SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Jeff Mathis was the Rangers' Opening Day catcher last season. Now, he may have to fight for a spot on the Opening Day roster after the Rangers signed Robinson Chirinos this winter.

Yet, when pitchers and catchers reported on Tuesday, Mathis said “nothing has changed” for him.

“Like I told them, whenever I get penciled in the lineup, I am ready to go,” Mathis said. “We’ll just see how it plays out. I know Robby [Chirinos] is in here and he is probably going to get the majority of the playing time. I told [manager Chris Woodward] I’ll be ready when my number is called.”

The Rangers finished last season with Mathis sharing duties with Jose Trevino. Now they seem to be in direct competition for the backup catching role.

“I’m just ready to compete and have some fun,” Trevino said. “I have to take care of my business and see where it goes.”

Mathis -- who is in the second year of his contract -- is signed for $3 million this season. General manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers most likely will start the season with Chirinos and Mathis as the catchers. Mathis hit just .158 last year, but the Rangers still have a high regard for his defensive and leadership abilities.

Still, after a 15-year career, Mathis may have to win a job this spring.

“I’m going out there and doing the things that I am capable of doing. If that’s the way some people feel, so be it. If not, be ready to go whenever my number is called.”

Mathis played in 86 games last season, his most since 2011. Daniels said the Rangers may have asked too much from Mathis.

“I don’t know about that,” Mathis said. “I know what I was signing up for. I appreciated the opportunity. It was something I was looking forward to, like I said I just wish I had played better in that role.”

The offense wasn’t good, but Mathis admitted his pitch-framing behind the plate was off as well. He graded out as minus-three runs on pitch-framing, which ranked tied for 42nd out of 64 catchers. In other words, 47.5 percent of non-swinging pitches on the edges were called strikes. The league average was 48.4 percent.

In 2018. Mathis was plus 11-runs, which was the highest in the Major Leagues.

“There is something to that,” Mathis said. “I wasn’t very good. I know that without having to see numbers. It has to be better.”

Clark, Littlefield honored
The Rangers honored two valuable members of their organization Monday night. Minor League pitching coordinator Danny Clark received the 2019 Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year Award and Scott Littlefield was the Red Jacket Scout of the Year.

Clark is in his 15th season with the Rangers. He spent three years as a Minor League pitching coach before being promoted to his current job.

Littlefield has been scouting for the Rangers since November 2009. He is considered one of the top talent evaluators in the organization and is used at the amateur, professional and international levels. He is in his 29th season in the Major Leagues.

He said it
"Before going to Japan, I was just a thrower. They teach you to pitch over there.” -- Left-hander Joely Rodríguez on his two years in Japan

More from the Rangers' beat
• Left-hander Brock Burke is dealing with left shoulder inflammation and will be behind other pitchers in camp.

• Right-hander Jesse Chavez is at full strength and ready to go. His 2019 season was cut short by an elbow impingement that eventually required surgery.

“I ran out of patience,” Chavez said. “I ran out of patience forcing pitches. That was the big thing, how it looked. I made the decision one day after throwing: I’ve got to get this taken care of.”

• The Rangers are going to be careful with right-hander Kyle Gibson, who lost much strength last season while dealing with ulcerative colitis. But he has been throwing his bullpen sessions and so far is ready for camp.

“We are taking it a day at a time,” pitching coach Julio Rangel said. “We’ll communicate but I don’t foresee any problems with him.”

• The Rangers have signed right-hander Taylor Jungmann to a Minor League contract. He will not be in Major League camp. Jungmann spent the past two years in Japan. He was the Brewers' first-round Draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Texas and went 9-13 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in 27 starts and three relief appearances in 2015-17.