Rangers have major decisions this offseason

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ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have a busy offseason ahead of them, hoping to add to the roster via both free agency and trade following the conclusion of the World Series.

Both general manager Chris Young and majority owner Ray Davis have emphasized the club’s desire to be competitive in 2023, and in order to do so, major additions to the roster will have to be made in the coming months.

Here are some frequently asked questions as we head into one of the busiest times of the offseason for the Rangers, including key dates and notes for the offseason:

Which players are free agents? Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers, and what is the deadline for that?

The Rangers have five players who will become free agents at the end of the World Series: Martín Pérez, Matt Moore, Charlie Culberson, Kevin Plawecki and Kohei Arihara. Qualifying offers must be extended five days after the conclusion of the World Series, but only Pérez and Moore would likely be under consideration for one.

Pérez had a career year with a 2.89 ERA, and Moore thrived in a relief role with a 1.95 ERA. Both have noted their desires to return to Texas, and Young has echoed that sentiment to bring them back.

The deadline to accept a qualifying offer is 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 15.

Which players have options, and what’s the impact on payroll?

The Rangers have two players with options going into 2023:

• OF Kole Calhoun -- $5.5 million club option for 2023 (no buyout)

• RHP José Leclerc -- $6 million club option for 2023 with a $750,000 buyout (also has a $6.25 million club option for '24)

Leclerc’s option is expected to be exercised, as he completed his first season off Tommy John surgery, though Calhoun’s could go either way. The veteran outfielder slashed .196/.257/.330 in 125 games, but he was seen as a quality clubhouse presence for the Rangers this season.

Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?

The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is Nov. 18. The Rangers have six arbitration-eligible players: Mitch Garver, Brett Martin, Taylor Hearn, Dennis Santana, Jonathan Hernández and Nathaniel Lowe.

It’s likely that the Rangers will tender contracts to all six, but the only likely non-tender candidates are Santana and Martin.

Santana had an ERA under 2.00 in April, May and June before falling off a cliff in July and finishing with a season ERA of 5.22. Martin posted a 4.14 ERA, but his 6.63 ERA after the All-Star break tanked his stats and could be reason for a non-tender.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a crunch for roster spots? If so, how might that be resolved, and when does that need to be set?

The Rule 5 Draft will take place on Dec. 7, during the GM Winter Meetings in San Diego.

The Rangers have a star-studded list of prospects at risk, including seven players ranked on the club’s Top 30 prospect list. But the most pressing concerns will lie in the pitchers -- Owen White (No. 4, MLB No. 59) and Cole Winn (No. 10).

Others include infielder Luisangel Acuña (No. 7), infielder/outfielder Dustin Harris (No. 9), right-handed pitcher Mason Englert (No. 29), right-hander Zak Kent (No. 25) and infielder Jonathan Ornelas (No. 21).

The deadline to protect players ahead of the Rule 5 Draft is 6 p.m. ET on Nov. 15.

Who might they be willing to trade?

Outside of the core four offensive players in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Lowe and Adolis García, top prospect Josh Jung and current staff ace Jon Gray, Texas may be willing to deal a number of other players for the right return.

Any of the four catchers currently on the 40-man roster could find himself on the trade block. After returning from a flexor tendon surgery that stopped his 2022 season in mid-July, Garver is expected to return to a starting role in ‘23. That leaves Jonah Heim, Sam Huff and Meibrys Viloria to round out the depth chart. It never hurts to have a wealth of depth behind the plate, but it wouldn’t be surprising if one or more of those catchers wasn’t a Ranger come Opening Day.

Elsewhere, if the Rangers want to put together a trade package, they could include any of the plethora of middle infield prospects in the system that are now blocked by Seager and Semien on their way to the big leagues. Those prospects include Justin Foscue, Acuña, Ornelas, Maximo Acosta and Thomas Saggese.