Texas Rangers Opening Day Roster Projection: Pre-Spring Training Edition
Last month, we took a very early stab at how the Rangers' roster might look on Opening Day. Since then, the Rangers have added a couple of Major League players and several others on Minor League contracts with invites to spring training.
Now that we are a breath away from baseball returning, we have a clearer picture of how the Rangers' roster will shake out. However, there are still a lot of variables to consider. Jon Daniels is remaining active in potential additions for the roster. There's also an elephant the size of 28 non-roster invitees in the room, all of which are making their case for a roster spot.
As things stand for now, this is how we project the roster to look when the team heads back to Arlington in late March.
Starting Rotation (5)
Mike Minor
Lance Lynn
Corey Kluber
Kyle Gibson
Jordan Lyles
This is the easiest group to project. As long as everyone stays healthy in camp, this is the starting rotation. Gibson will be handled with caution as spring training begins to make sure he is healthy enough to take on the necessary workload after dealing with ulcerative colitis last season in Minnesota.
The order of the top three could be interchangeable. The Rangers have yet to annoucne their Opening Day starter. Gibson and Lyles are the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation respectively. If any starter is delayed by injury at spring training, the first starter from within the system to get a shot will more than likely be Kolby Allard.
Bullpen (8)
Jose Leclerc
Rafael Montero
Jesse Chavez
Joely Rodriguez
Brett Martin
Nick Goody
Edinson Volquez
Demarcus Evans
This position is set to have the largest amount of competition at spring training. There are a number of both young and veteran pitchers in camp, each one of them trying to earn one of the eight spots for Opening Day.
Leclerc, Montero, Chavez, and Rodriguez are nearly automatic locks unless something goes terribly wrong in spring training. Martin and Goody both have a likely chance to make the bullpen. I chose Volquez because I like his potential as a reliever at this point in his career, including the ability to pitch multiple innings if needed.
Consider this my "hot take," but I chose Demarcus Evans to make the team. I think this guy could impress a lot of people this spring, especially if he shows control over his electric stuff. If Evans doesn't make it, Jonathan Hernandez is probably the strongest bet to earn the final spot in the bullpen as a long reliever.
Catchers (2)
Robinson Chirinos
Jeff Mathis
Robinson Chirinos is back home where he belongs. If he remains healthy, he'll catch 100 games for the Rangers.
The competition between Jeff Mathis and Jose Trevino will be watched closely. Mathis has the upper hand solely based on contract situations, but the Rangers also believe he will be more productive in a backup role. The Rangers also value Mathis' rapport with the pitching staff, which will be the strength of this team. They want to enhance that strength as much as possible.
However, Trevino could force their hand with a strong spring. He came along with the bat down the stretch last season. Management is already confident in Trevino's ability behind the plate, but if he shows significant growth and sustainability offensively, he will make their decision extremely difficult.
Infielders (6)
Ronald Guzman
Rougned Odor
Elvis Andrus
Todd Frazier
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Nick Solak
There will be a good amount of competition in the infield. Guzman, who has worked out with former-Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz this winter, is expected to take the next step in his development.
Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus are being held to a high standard by management this year. They are expecting them to perform at a high level. The leash for them won't be as long this season.
Andrus has slimmed down and appears to be in great shape. Management has also heaped praise on Elvis for, despite being an 11-year veteran, being open to criticism and necessary changes to become more productive.
Odor has spent his offseason working out in Miami, where Rangers officials have been able to keep eyes on him and open lines of communication with him throughout the winter.
Todd Frazier is the obvious choice for third base, though he also has the ability to play first if another third base candidate emerges. Kiner-Falefa and Nick Solak will serve as utility infielders, with Solak also working out in the outfield. The team values Solak's bat and will be looking for ways to get him in the lineup.
Outfielders (5)
Joey Gallo
Willie Calhoun
Shin-Soo Choo
Danny Santana
Adolis Garcia
The corner outfield spots are locks, along with Choo locked in as the full-time designated hitter. Barring any external additions or Solak blowing everyone away in camp, Danny Santana is penciled in as the every day center fielder.
There is still some speculation from the national media that the Rangers could still move Joey Gallo to center field if they wanted to acquire a corner outfielder. Club sources continue to affirm that Joey Gallo will be cemented as their right fielder. They would have to have a last-minute change of their minds to say anything otherwise.
The final outfield spot will be down to Adolis Garcia and Scott Heineman. My other "hot take" is choosing Garcia over Heineman. While Heineman is a solid player for this role, Garcia's ceiling is higher – both offensively and defensively. After seeing what Chris Woodward's regime has done with free-swinging players like Gallo and Santana, I believe Garcia could be another player that thrives under this regime.
Spring Training Outlooks
Recap on the deep dives we've done on some spring training storylines.
Catcher
First Base
Injuries/Health
Non-Roster Invitees
Rangers pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Arizona on Tuesday, February 11th, with the first official workouts being held on Wednesday, February 12th. The first full-squad workout will be Monday, February 17th.
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