will miss time in camp while pitching for the United States in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, thus creating even more of a chance for Texas’s young arms to prove their worth to the club’s upper management.

“It will give somebody an opportunity,” pitching coach Mike Maddux said. “There are going to be some innings there that we normally wouldn’t have.”

The early favorite for the fifth rotation spot may be left-hander Robbie Ross, a 2008 draft pick who emerged from the low minors last spring to claim a late-inning role in the Rangers’ bullpen.

This season, the 23-year-old Ross will be stretched out and given a shot to crack the starting five, along with fellow lefty Martin Perez and right-handers Justin Grimm, Kyle McClellan and Randy Wells.

“Last year at this time, everybody was wondering who Robbie Ross was,” Maddux said. “But he introduced himself in spring training, and it was good to meet him. It’s up to these guys to step up now.”

Although free-agent starter Kyle Lohse – who led the majors with a winning percentage of .842 last season – remains on the market, team beat writer T.R. Sullivan reported that “industry sources” believe “the Rangers don’t expect to sign either [Lohse] or outfielder Michael Bourn.”

Four More Get Big-League Invites

The club announced last week that it has extended non-roster spring training invitations to the following four minor-league players: right-handed pitchers Cody Buckel and Nick Tepesch, outfielder Joey Butler and catcher Jose Felix.

None of the four have any prior major-league experience, with Butler the only one who has played as high as the Triple-A level.

Buckel, 20, was named the organization’s Minor-League Pitcher of the Year after going 10-8 with an earned run average of 2.49 in 26 combined appearances between High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco.

The 24-year-old Tepesch also split the season between Myrtle Beach and Frisco, posting a record of 11-6 with a 3.67 ERA over 162 total innings of work.

Butler has spent much of the last two years at Round Rock, batting .305 while averaging 16 homers and 83 runs scored, and Felix has been the main catcher for the Frisco RoughRiders since late 2010.

Theriot Draws Interest from Rangers, Indians

Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Texas and Cleveland are among the teams showing interest in veteran free-agent infielder Ryan Theriot.

The 33-year-old Theriot has been a regular contributor for the eventual World Series champions in each of the last two seasons, first with the Cardinals in 2011 and then with the San Francisco Giants in 2012.

A career National Leaguer, Theriot had logged the majority of his big-league time with the Cubs from 2005-10 before being sent to the Dodgers in a trade-deadline deal three summers ago.

Rangers Notes: Starting Rotation Could Use another Piece

Derek Holland has gone 28-12 with an earned run average of 4.29 over the past two seasons, including four complete-game shutouts in 2011.

With 2012 officially in the books and spring training just a few weeks away, the Rangers may still be looking to add another arm to their starting rotation before pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Ariz., on Feb. 12.

Right-hander Yu Darvish is joined by southpaws Matt Harrison and Derek Holland as the only pitchers who seem guaranteed of a spot in the Texas rotation, with righty Alexi Ogando being promised an opportunity to return to the starting five as well.

Two members of last year’s Opening Day rotation — Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz — are rehabbing from season-ending injuries, but the Rangers will need more than a stopgap solution before either of those two is ready to take the hill.

Texas has been left to watch this winter as free-agent starters Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez signed deals with other clubs last month while potential trade targets R.A. Dickey and James Shields were dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, respectively.

The top remaining names from what was already a thin free-agent starting pitching class are right-handers Kyle Lohse and Shaun Marcum and left-hander Joe Saunders, although none of those would be considered a front-line option.

“There have not been many starters out there this winter that we have really pushed on,” Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. “Obviously the Greinke thing was well-documented and we were interested there and he had another opportunity and went out West.

“We feel real good about our first four,” Daniels continued, “and we have some internal competition for the fifth spot.”

As for the Rangers’ in-house candidates, lefty Martin Perez struggled in his six big-league starts last season, while right-hander Justin Grimm was solid in a victorious debut before getting hit hard in his other four outings.

Outfield Options Remain in Bourn, Berkman, Kubel

Josh Hamilton’s departure has left Texas lacking a true center fielder with significant big-league experience, and while Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin share time in a platoon situation, the Rangers may want someone with more service time under their belt.

Among the free-agent outfielders still available this offseason, Michael Bourn is the most attractive option as a fit in center, with veteran Lance Berkman also drawing attention as a corner outfielder and potential designated hitter.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, after taking Justin Upton off the trading block for all intents and purposes, may again be looking to deal following their acquisition of outfielder Cody Ross in late December.

Former Twins mainstay Jason Kubel has found himself the subject of rumors as yet another D’Backs outfielder who could be dealt. Arizona currently has four experienced outfielders and a pair of prospects in the mix for three spots.

Kubel, 30, is a left-handed batter who would seem to complement the slew of right-handed hitters in the Rangers’ projected lineup.

Former Owner Corbett Dies at 75

The colorful Brad Corbett, who owned the Texas ballclub for six years in the mid- to late-1970s, passed away at his Fort Worth home on Christmas Eve. Corbett was 75 years old.

After making his money in the PVC pipe industry, Corbett purchased the Rangers from Bob Short in May 1974, and he would remain owner until selling the team to local oil executive Eddie Chiles in late April 1980.

During his tenure as owner, Corbett was not afraid to pull the trigger on managerial changes, once employing four different skippers (Frank Lucchesi, Eddie Stanky, Connie Ryan and, finally, Billy Hunter) in less than a 10-day span during the 1977 season.

Ironically, it was also in 1977 that Texas posted a 94-68 record, which marked the club’s highest yearly win total until the 1999 A.L. West division champion Rangers went 95-67.

Rangers Notes: Texas Mulls its Options behind the Plate

All-Star catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli has averaged 27 homers and 66 runs batted in per year across the past two seasons with the Rangers.

When the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings get underway Monday in Nashville, the Texas front office will its work cut out for it with holes to fill at
catcher, in the starting rotation and in the outfield.

Free-agent catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli and his agent met with general manager Jon Daniels and other members of the Rangers front office on Wednesday, this after meeting with Red Sox officials over the weekend while drawing interest from the Mariners as well.

Predictably, neither side would comment on any potential negotiations or discussions, but Napoli saw his stock rise a bit Thursday when free-agent backstop Russell Martin agreed to a two-year contract with the Pirates.

Texas would like to keep Napoli — who split time at catcher last season with the tandem of Yorvit Torrealba and Geovany Soto — but the Rangers don’t appear willing to commit to the four-year deal he is reportedly seeking.

As for Soto, Texas must decide before 11 p.m. CST on Friday whether or not to offer him a contract for next year. Soto is arbitration-eligible after earning $4.3 million between the Cubs and Rangers in 2012.

(UPDATE: It was announced late Friday that Soto was not tendered a contract for the 2013 season, thus making him a free agent. The club also declined contracts for right-hander Jake Brigham and utility player Brandon Snyder.)

Besides Napoli, a few of the experienced catchers still available include A.J. Pierzynski, Miguel Olivo and Kelly Shoppach, as well as former Rangers like Torrealba, Matt Treanor and Rod Barajas.

The top of the free-agent market for outfielders has thinned this month as Melky Cabrera, Torii Hunter and B.J. Upton each signed with new clubs in recent weeks, leaving Josh Hamilton as the clear best remaining outfielder up for grabs.

Texas has not ruled out re-signing Hamilton, although his asking price will be substantial both in terms of years and salary. Some quality but less expensive options are still on the open market, including Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, Cody Ross, Nick Swisher and Shane Victorino.

The Rangers’ rotation as it stands lacks an obvious top-flight starter, with Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando tentatively penciled into four of the five starting spots.

Like Hamilton in the outfield, right-hander Zack Greinke will command the most attention (and the most financial commitment) among free-agent pitchers, and Texas could also explore trade possibilities for young starters such as Clayton Kershaw or David Price.

Righty Burns Picked Up from San Diego

The Rangers on Wednesday acquired right-handed reliever Cory Burns from the Padres in exchange for a player to be named later, and he has been added to the team’s current 40-man roster.

Burns, 25, made his major-league debut for San Diego last year, allowing 11 earned runs and recording 18 strikeouts across 18 innings pitched out of the Padres’ bullpen.

Balester, Solarte Ink Minor-League Deals

Wednesday also saw right-hander Collin Balester and infielder Yangervis Solarte sign minor-league contracts with Texas that include invitations to spring training next February in Arizona.

The 25-year-old Solarte spent last season at Triple-A Round Rock, batting .288 with 28 doubles in 130 games for the Express, while Balester has seen big-league service time with Washington and Detroit.

Feldman Agrees to Contract with Cubs

Free-agent right-hander Scott Feldman was signed to a one-year deal by the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday that will pay him a base salary of $6 million with $1 million worth of incentives.

A 2003 draft pick by the Rangers, Feldman had logged 204 career appearances over parts of the last eight seasons with Texas, making 101 starts and posting a record of 39-44 in that span.

Rangers Notes: Questions Loom for Long Winter Ahead

Manager Ron Washington guided Texas to back-to-back pennants before a second-place division finish in 2012.

This offseason began much earlier than planned for the two-time defending American League champion Rangers, and now the club finds itself facing key on-field personnel decisions in the coming months.

Texas held first place in the A.L. West for all but three days this year, leading by as many as 6.5 games before watching Oakland catch fire in the second half and ultimately move into first place on the final day of the regular season.

Any discussions regarding the Rangers’ plans going forward begin and end with outfielder Josh Hamilton, a five-time All-Star and former American League MVP who will be an unrestricted ‘Type A’ free agent for the first time in his career this winter. It was reported last Tuesday that Texas will not make an initial offer to the 31-year-old slugger, instead opting to let him explore what kind of options become available on the free-agent market.

“We’re not going to make a kind of preemptive proposal at this point,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “If you put yourself in [Hamilton’s] shoes, if you’ve got this far, you’re going to test the market, find out what’s out there. I think that’s understandable.”

In five seasons with the Rangers, Hamilton has averaged just over 28 home runs and 101 RBIs per year, batting .305 during his time in Texas while leading the league with a .359 average in 2010.

The solid career numbers have been obscured at various times by Hamilton’s proneness to injury and off-field issues, and he took recent criticism for what appeared to be a lack of concentration that mirrored his declining offensive production in the closing weeks of the 2012 season.

Should Hamilton depart, which seems more likely than not, the Rangers could look to replace his production with a second-tier outfielder from the free-agent market — Michael Bourn, Ryan Ludwick, B.J. Upton and Delmon Young are all available — or potentially via trade.

On Sunday, The Chicago Tribune hinted at a possible deal between Boston and Texas that would bring center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to the Rangers and send left-hander Derek Holland to the Red Sox, although there is nothing yet to substantiate that rumor.

Along with Hamilton, catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli and infielder Alberto Gonzalez are also free agents, as are right-handers Mike Adams, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman, Mark Lowe, Roy Oswalt and Koji Uehara, with Feldman having a $9.25 million team option that is unlikely to be exercised.

Presuming the departure of Dempster, Feldman and Oswalt (all of whom have starting experience), Texas will be seeking rotation help with only three healthy starters penciled in for next year — righty Yu Darvish and southpaws Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

After having his 2012 season cut short by elbow surgery, veteran Colby Lewis signed a one-year deal in September and hopes to return to the mound sometime next spring or summer.

As for another member of this year’s starting rotation, right-hander Neftali Feliz isn’t expected to be back nearly as soon while he recovers from reconstructive Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow.

Infielder Hernandez Declares Free Agency

Switch-hitting infielder Luis Hernandez, who saw action in just two big-league games for Texas this season, declared and was granted free agency over the weekend.

Prior to his brief September call-up, Hernandez, 28, had spent nearly the entire year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he batted .262 in with 23 doubles and six triples in 129 games for the Express.

The Rangers have some backup infield help in the form of 19-year-old prospect Jurickson Profar, who can play both shortstop and second base, but he will probably need more seasoning and the club may look to add depth via trade or free agency.