--RHP Jason Jennings may or may not get a minor league contract offer. Jennings was 0-5 with an 8.56 ERA last April before going on the DL with shoulder problems. Jennings is 2-14 with a 6.91 ERA over the last two seasons and was plagued by injuries in both.
--3B Travis Metcalf is not playing winter ball this season even though the Rangers encouraged him to do so. GM Jon Daniels said Metcalf's decision would not impact his ability to challenge for the third-base job next spring. The Rangers are expected to either go with Metcalf at third and Chris Davis at first or Davis at third and Hank Blalock at first. --C Jarrod Saltalamacchia finished his Dominican winter league stint with a .364 average, nine homers and 21 RBIs in 20 games. He had a .506 on-base percentage and a 1.354 OPS.
--OF David Murphy is expected to be at full strength for the start of spring training. Murphy missed the last seven weeks of the season with a sprained knee. Murphy will have a clear shot at a starting outfield spot, but must prove he can hit left-handers. He batted just .258 against them last year.
BY THE NUMBERS: 3 -- Career big league at-bats in the cleanup spot for OF Nelson Cruz. Unless the Rangers make a free agent or trade acquisition, Cruz might be the leading contender for the cleanup spot with CF Josh Hamilton hitting third.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Better New York than Anaheim, from our perspective. He is a tremendous player who put himself in a tremendous position to be one of the top free agents in the game and get a handsome reward for it. The Yankees are going to have a pretty formidable lineup." -- GM Jon Daniels, reacting to free agent Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180 million deal with the New York Yankees.
