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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Struggling prospects Mike Olt and Cody Buckel began their search Tuesday for what's behind their shockingly poor starts to the season.

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Tanner Scheppers joins Matt Mosley and Chuck Cooperstein to discuss pitching for the Rangers and what it's like watching Yu Darvish. Listen

Olt, the Rangers' second-highest ranked prospect behind shortstop Jurickson Profar, saw team doctors Tuesday after informing club officials he was having issues with his vision. It could be as simple as the Triple-A Round Rock infielder needing contacts or glasses, general manager Jon Daniels said, or it could be something more. Daniels didn't have a diagnosis for Olt before the Rangers' game Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox.

Buckel, a right-handed pitcher who has been having issues with his control at Double-A Frisco, was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen Tuesday. Buckel, the club's eighth-best prospect, has 25 walks in 18 innings. He had three walks and didn't record an out in his most recent start, against Corpus Christi on Saturday.

Olt's vision problems might help explain why he's off to a dismal start. Olt, a career .282 hitter in the minors entering the season, entered Tuesday batting .139 in 72-bats and has one home run after tying for the Texas League lead with 28 home runs last year.

"It would make sense if that's what has developed," Daniels said Tuesday.

Buckel heads to the bullpen after not pitching more than three innings in his five starts this season. He had a season-high six walks in three innings at San Antonio on April 22 and has walked at least five in three other starts.

Buckel will take up some innings in what has been a dominant bullpen in Frisco. But Daniels said the club thought it was better that Buckel sort things out in Double-A rather than at extended spring training.

"It's nothing physical with Cody," Daniels said. "He's been scuffling all season."

Both Olt's and Buckel's names came up in trade talks during the offseason.

Other Rangers notes:

Baker in, Murphy out: Jeff Baker got the start in left field against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, giving struggling starter David Murphy an extra day off. Murphy, batting .176 with two home runs, has a track record that says he will get his bat going.

"He's missing pitches that he usually gets," manager Ron Washington said.

Murphy and third baseman Adrian Beltre both have started slow. Beltre is batting .221 with four home runs and only nine RBIs.

"You know their track record is there," Washington said. "You just have to be patient."

More on Beltre: Beltre said Tuesday that he's not concerned with his slow start, noting he always has been a warm-weather player. Beltre is batting .107 with runners in scoring position.

"I know I'm going to be OK," Beltre said. "I would say I've been average. There hasn't been a time when I've felt great and there's not a period where I've felt terrible."

Randy Wells retires: Veteran pitcher Randy Wells, who has been at Triple-A Round Rock, has retired, Daniels said Tuesday. Daniels said the 30-year-old Wells told club officials that he didn't have the same level of desire for the game.

It's Joseph Ortiz: The Rangers said Tuesday that reliever Joe Ortiz has been asked to be called Joseph Ortiz from this point forward. Ortiz has allowed runs in his past three appearances, but the Rangers didn't provide that as the reason he is going with Joseph.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels received two bits of good news, and another not so good, before the series opener Monday against the Los Angeles Angels.

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Manager Ron Washington joins Ian Fitzsimmons to discuss the Rangers' comeback win over the Angels, A.J. Pierzynski's value to the team and much more. Listen

Daniels had positive updates on pitchers Colby Lewis (forearm) and Martin Perez (wrist) –- who are expected to throw live batting practice this week -- but also found out the extent of Joakim Soria's latest setback.

Perez is scheduled to throw Tuesday and, if all goes well, would pitch some extended training this weekend.

"Based on how he feels there, he can go on a rehab assignment after that," Daniels said.

Lewis, meanwhile, is scheduled to participate in two sessions this week.

"If all goes well, [Colby] would be in a game next week," Daniels said. "Everyone would welcome having Colby back. We're not going to delay it, either."

A precautionary MRI exam on Soria revealed a Grade 1 strain of the right pectoral muscle. Soria, who is recovering from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, won't be able to throw for two or three weeks.

"Realistically, it's going to push back his ETA to the big leagues by approximately a month," Daniels said. "We were hoping late May, but now we're looking closer to July 1.

“If there's a silver lining, not that we're looking for one here, it's another month for the arm."

Other Rangers notes

--Nick Tepesch has a visible scrape on his right wrist, but he expects to make his scheduled start Thursday in Minnesota. The right-hander felt as if he could continue pitching Saturday after being struck by a liner off the bat of Seattle's Jesus Montero, but he was pulled for precautionary reasons. "It's not too bad," said Tepesch, who threw his scheduled bullpen duty Monday. "It's not even bruised. It could have been a lot worse."

--Daniels said he expected to find out Tuesday about a makeup date for the April 17 game against the Chicago Cubs that was postponed due to rain. May 6 and May 9 are possibilities, with the Rangers scheduled to play a two-game series in Milwaukee beginning on May 7.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington were reminded once again Friday that what happened with their starting rotation in 2011 may never happen again.

Five pitchers, 155 starts out of 162 games.

It didn't happen last year when the Rangers used 11 starters. It's not going to happen this season after the club announced before Friday's game against Seattle that Opening Day starter Matt Harrison is out until at best around the All-Star break.

For the here and now it means two-fifths of the Rangers' rotation will be comprised of rookies -- 24-year-old Nick Tepesch and 24-year-old Justin Grimm. In other words, the Rangers are wandering into a big unknown. Tepesch looked great in his first start and Grimm has a lot of potential, but losing Harrison is a major blow.

"That was the one thing I felt like we were vulnerable to was an injury to one of the main guys in our rotation," designated hitter Lance Berkman said. "We have four excellent starting pitchers, but we have a thin list of candidates to replace (them). They have the ability to do so, but it's a track record issue. Every year there's some adversity to fight through and this might be it."

Berkman's a veteran player being honest. It's no knock on Grimm or Tepesch. Harrison won 34 games in 2011 and '12. Grimm will make his fourth career start Sunday, one more than Tepesch has made.

Daniels said Friday he doesn't expect to run out and make a trade. April doesn't make for the best trading season and the Rangers do have guys rehabbing in Arizona that could make an impact -- Colby Lewis, Neftali Feliz and Martin Perez.

"We're always keeping our eyes open," Daniels said. "But I don't think we'll do anything from outside. We'll play it out. We like the guys we've got. We like the guys that are on the mend. That's obviously an important group for us in Arizona."

The replacements, as we'll call Lewis and Co., won't be available until late May or June. So it's up to Grimm for now. His first task is to better the four innings in his start last week in Seattle.

"Justin had one start, wasn't at his best and I thought he battled through it without his best command," Daniels said. "He'll go again Sunday and we'll go from there."

ESPN.com contributor and former GM Jim Bowden has an interesting post up (Insider) on why the Texas Rangers should trade top prospects with the St. Louis Cardinals. Bowden believes that because the Cardinals need a middle infielder and the Rangers could use an outfield bat, especially with Nelson Cruz and David Murphy in their final years before hitting free agency, that it makes sense. And he made a compelling case on our show (Fitzsimmons & Durrett) on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM on Friday.

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ESPN Insider Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the possibility of the Rangers trading Jurickson Profar. Listen

But I'm not ready to do it. Why? Here are two of my reasons:

1. Who says the Rangers have to trade Profar? Just because Elvis Andrus is locked up through 2018 doesn't mean Texas has to trade the No. 1 prospect in baseball, according to Keith Law's rankings last month, doesn't mean it's automatic that they ship Profar somewhere else. The reasoning most use is that Ian Kinsler doesn't want to play first base. I can understand not fighting that this season because Profar's development isn't hurt by getting some Triple-A at-bats. But if Mitch Moreland struggles or the club decides that Kinsler could help the team more by playing in the outfield, you tell him to go play those positions next season. Kinsler is under contract to be a Texas Ranger, not to play second base. He knows that, too. So if it's time to move him, you move him.

2. Trade Profar for a piece that you know can help you at the big leagues sooner and later. He's the top prospect in baseball. If he fronts a package, Tampa Bay has to listen in regards to David Price. If the Miami Marlins, who have not started the season well at all, decide it's time to part with Giancarlo Stanton, they have to listen if Profar is dangled (and he would be.). Those are the types of deals that you use the Profar piece to go and get.

Bowden notes that the trade would be a risk for both GMs. You lose that deal, and it has ripples that extend for years. Jon Daniels isn't afraid to make that kind of deal. But I don't think he should at this point. Wait to see what's out there at the trade deadline. If it's a guy that can help Yu Darvish front this rotation for a few more years or a middle-of-the-lineup bat that's under club control for a while, you talk about sending Profar out. But trading prospects -- even for a guy that Bowden and many feel is "can't miss" -- just isn't worth it right now for a contending team like Texas.

Just my two cents. Your thoughts?

Nolan Ryan, bundled up in very chilly conditions, watched his Texas Rangers team fall 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon. The good news: Ryan will be sitting in his customary aisle seat closest to the Rangers dugout entrance for the rest of the season and, hopefully, beyond.

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Fitzsimmons & Durrett discuss Nolan Ryan's statement that he is staying with the Rangers. It's good news, but will Ryan stay with the club for the long haul? Listen

The legendary Hall of Famer, who has twice helped save this franchise, is remaining with the organization, the club announced Wednesday evening. That's terrific news and a huge relief for president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, the entire Rangers front office and fans. Ryan has been the face of this club. He's been an important asset in helping vault this organization into that elite group of clubs that are annual contenders. The idea of Ryan not being a part of the Rangers -- something that looked very possible over the past six weeks -- just wasn't something anyone, including Major League Baseball, wanted to contemplate.

At this point, I don't know what swayed Ryan. His statement talks only about "productive discussions the last several weeks with Ray Davis and Bob Simpson about the structure of our organization," so let's start with those two primary owners. The co-chairmen of the board had to find a way to keep Ryan in the fold and they've managed to do it.

Shortly after the release six weeks ago that announced promotions for Daniels and Rick George (the COO who is now president of business operations), Ryan was left uncertain of his CEO role and what kind of power he actually had. Bob Simpson convinced Ryan to fly back to Fort Worth a week later and they had dinner at Del Frisco's, Ryan's favorite steakhouse in the area. That pitch wasn't enough to get Ryan to stay at that point. But it was a start. Apparently, the discussions continued. But it sure appeared that Ryan was likely to leave after filling some commitments at the end of March and in early April surrounding the start of the season. The benefit to those commitments is that it gave ownership some more time to talk to Ryan and reach some kind of resolution.

Thank goodness. I'll be honest: I thought Ryan was headed out of Arlington. Maybe back to his ranch. No, I didn't think he'd go to the Houston Astros, though anything was possible. We heard rumblings that MLB was going to try to find someplace for Ryan, unhappy with the idea that he wasn't going to be a Ranger.

It sure seemed like ownership had taken Ryan's job description and split it between Daniels and COO Rick George, leaving Ryan with a title but (it appeared) not much power. I wasn't sure there was a way to persuade Ryan that he still had a vital role in the organization after that restructuring, even though he retained the CEO title. It seemed like he was being shoved aside, and I wasn't sure the situation could get repaired.

But Simpson and Davis (and maybe others) got the job done and Ryan is staying. Good for Ryan and good for the Rangers. Once Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM personality Randy Galloway's reports came out about Ryan's unhappiness with the situation, the onus fell on ownership to do something -- now -- to keep Ryan with the club. And they did it.

As for the reason for the initial moves, it appears it was to keep Daniels and his young and talented front-office staff in place as long as possible. And that's certainly a smart move. Daniels has done a terrific job of building a contending club through a renewed emphasis on the farm system, scouting, drafting and critical trades. But in the process of trying to keep that group intact, ownership nearly created a PR nightmare with Ryan possibly leaving the club. Now, Ryan is staying and the structure is set up so that Daniels could shed his general manager title to Thad Levine at some point, if that would help keep Levine (and maybe other key personnel such as Don Welke, A.J. Preller, Josh Boyd, Mike Daly, Kip Fagg, Jake Krug, Matt Vinnola ... and I could go on) in place for as long as possible. In other words, ownership has set up a line of succession and has kept Ryan in place. That's important.

I know the old school-versus-new school folks have clashed at times. That's to be expected with their backgrounds and different views. But that's not a bad thing, either. Having both sides and both perspectives -- Ryan's experience and eye for pitching and Daniels' understanding of personnel and shrewd trades -- have led the club to success never seen in franchise history. Daniels, with a rebuilt farm system, the Mark Teixeira and Josh Hamilton trades and the hiring of manager Ron Washington, helped put the club on a path to the AL championship in 2010 and 2011. Ryan's patience when he was put in charge in 2008 with a group that he didn't hire helped them to grow through tough times. He changed the pitching attitude of the organization and was instrumental in bringing Mike Maddux and Jackie Moore to the coaching staff. And, of course, he joined the ownership group that has been willing in the past few seasons to spend money and supplement the great scouting work done by the staff with key free agents. Both Daniels and Ryan, despite their differences, made critical decisions that led to success. It's nice to have that combination around a little longer.

Take a big breath, Rangers fans. Ryan is still here. That's good news.

Richard Durrett co-hosts with Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Matt Harrison said Tuesday that he felt some improvement in his sore lower back, but he didn't throw his usual bullpen session, leaving Thursday's scheduled start in Seattle in doubt.

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Rangers manager Ron Washington joins Richard Durrett and Tim MacMahon to discuss the first week of the season, if he feels guilty when his team catches a break from the umpires, Elvis Andrus and much more. Listen

The Rangers have already discussed some options if Harrison can't go. General manager Jon Daniels said the team is better off being cautious at this point in the season. Harrison was able to play catch Tuesday.

"If this was September, he would make his start," Daniels said.

Harrison said the weakness is his back area goes down to his left leg. That's his push-off leg, which could explain why his sinker was up in Saturday's start against the Angels when he allowed two first-inning home runs. Harrison has been dealing with back soreness for two weeks.

"It may be better to nip it in the bud now," Harrison said. "I'm optimistic. I want to be out there every five days."

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Randy Galloway joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Josh Hamilton, Derek Holland, Nolan Ryan and more before the Rangers' home opener. Listen

ARLINGTON, Texas -- One question on the minds of many Texas Rangers fans for today's opener at home: Would Nolan Ryan be in his usual seats in the owner's box by the Rangers dugout?

Well, he was there, enjoying the game between former president George W. Bush and the former first lady, Laura. Ryan's future with the club remains uncertain as the CEO has not publicly said whether he's staying with the team since it was announced that Jon Daniels had added the title of president of baseball operations and Rick George became president of business operations.

But Ryan was where he's been the past few seasons Friday, sitting in the front row to watch Derek Holland's start against the Angels. Will he be there all weekend and into next week? We'll see.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels won't put a "face of the franchise" tag on any one player. The fans, he said Thursday, decide that.

For the Rangers through the years, that has been Nolan Ryan, Pudge Rodriguez and Michael Young, in chronological order. That's this 41-year-old franchise's Mount Rushmore.

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Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his new contract extension, why it was so important to stay in Texas and his expectations for the season. Listen

There's room for one more.

Maybe, just maybe, that player is 24-year-old shortstop Elvis Andrus, who on Thursday afternoon had an eight-year, $120 million contract extension through 2022 formally announced at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. It came on the eve of the Rangers' home opener against Josh Hamilton and the Angels.

It's ironic; this could have been Hamilton. The big contract. Face of the franchise. Now it might be Andrus.

Andrus' smile and charisma endeared him to Rangers fans a long time ago. His style of play, his fearlessness on the basepaths, his glove, his clutch hitting, his two All-Star appearances -- fans like that, too.

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Eric Nadel joins Galloway & Company to discuss the Rangers' home opener against the Angels, Elvis Andrus' contract extension and much more. Listen

What they'll really sign up for, what they'll always vote on for face of the franchise, is a player who puts winning above everything else. The Rangers were twice a strike away from winning the World Series in 2011. The 3.5 million fans who showed up at the ballpark last year thought about that every day.

So did Andrus. And he still does. He said it Thursday after becoming a very wealthy 24-year-old.

"I'm not going to rest or sleep until I get a World Series," Andrus said. "As a player, I treat myself as a winner. If I don't get a ring, get this organization a ring, I won't sleep."

The Rangers see Andrus as a critical piece to getting that last strike. He plays a premium defensive position. He hit .350 with runners in scoring position last season. No current Ranger embodies the style of play manager Ron Washington wants and asks of his players each day more than Andrus.

As Daniels said Thursday, the Rangers are built to be an up-tempo, aggressive team, something they believe got lost last year. The Rangers made it to the World Series two straight seasons because of tough at-bats, solid pitching and defense.

Andrus can't pitch, but he does the other two things at a very high level. And he should only get better in his prime years.

"He epitomizes all of those things," Daniels said. "In a lot of ways, he is everything we're all about: the charisma, the smile, the connection with our fans, the connection with our teammates. At 24 years old, with the things he's accomplished to this point, with the multiple All-Star Games and the World Series and the other personal accolades. And the way he leads the charge when we take the field every night."

Sounds like a franchise player, doesn't it?

Another focal point Thursday was the close relationship between Andrus and Washington.

Andrus and his agent, Scott Boras, gave major credit to Washington for the shortstop's development, taking on a 20-year-old rookie straight from Double-A and molding him from a player who drove Washington crazy with routine errors in 2009 into a player the manager said he was able to back off last season for the first time. No player has endured Washington's teaching and scolding more than Andrus.

"As a player, especially a young player, that's what you want," Andrus said of the manager's constant pushing and prodding. "You want, as soon as you make a mistake, to be that lucky to have somebody that wants to teach you, wants to make you get better, make you do the job that you're supposed to do. I always say I really appreciate that, I will never get mad at that. I always appreciate him personally and thank him for being there for me."

Andrus is here for the Rangers, at least until the end of the 2018 season, when he has an opt-out in his contract -- the key to getting the deal done.

Andrus was thought to be headed to free agency at the end of next season because of who his agent is. But Andrus instructed Boras to work out a long-term deal to stay with the Rangers.

Daniels and Boras made a point of spending time discussing Andrus each time the two talked in the past two years about free agents and other baseball topics. The Rangers were very interested in keeping one of their core players.

"As we sat down and looked at things," Boras said, "it became clear to me and Elvis -- and I think to [Daniels] -- that we had some very workable and common thoughts that would allow us to reach an agreement. It was a very collaborative effort and one that worked out well for all sides."

Andrus said his family jumped for joy upon hearing the contract was done. Andrus said he wanted security in his life, for his family. The contract getting done is a relief, he said.

Now he can focus on his main goal of winning a championship. Andrus talked about it over and over during his news conference and afterward.

Time will tell on the face of the franchise tag.

"Those things happen on the field," Daniels said. "Those are natural connections made to the fan base. In a lot of ways, Elvis and a lot of his teammates have already become that."

Opening Day is closing in for the Texas Rangers. We know Matt Harrison will be taking the mound and that Adrian Beltre will be cleaning up at third base again. We know the Rangers need Yu Darvish to build off his strong finish to last season. But what other key factors will decide the Rangers' fate in 2013?

ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett listed five key X factors that could decide how well, or how poorly, the Rangers fare. Here's a clip of what he had to say about Derek Holland:

Holland becomes the tipping point. If he jumps up and pitches close to how he did in the second half of 2011, the Rangers' rotation tips in a good direction. Holland was 10-1 with a 2.77 ERA in his final 15 regular season starts that season. And he was magnificent against the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series. ... But that didn't carry over to 2012. ... Holland is focused on improving this season and is embracing the fact that he's under pressure to deliver this season.

You can read about the rest of Durrett's X factors for the Rangers here.

Who or what do you think is the key to the Rangers' success in 2013?

TEMPE, Ariz. -- While the Texas Rangers wrapped up the Arizona portion of their major league spring training schedule Wednesday, the team still has three preseason games remaining. Many questions have been answered, but with only a few days until Opening Day in Houston on Sunday, there are a few more items to keep an eye on until then.

Fifth starter

Manager Ron Washington announced after Wednesday's game that Alexi Ogando is his No. 3 starter and Derek Holland is the No. 4. Holland will start the home opener April 5 against the Angels, but Washington said that did not play into his decision at all. Nick Tepesch earned the fifth-starter job out of training camp, but that was largely because choices were limited by the spring injuries to Martin Perez and Kyle McClellan, and because Colby Lewis is still recovering from surgery. Lewis and Perez could be back by the end of May. Will one of them unseat Tepesch? Good outings between now and then would make the choice much easier. Tepesch struggled in his previous two spring outings when he faced better-caliber hitters, but he pitched well Wednesday in a minor league game for Round Rock (Triple-A).

Outfield

We know Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry will share time in center and also see time in the outfield corners. We still don't know who will start Opening Day or who will see more playing time, as manager Ron Washington said he isn't announcing a platoon. Outfield is a strong position for Texas, so this is a case of finding time for good players instead of making the best of a bad situation.

Julio Borbon remains in purgatory, as he is out of options and cannot be sent to the minors. President of baseball operations/general manager Jon Daniels said he has talked to teams about Borbon and there is interest. The Rangers will try to trade him before making a roster decision. The Rangers might keep Borbon when they break camp, adding an extra bat to their roster until they need to officially sign Tepesch as the fifth starter for the April 9 game against Tampa. That window will be much tighter if Texas decides to add an eighth reliever instead.

Bullpen

The final two of the seven bullpen slots have not been announced. Those will fall into place after the Rangers decide whether they want to take an extra arm or bat until the April 9 game. If they go with a bat, the final two will be named. If they go with an arm, three more will get the nod. Whoever they choose might be placeholders for Joakim Soria and Neftali Feliz, who are both expected to join the bullpen later this season.

Infield

Leury Garcia earned the backup middle-infield role, meaning top prospect Jurickson Profar will begin the season in the minors. The question is, how long will Profar stay there? If Garcia struggles -- remember, he is a rookie, too -- will Profar get the nod? Also, Profar has only 33 days of service time, and allowing him to get more experience at Triple-A stops the clock for a longer period of time. With three Gold Glove players in the Texas infield, there is no rush to bring the super rookie up. However, if he tears up Triple-A pitching, the temptation to have him in Arlington might be too strong to resist.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers were scouting New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain earlier this week, according to a story in Wednesday's New York Post.

The Post's report said that Don Welke, a senior special assistant to president of baseball operations/general manager Jon Daniels, was at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., specifically to watch the Yankees' enigmatic right-hander against St. Louis on Monday. Chamberlain threw a scoreless inning.

Chamberlain has started and come out of the bullpen during his inconsistent six-year MLB career. He has also battled injury problems, including Tommy John surgery in 2011 and famously severely injuring his right leg while bouncing on a trampoline last March.

A baseball official with knowledge of the Rangers' thinking told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that the Rangers have had "mild interest" in Chamberlain and still think that he's got a good arm.

As a starter, the 27-year-old owns a 12-7 record with a 4.18 ERA. In 221 2/3 innings, he struck out 206 and walked 101. Chamberlain has enjoyed more success as a reliever, where in 172 career appearances in various roles he has a 3.18 ERA while striking out 202 batters in 181 innings.

Chamberlain was a heralded prospect when he was coming up in the Yankees organization and was pegged for stardom. He hasn't fulfilled those expectations but still teases with flashes of the talent that gives hope he can still enjoy consistent success in the major leagues.

The Yankees lost Rafael Soriano and his 42 saves to free agency during the offseason but expect full seasons from Mariano Rivera, who is returning from knee surgery, and David Aardsma, who played in just one game in 2012 because of injury.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers president of baseball operations and general manager Jon Daniels met with the media for nearly 20 minutes Tuesday and addressed a number of topics. Here are his comments on some of the topics:

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ESPNDallas.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor joins Galloway & Company from Surprise, Ariz., to discuss the latest from Rangers spring training. Listen

Bullpen composition: I think we have a number of guys that are throwing the ball well and have put themselves in good position. With the bullpen, you're always looking to improve. I think last year we had a little more of a set pen from Day 1. We knew coming in this year with (Joakim) Soria and (Neftali) Feliz coming back over the course of the season, and some of the younger guys playing different roles, the pen may continue to grow once we break and then, in the season, as we establish the roles. I like our candidates.

Joakim Soria's recovery: Knock on (wood) he's doing very well. He'll introduce his breaking ball on the side, and we're being overly cautious. If this was the first time he was having the surgery, I wouldn't rule out him being ready for Opening Day. Because this is the second time he's had it, the rehab protocol that was laid out was to build an extra month in there, which I think was wise. We knew that going in. We're being intentionally deliberate. We don't want him to have any setbacks. He's looked very good to this point.

Kyle McClellan's role: I think the first thing first is we have to see how he does today. Before we continue to stretch him out, I think a lot of that will depend on how he throws, how he feels. I think he is capable of filling a variety of roles if he is 100-percent healthy. Whether there is time to get him ready as a starter is really going to depend on how he is feeling and how quickly he is ramped up. Based on how he is feeling now, I think he will be ready to be in the mix for a spot on the club, I just don't know whether he will be stretched out enough to be a starter. He may be. I think we are probably right at that point now where he still could do it.

Fifth starter competition: Our depth is being tested. We have a couple of guys who are throwing well. We'd like to have more. I'm not so concerned about who it will be on Opening Day, but more the next injury, the next issue. It's baseball. It's going to happen. We're going to get some of these guys back. Knock on wood, we're getting good reports out of the training room, but until they do our depth is a little bit of a concern for me.

Going outside the organization to add players for the start of the regular season: I would expect the 25 will come out of that room (Rangers clubhouse). I won't 100 percent rule out an outside acquisition, and we do our due diligence and make our calls, things can come about, but you have to be prepared to go in house.

Center-field battle: There are times you come into camp, and you have a competition with four or five guys and none of the four or five impress. This is just the opposite. There is nobody that hasn't played well. Leonys (Martin) has stepped up. (Craig) Gentry is outstanding, not only in performance but I think his mindset and his confidence is really impressive. (Julio) Borbon has played very well, and so have Engel Beltre and Jim Adduci. It's not a situation where anyone is playing themselves out of it.

Is the center-field job an open battle? We talk about this every spring. It's not three outfielders. It's four or five or six over the course of the season that you are going to need. So I don't view it so much as who is going to win the position and be in there Opening Day. We need multiple guys to endure the rigors of the season.

The mix of outfielders: We've felt good about it coming in (to camp). We got a lot of questions about guys that were out there and why we didn't make bigger plays on them. This is why. We didn't know every one of them was going to have a great spring. We like the mix. We like their ability. Everybody came in good shape physically, a good state mentally and they are all playing well. It's spring training, so I don't want to overstate it but we like what our outfield mix is.

Jurickson Profar: I think the two terms you hear from the staff are smart and polished given his age and given where he is at and I think that is the separator. Obviously, there's very good ability and the unique skill set, but that's what separates him. Smart players are usually winning players. He's young, he's going to make mistakes, but with his baseball intelligence, it will accelerate that development.

Tim Kurkjian and Curt Schilling discuss the Hot Button's burning question: Are these moves the right thing to do if it costs the Rangers Nolan Ryan? What's your take? See what our guys have to say about the situation and cast your vote here.

ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett discusses the comments from Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels about Nolan Ryan remaining with the organization. You can read Jean-Jacques Taylor's take on the situation here.

Randy Galloway joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the management moves made by the Texas Rangers and how it affects Nolan Ryan's involvement in team affairs.

For more, listen here.

What's your opinion: Would it be a colossal mistake for the Rangers and Ryan to part ways?