It's just about three weeks before pitchers and catchers report for the MLB spring training and scouting reports and projections have been made.
Currently, Derek Holland's future is to be determined as he won't return until midseason due to the rehabilitation process from surgery on an injured knee, per multiple sources. His projections will be omitted. With several free-agent pitchers left on the market, do the Rangers make a move or depend on a new candidate to help fill the void?
Free-agent names like Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana remain unsigned. With the loss of Holland and the uncertainty of who will replace him, we'll hold off on making any projected rotations. However, a good guide to go by when looking at the possible rotation is the Rangers' depth chart, per team website.
Going off the standard five-man rotation, Nick Tepesch looks to now gain the last spot in the rotation with Holland out. At times during the 2013 season, Tepesch flashed brilliance but ended the season with a losing record. Again, we'll hold off on making a projected rotation, but we'll use the depth chart as a guide.
As for the other part of the battery, there should be two primary catchers for the Rangers this season. One of those catchers that could emerge as an every day starter is J.P. Arencibia. The former Toronto Blue Jay signed an offseason deal with the Rangers and replaces A.J. Pierzynski from 2013. Arencibia hit 21 home runs last season but struggled elsewhere with a .194 batting average. However, don't expect him to make too much noise this year as Soto is the expected starting catcher by Daniels, per Evan Grant of SportsDay DFW in a November 2013 article.
Let's look at theses players and others as we review scouting reports and make projections for the Rangers pitchers and catchers in the 2014 MLB season.
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