Rangers and Joakim Soria agree on a two-year deal for $8 million with a club option for 2015. He missed the entire 2012 season after suffering an injury prior to the start of the season that required Tommy John surgery.

The former Kansas City Royals closer proved to be one of baseball’s most consistent and reliable relievers for the past several years. The right-handed reliever now 28, is expected to miss the start of the 2013 season, too, while he continues to rehab from the surgery. However, Soria could still prove to be a fantastic pick-up and perhaps even a bargain, depending on how well he can come back from Tommy John surgery.

- Free-agent catcher Mike Napoli is headed to the Boston Red Sox on a 3-year, $39 million deal.

Oddly the Rangers decided not to make a qualifying offer of $13.3 million to Napoli, so they won’t receive any draft-pick compensation in return.

Napoli hit .227 in 2012, but had 24 homers and 56 RBIs with 53 runs. That was a drop-off from his production in 2011, when he had a memorable second half, hitting .383 and performing well in October.

- Also the Rangers agreed to terms with catcher Geovany Soto last night. The deal is for $2.75 million with $250,000 in incentives. So that gives Texas a backstop, but they still need another. It’s a thin free-agent market, though A.J. Pierzynski is still available. Perhaps the Rangers will look at the trade market. The Blue Jays have a surplus of catchers and perhaps would part with John Buck or J.P. Arencibia.

Napoli crushed the ball at Fenway Park in a small sample size. He has a .306 average and a .710 slugging percentage in 19 games with seven homers and 17 RBIs.

Napoli will be missed, he quickly became a fan favorite. But at this cost and the Red Sox needing him more than the Rangers it makes sense for the Red Sox to push and sign him with the hole they had at first base. 

So that leads to this tweet from Ken Rosenthal earlier today:

@Ken_Rosenthal

The Rangers have traded for 25 year old right-handed pitcher Cory Burns from the Padres for a player to be named later.

Burns had an awesome minor league K/BB and OBA numbers. He was drafted by the Indians and traded to the Padres. He got lit up in his 2-month look with Padres last summer. He pitched in 17 games, and had a 5.50 ERA, in only 18 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he pitched to a 3.14 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 66 innings of relief.

His minor league career he had a 11.2 K/9 in his minor league career against a 2.2 BB/9. Also, 2.36 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Deception pitcher. Via Baseball America he was Best Reliever/Carolina League 2010, Best Reliever/Eastern League 2011, Best Reliever/Pacific Coast League 2012.

The Rangers and left-hander Matt Harrison are in early stages about a contract extension, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

The Rangers and the agents for Matt Harrison have entered into preliminary negotiations on a contract extension for the All-Star left-hander…

“We’ve touched base with all the guys we want to extend,” Daniels said Nov. 8. “Harry’s one of them. He’s earned that conversation.”

The 27-year-old Harrison posted career-best numbers last season, putting up a 3.29 ERA and a 2.25 SO/BB ratio in 213 1/3 innings; yesterday it was announced he earned the teams Pitcher of the Year award. He struggled in his first three seasons with Texas but has really turned the corner the two years, putting up eerily similar numbers in 2011 and 2012.

The left-hander has two years of arbitration remaining before he hits the free agent market, but Texas could very well lock him down for a few more years, much like they did with right-hander Derek Holland in March.

The Rangers do not generally finalize contract extensions until spring training so it may be a while until a new deal with Harrison becomes official. The team could also sell high on him and make a trade to replace Hamilton if he signs elsewhere.

Future Ranger utilityman Leury Garcia – Photo Tim Heitman- US PRESSWIRE

- Today the team announced they added INF Leury Garcia and LHP Joe Ortiz to the 40- man roster.

- They re-acquire RHP Jake Brigham [traded in the Geovany Soto deal] from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Barrett Loux and a player to be named later. The deal comes because of a Brigham injury. Brigham also gets a 40-man spot.

- Rangers sign RHP Johan Yan to a minor league deal. Gets invite to big league camp.

- Matt Harrison gets named Rangers pitcher of the year.

The Texas Rangers have signed left-hander Scott Olsen.

Olsen was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 MLB Draft by the then Florida Marlins. He quickly developed into one of the game’s top young pitchers. Olsen went on to post an ERA of 4.04 over 31 starts spanning 180 2/3 innings in 2006.

The club then traded him to the Washington Nationals along with outfielder Josh Willingham in exchange for Jake Smolinski, P.J. Dean and Emilio Bonifacio.

Olsen, with the Nationals, posted an ERA of 5.76 over 28 appearances, including 26 starts, spanning two seasons. The 28-year-old missed the entire 2011 season due to shoulder issues and made three starts in the Chicago White Sox minor league system last year.

“The exciting thing for San Antonio is that this is going to be the first time that baseball is going to be played at the Alamodome,” Reid Ryan said. “For the Rangers, to be able to extend the brand in Round Rock and now down in San Antonio is going to be good for baseball and good for the Rangers and their fans.”

And with that quote from Ryan, the people of San Antonio need to get their scorecards ready. America’s pastime is headed to the Alamodome.

No, Nolan Ryan is not moving to Canada, but the Texas Rangers’ president and CEO, could have a presence in baseball’s return to the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

The Ottawa Sun is reporting, Ryan-Sanders Entertainment group is involved in negotiations for the Eastern League franchise that will begin play in Ottawa in 2014. The group currently runs two minor-league clubs: Triple-A Round Rock of the Rangers’ organization and Double-A Corpus Christi of the Houston organization. Nolan Ryan and his sons, Reid and Reese, are part of the group.

If the group takes control of the Ottawa franchise, it will not affect the Rangers’ and their relationship with Double-A Frisco. The Rangers in September extended their player-development contract with Frisco through the 2018 season. Ottawa would probably align itself with Toronto.

News and Notes

Texas re-signed infielder Guilder Rodriguez, 2B/OF Alejandro Selen (a potential six-year minor-league free agent), and RHP Daniel Lopez.

Full-Season Position Players of the Year

1. 3B Mike Olt (Age 24, AA, .288/.398/.579, 46 XBH, 14% BB rate, 4 SB)

Olt led Texas’s minor leaguers with 28 homers in only 95 games, drew a lot of walks, and played excellent defense at third.  He had a brief MLB campaign hampered by plantar fasciitis, Olt barely played down the stretch. But when he played he didn’t hit much. Despite the disappointing conclusion, Olt confirmed his status among baseball’s best prospects during the course of the season.  He’s going to be a solid Major Leaguer. In what should be a busy offseason, Olt’s status is as undefined as anyone in the organization.  In recent years, Texas hasn’t used Spring Training as a tryout camp except for role players, so Olt will probably know his short-term future no later than March 1st. He could be in Texas, Round Rock, or traded to another franchise.

2. SS Jurickson Profar (Age 19, AA, .281/.368/.452, 47 XBH, 12% BB rate, 16 SB) 

Fantastic. Elite. Will be with Rangers in 2013. 

3. CF Leonys Martin (Age 24, AAA, .359/.422/.610, 32 XBH, 9% BB rate, 10 SB)

Statistically, Martin pummeled the opposition.  He only played in 55 games, Martin missed six weeks with a thumb injury after an ill-advised head-first slide but hit as well as ever when he returned. Martin did not affirm his status as Texas’s 2013 CF.  His use of plus running and defensive tools felt short at times.  Like Olt, circumstances and lack of instant production hurt him. Additional AAA seasoning doesn’t serve much purpose. Is a Martin/Gentry platoon in center what the Rangers go with in 2013? 

4. 3B Drew Robinson (Age 20, low-A, .273/.409/.444, 40 XBH, 17% BB rate, 10 SB)

After a highly disappointing 2011 in Spokane, the left-handed Robinson again started slowly then hit 13 homers and spent a fair amount of time at 2B.  His platoon split was huge. Robinson was drafted in 2010 as an uncommonly polished high-school hitter.  The year matched the results. Myrtle Beach, then Frisco in 2013.

5. RF Joey Butler (Age 26, AAA, .290/.392/.473, 49 XBH, 14% BB rate, 6 SB)

Butler in 2012 he improved his walk rate, struck out less and smacked a career-high 20 homers. He’s a corner outfielder who will be 27 next season.  In a lesser organization, or with the Rangers during the early part of the previous decade, he would have already stepped onto a Major League field. Round Rock or another organization in 2013. 

6. 1B Chris McGuiness (Age 24, AA, .268/.366/.474, 48 XBH, 13% BB rate, 0 SB)

After an injury-plagued 2011, McGuiness showed why Texas wanted him in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade.  He ranked fourth in the Texas League in homers (23) and walks (69). McGuiness was in the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars game, but he doesn’t hit for average, wasn’t young for the level and plays a position that demands hefty offense.  He has to keep producing.  Round Rock in 2013.

7. 2B Leury Garcia (Age 21, AA, .292/.337/.398, 25 XBH, 5% BB rate, 31 SB)

2012: After an impressive AFL, Garcia made incremental gains offensively and eliminated much of the inconsistency from his dazzling defense at second and short. Slowly, steadily, Garcia has improved. Turns 22 in March, will be at Round Rock in 2013.

8. 2B Odubel Herrera (Age 20, high-A, .284/.335/.382, 33 XBH, 6% BB rate, 27 SB)

Steady, solid. Mixed.  Herrera handled the level and will reach AA as a 21-year-old.  On the downside, another tryout at shortstop proceeded poorly.  Assuming he’s done there, his future depends more heavily on his bat. Frisco in 2013.

9. SS Hanser Alberto (Age 19, low-A and high-A, .299/.327/.410, 39 XBH, 4% BB rate, 24 SB)

Contact-oriented shortstop improved greatly from 2011 at Spokane.  Was in Carolina League while still a teenager and was the youngest hitter with at least 200 plate appearances in the league .  At mid-season, he simply stopped taking pitches, drawing only two walks in his last 78 games. Status is up.  Alberto showed fans what Texas sees in him. Frisco in 2013.  But don’t view a repeat of the Carolina League as a setback.

10. CF Engel Beltre (Age 22, AA, .261/.307/.420, 47 XBH, 4% BB rate, 36 SB)

Beltre hit for power and had his best year in stolen bases. He’s a top-notch defender in center. The power surge is nice, and the statistics, Beltre’s plate approach hasn’t changed.  His percentages of pitches taken, swings-and-misses and other categories were unchanged. Including playoffs, Beltre has played 317 Double-A games. Wow. Round Rock in 2013, if he’s still with the organization.

On top of hiring Dave Magadan as hitting coach, the Rangers are making one additional change in their coaching staff. Gary Pettis is being switched to third base coach and Dave Anderson will be the first base coach. The Rangers announced today that five coaches are returning for 2013: Pettis, Anderson, bench coach Jackie Moore, pitching coach Mike Maddux and bullpen coach Andy Hawkins. Manager Ron Washington said he thinks the Rangers can benefit from Pettis’ baserunning expertise as a third base coach. That’s why the Rangers made the change.

I personally thought Anderson had a good year and see this as moving barstool chairs in the aloha deck around on the love boat.