While Saltalamacchia, 23, isn't taking anything for granted, the idea that he is in line to be the starter seems to have put him more at ease. Last year, he went to camp after bypassing winter ball and seemed to press while trying to outplay Gerald Laird. The Rangers opted to start the season with Laird as the regular catcher and Saltalmacchia in the minors. Though he was called up early in the year, he never seemed to overcome the shock of the initial demotion.

"Last year, with Gerald here, he was putting a lot of pressure on himself," manager Ron Washington told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I see a lot more relaxation. He's a baseball rat. He's trying to learn as much as he possibly can."

Right-hander Kevin Millwood said, "He wants to show everybody that he's ready, that he wants the job and that he's ready for the job. He's definitely throwing out a lot of confidence."

The offseason had a definitively different feel for Saltalamacchia. At the end of the 2007 season, he was struggling to grasp all the changes that went along with being dealt to the Rangers by Atlanta in a deadline deal. During the just completed offseason, after losing ground to Teagarden, he rehabbed from a late season elbow injury, went to the Dominican Republic and terrorized pitchers for a month, and has come to camp with a much more focused outlook.

"I feel more prepared," Saltalamacchia told the Star-Telegram. "My confidence is up a lot more. I've got a little more time in. I've seen how these guys act on the big-league level."