Rangers hopeful arbitration hearings can be avoided

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers remain hopeful that they can go another year without having an arbitration hearing with one of their players.

The Rangers had three players officially file for arbitration on Tuesday. Pitcher Ross Detwiler, closer Neftali Feliz and first baseman Mitch Moreland will exchange salary figures with the team on Friday. Arbitration hearings will be held Feb. 1-21 if clubs can't come to an agreement with a player. But the Rangers haven't had a hearing with a player since "facing" Lee Stevens in 2000.

"We've got some ground to cover, but I think we should avoid an arbitration hearing," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "Everything looks positive, but things could take an about-face with the next phone call."

Matt Vinnola, the Rangers' director of baseball operations, is heading up the negotiations with the three arbitration-eligible players.

Detwiler, who was acquired from the Nationals in December, is the only one of the three who can be a free agent after this season. Feliz and Moreland are not eligible for free agency until after 2016. Levine said the Rangers are currently focused on one-year deals for the three players.