Calvin Watkins, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Rangers notes: Jon Daniels still working to upgrade roster

DALLAS -- At the annual Christmas luncheon on Wednesday, Texas Rangers president/GM Jon Daniels said the club is still searching to improve the roster via trade or free agency.

The team has made small moves, from trading for middle-of-the-rotation starter Ross Detwiler and drafting center fielder/second baseman Delino DeShields Jr. in the Rule 5 Draft.

When it comes to medical news, Prince Fielder (neck), Yu Darvish (elbow) and Shin-Soo Choo (ankle and elbow) are progressing well from injuries and should be ready for spring training with no limitations. Matt Harrison (back), Jurickson Profar (shoulder), Martin Perez (elbow) are doubtful for the start of the season. Perez, however, has started a throwing program and Profar and Harrison should begin one in January.

"I think there are a few areas where we'd like to add some depth, and we may," Daniels said. "I think a lot of our internal candidates for these spots there's been a lot of competition that's been created, both by some of the pieces that we've brought but maybe moreso some of the development of our young guys and the positive medical news were getting from the whole group that should be the best players on our team. I don't view it as an end date of putting a team together. There are moves (that) can be made, and we're going to take that approach. I do feel pretty good about the news we're getting on a lot of our guys and where that's gong to lead us."

Team awards: Harrison, who missed the season with back surgery, was named the 2014 Harold McKinney Good Guy Award in voting by the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Adrian Beltre (Player of the Year), Darvish (Pitcher of the Year), Rougned Odor (Rookie of the Year) and Robinson Chirinos (Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man) will be honored along with Harrison at the team awards dinner Friday, Jan. 23 at the Dallas Omni Hotel. Tickets are available on the Rangers web site. Proceeds from the dinner benefit the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

Atkins signs minor-league deal: Right-handed starter Mitch Atkins signed a minor-league deal Wednesday. Atkins will be invited to minor league camp this spring. He went 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 28 games (22 starts) for Triple-A Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi of the Atlanta Braves organization. Atkins, 29, is pitching winter ball in the Dominican League and has a 5.11 ERA in 10 starts.

Rangers toy drive: The team collected 6,965 toys and 50 bicycles for deserving families from low-income areas in Tarrant County during the 2014 Cowboy Santas Toy Drive. Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers and his wife Jessica were the honorary spokespersons for the toy drive.

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