Rangers Team Preview: Improved Health, Renewed Expectations

They say everything is bigger in Texas, but even native Texans had a hard time believing how extensive the Rangers' use of the DL was in 2014, wrecking a promising season from the outset and leading to one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory for the Rangers faithful.

The sheer number of players that ended the year in the 60-day DL (Mitch Moreland, Jurickson Profar, Matt Harrison, Martin Perez, Prince Fielder, Alexi Ogando, Shin-Soo Choo, Yu Darvish and Tanner Scheppers) does a pretty decent job of showing just how devastating the injuries were to the 2014 season, and simply a return to health by many from the list above figures to put Texas in the thick of things in the AL West.

Offseason moves

Acquired P Yovani Gallardo from the Milwaukee Brewers for minor leaguers Corey Knebel, Luis Sardinas and Marcos Diplan.

Texas gets an effective, if somewhat declining, proven innings-eater in Gallardo for what amounts to a few spare arms and a projectable shortstop. The loss of Sardinas is an easier pill to swallow when you have Rougned Odor on the rise, Jurickson Profar stashed away and Elvis Andrus under a long-term contract (even though the contract makes him virtually untradeable at this point). The Rangers only have to look back about nine months to see the value of a pitcher like Gallardo, given his ability to pitch six effective innings every fifth day and give you a reasonable chance to win that night. If he's the Rangers' No. 4 starter after the All-Star break, things are going well in Arlington.

Acquired Ross Detwiler from the Washington Nationals for two minor leaguers.

The Rangers intend to stick Detwiler at the back of the rotation, at least until Martin Perez (elbow) enters back into the picture in the second half, and see what they've got. Detwiler has been unimpressive in his major league career up to this point after being an early first-round pick. General manager Jon Daniels cited some recent success stories of left-handed pitchers at Globe Life Park in Arlingtn, rattling off names like C.J. Wilson, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland and conveniently neglecting such notable players as John Rheinecker, Robbie Ross and Kason Gabbard. Pitching coach Mike Maddux has worked miracles before, but the limited arsenal and lack of advanced peripherals don't bode well for a Detwiler breakout.

Selected Delino DeShields from the Houston Astros in the Rule 5 draft.

It should be a pretty clear indictment on DeShields' fall from grace when a rebuilding team like the Astros chooses to set him free. He's failed to produce at the upper levels, but Texas obviously feels there's enough potential to stash him away as the last spot on the bench and then re-start his prospect career if needed in 2016. It remains to be seen how much base stealing new manager Jeff Bannister is comfortable with, but there's 20-plus stolen base upside if DeShields is regularly deployed as a late-game pinch-running option.

Signed Nate Schierholtz, Ryan Ludwick, Kyle Blanks and Carlos Peguero to minor league contracts.

Texas released Jim Adduci and traded Daniel Robertson in the offseason, removing two of the players that went through the revolving door that was the Rangers' left-field situation last year. Holdovers Michael Choice, Ryan Rua and Jake Smolinski figure to head the competition as the spring opens this year, but there are enough concerns about each where the quartet signed above could make the decision difficult with strong springs. Ludwick has, by a wide margin, the most success in the majors and figures to be a nice platoon option if nothing else, if he can get past the shoulder woes that have limited him the last two years.

Acquired Carlos Corporan from the Houston Astros for a minor league pitcher.

Corporan isn't going to push starter Robinson Chirinos for the regular gig, but he does offer the profile of a pretty serviceable backup: good receiving skills and some pop when given the platoon advantage. He's a far better option than what Texas trotted out there last year, and should provide more rest opportunities for Chirinos.

Acquired Anthony Ranaudo from the Boston Red Sox for Robbie Ross.

It will be interesting to see how the Rangers treat Ranaudo, who has regressed in every season since being selected 39th overall in the 2010 first-year player draft. His size (6'7") and lack of a third pitch would seem to cap his future as a so-so option in a major-league bullpen, but Texas may embrace the change of scenery opportunity created by the trade and attempt to rebuild Ranaudo as a starting candidate in the minors. The current version of Ranaudo doesn't offer much upside.

Signed free agent Kyuji Fujikawa to a one-year, $1.1 million dollar contract.

Fujikawa has been limited to just 25 innings the past two seasons due to a litany of injuries. He flashed solid peripherals in that limited action with the Cubs, including 31 strikeouts against just eight walks, and figures to have a semi-prominent spot in the Texas bullpen from the outset, perhaps setting up closer Neftali Feliz. Given Feliz's recent track record, Fujikawa makes a pretty solid late-game dart for those trolling the waters for possible mid-season closers.

Re-signed free agent P Colby Lewis to a one-year contract.

Lewis, who entered the 2014 season with all sorts of question marks regarding his health, ended up leading the Texas rotation in innings pitched. That alone should give you an idea of just how injury-ravaged the Rangers' roster became by years' end. Lewis was one of the more hittable pitchers in all of baseball, with a declining strikeout rate to boot, but projects as the No. 4 starter at least until Martin Perez returns after the All-Star break.

Projected Lineup

1. Leonys Martin, CF
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
3. Adrian Beltre, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
6. Mitch Moreland, DH
7. Ryan Rua/Michael Choice/Ryan Ludwick, LF
8. Rougned Odor, 2B
9. Robinson Chirinos, C

Yes, you read that right. Texas is leaning toward putting their only legit leadoff candidate, Shin-Soo Choo, in the fifth spot to make room for a pair of .320 OBP hitters in Leonys Martin and Elvis Andrus at the top of the order. It's a lineup with a severe OBP issue aside from the Beltre/Fielder/Choo trio, but batting Choo fifth won't do the lineup any favors.

Projected Rotation

1. Yu Darvish
2. Derek Holland
3. Yovani Gallardo
4. Colby Lewis
5. Ross Detwiler

Health permitting, the rotation should remain pretty stable until the hopeful return of Martin Perez after the All-Star break as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. It's a rotation sporting an ace in Darvish (though it's worth noting that Darvish spent most of the final two months sidelined with elbow inflammation), with Derek Holland looking to make up for a lost year due to a freak knee injury. The top three are good bets to be dependable and healthy, with both Darvish and Holland making for potential draft-day value picks if their prior injury concerns stall the bidding.

Closer:Neftali Feliz - Feliz reclaimed the closer role after Joakim Soria was dealt in early July, picking up 13 saves in 14 tries after being sidelined for the first half recovering from Tommy John surgery. While Feliz was pretty effective in the ninth-inning role (1.69 ERA), a deeper dive into the peripherals (2.1 K/BB, 17.2% strikeout rate) should cause one pause. He's not back to his 2010 self, dominating hitters at will, and there's risk as a result if you bid him to full value expecting him to nail down save chances for six months.

Key bullpen members:Tanner Scheppers was tagged as the team's Opening Day starter in 2014, was quickly pounded for seven runs (including a six-run first), hit the DL a few weeks later and made just a few token appearances around additional DL stints later in the season. Needless to say, he's being groomed as a reliever for 2015 after that disaster. His 2013 campaign as a reliever featured a 1.88 ERA and 1.07 WHIP but also 24 walks and just 59 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. It was the first sign of success after several failed attempts for the former high draft pick, so while it doesn't take too much of a stretch to envision a scenario where Scheppers takes over from an injured or struggling Feliz, be aware that Scheppers is far from a sure thing to provide solid results.

Alex Claudio pitched at four levels in 2014, ending the year in the Texas bullpen. He emaciated lefties throughout the minors (36.8% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate) and fanned 40 percent of the lefties he faced in the majors. Like most lefty specialists however, his success is more built on deception than stuff, making him a poor play against righties and ill-suited for an increased role.

Shawn Tolleson was a pleasant surprise for the Rangers last season, as he made 64 appearances and carried an ERA below 3.00 for the first time since his stint at Double-A in 2012. He seemed to take a step forward in the second half, finishing the year with a 1.44 ERA and .202/.275/.283 line allowed over his final 25 innings (27:9 K:BB), and allowing just one home run after the All-Star break after struggling with long balls in the first half. Of some concern is that he posted an 87.3% LOB% and .245 BABIP, though the latter mark may not be completely out of line with his future norm after he had a .271 mark with the Dodgers during his only other prolonged stretch against big league hitters prior to last season. Look for Tolleson to push for a regular role in the Rangers' bullpen again this spring.

Phil Klein earned a September callup (and the subsequent 40-man roster spot) by dominating hitters at Double-A and Triple-A to begin the 2014 season. After control woes (7.4 BB/9) plagued him at Double-A in 2013, he cut his walk rate in half while repeating the level to begin last season before improving his walk rate even further (3.0 BB/9) at Triple-A. Standing at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, Klein is physically imposing on the mound, but he doesn't completely overpower hitters, averaging 91.6 mph on his fastball after being promoted to Texas. His success down the stretch in Texas was fueled by a low BABIP (.195) and high LOB% (90.4%), making it unlikely he'll repeat having a sub-3.00 ERA barring a reduction in his walk rate.

Notes of import, fantasy or otherwise:

What can be expected from Prince Fielder?

Fielder enters the season with a whole lot more uncertainty surrounding him than he did this time last year, as a neck injury put an early end to his season after just three homers, 42 games and 16 RBI. Texas' home park hasn't been run-scoring environment in recent years that it was back in its "Coors Light" heyday, but there's still plenty of upside with Fielder. His injury is pretty uncommon among baseball players, and Fielder's physique doesn't pass the eye test when it comes to predicting a setback-free return, but he's been given a clean bill of health as spring opens and could provide nice bounce-back value on draft day.

How about Shin-Soo Choo?

Choo battled injuries of his own last year, though he didn't officially go under the knife until September. An ankle injury, suffered early in the season, is believed to be the primary cause of Choo's woes, as he posted just 13 homers and three stolen bases, hitting just .242. Like Fielder, Choo's been given a clean bill of health and should provide nice value if you can get him at a discount.

Strengths

Getting back the innings and at-bats lost due to injury from last year is a good first step. Apart from that, it's a lineup that has a solid core but lacks OBP on the whole. The rotation, particularly if Martin Perez returns during the second half, should be a good one.

Weaknesses

The aforementioned lineup weaknesses in OBP, particularly if Leonys Martiz and Elvis Andrus continue to trend in the wrong direction.

Rising:Rougned Odor, 2B. Odor was forced into action earlier than expected due to injuries in Arlington, but handled himself quite well despite being a 20-year-old getting his first exposure to the big leagues. Odor slashed .259/.297/.402 in 114 games, though he did rack up 71 strikeouts in just 386 at-bats. There's lots of upside here; he could post double-digit totals in both homers and steals over the course of a full season.

Declining:Adrian Beltre, 3B. The reliable Beltre appears to be finally showing his age. His 19 home runs in 2014 marked the first time in five seasons that he failed to eclipse 25, and the 77 RBI marked the first time since 2009 that he hadn't driven in at least 90. He remains a solid source for batting average, and the list of third baseman that would consider a .324-17-79 season a disappointment is a short one, but Beltre may find run-producing opportunities scarce if Leonys Martin and Elvis Andrus post sub-.320 OBP in front of him. Moving Choo back to the top of the lineup would benefit Beltre greatly.

Sleeper:Kyuji Fujikawa. Fujikawa was discussed in some length above, but it bears repeating here. The skill set that made him a high-profile signing from Japan two years again remain, albeit clouded by a litany of injuries. It's unclear if he'll start the year as the primary setup man to Neftali Feliz or if he'll slide in behind Tanner Scheppers, but there's every reason to think he'll pitch well enough to warrant some consideration to take over the closing duties if injuries or ineffectiveness remove Feliz from the duties.

Supersleeper #1:Ryan Ludwick, OF. Ludwick has yet to fully recover from the shoulder injury suffered on Opening Day back in 2013, and he enters the 2015 season another year older and another year removed from his 2012 season where he hit 26 HRs and drove in 80. There's opportunity in Texas, however, to earn a share of the playing time in a left field platoon with a solid spring. There's some power upside here for what figures to be an endgame pick.

Supersleeper #2:– Matt Harrison, P. Injuries have limited Harrison to just 28 innings the past two seasons, and there's a real chance that he'll never recover fully from the most recent spinal fusion surgery. He was an effective pitchers for the Rangers the two years prior, posting a 3.34 ERA over 399 innings from 2011-2012. He's another endgame dart throw, and won't come back until June at the earliest, but a healthy Harrison could end up with 15 effective starts on the year.

Top prospects

Joey Gallo, 3B - Gallo answered many of the questions surrounding him with a monster 2014 season that featured 40 homers split across two levels. While there's still some risk involved here, he's the best bet to emerge as the majors' next great power hitter. Whether he sticks at third base largely hinges on how quickly he makes the final ascent up the ladder (and to some extent how well Adrian Beltre is able to age over the next 18 months), but the hype surrounding his potential two years ago is getting closer and closer to reality.

Chi Chi Gonzalez, P - A first-round pick in 2013 out of college, Gonzalez has ascended rapidly up the chain and could debut later this summer. Based on pure stuff, he doesn't project as an ace or No. 2, but a long career as a solid No. 3 starter seems pretty likely. Gonzalez figures to sport four useful pitches from the outset, with his lack of high strikeout rates being the only negative aspect.

Jorge Alfaro, C- Alfaro will begin the year at Double-A Frisco, and continue on a projected trajectory that has him hitting .260 with 25 home runs at the major-league level, with some steals mixed in to boot. He faces an uphill climb to take the next step, needing to develop both behind the plate and at it; it's a hill that has proven too steep for other hit-first catching prospects in the past, but Alfaro has navigated the choppy waters well to date.

Nomar Mazara, RF- Mazara enjoyed a breakout season as a 19-year-old, slashing .264/.358/470 at Low-A Hickory in 106 games before a solid Double-A debut with Frisco (.306/.381/.518 in 24 games). It was the first season in which he played up to his pedigree that made him a high-profile, well-compensated international free agent signing back in 2011. There's still a lot of risk involved, but his outlook today is much, much brighter than it was 12 months ago.