Only handful of decisions left on Rangers’ ALDS roster

ARLINGTON, Texas _ This isn’t the first postseason rodeo for Jon Daniels, so he knows there’s no rush to get the Texas Rangers’ roster for the American League Division Series ready.tmpplchld And, truth be told, there aren’t too many decisions that have to be made by 9 a.m. Thursday.tmpplchld Breaking: Adrian Beltre will be on the roster. So will Cole Hamels.tmpplchld But the decisions Daniels, the general manager and his front-office staff, the coaching staff and the scouting department are mulling over aren’t insignificant.tmpplchld They need to collectively agree on the four starters from the five-man rotation who will pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning Thursday at the Rogers Centre. They must decide if they will go with seven or eight relievers, and, as a result, 13 or 14 position players.tmpplchld Of those position players, will five of them be outfielders or will three of them be catchers? Who will be the second left-hander in the bullpen? Who will be the bullpen’s swingman?tmpplchld The Rangers started analyzing the possibilities last week and did so with more earnest Monday.tmpplchld “We haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk to any of the players that are involved, so it’s a little sensitive,” Daniels said. “We don’t want to release any of that until we’ve had a chance to talk to those guys first.”tmpplchld Daniels said that manager Jeff Banister could reveal the Rangers’ rotation plans as early as Tuesday and possibly the entire roster. Yovani Gallardo and Derek Holland threw bullpen sessions Monday while most players were off, and the appear to be candidates for Game 1 on Thursday afternoon.tmpplchld Daniels said that the Rangers are leaning toward 11 pitchers and 14 position players, and the odd man out of the rotation has a good chance of landing in the seven-man bullpen.tmpplchld The right-handedness of the Blue Jays’ lineup might point to having the two right-handers in the rotation, Gallardo and Colby Lewis, while lefty Martin Perez gets pushed out or into the bullpen.tmpplchld Toronto led the majors in on base-plus-slugging percentage against lefties (.818), but, as the majors’ highest scoring team, they also led against right-handers (.791). The Rangers could be mulling who their best four pitchers are right now.tmpplchld “The way the team sets up, there really isn’t a ‘fifth starter,’ ” Daniels said. “All these guys have made cases to be included, and that’s a big reason we’re here. ... You also don’t want to try to outsmart the process. At the end of the day, you want your best players out there deciding those games.”tmpplchld Daniels said that right-hander Keone Kela will be available even though he has dealt with elbow issues and arm fatigue for the past month, so he figures to be a bullpen lock with closer Shawn Tolleson and fellow set-up relievers Sam Dyson and Jake Diekman.tmpplchld After that, though, the Rangers will have to decide between righties Chi Chi Gonzalez and Ross Ohlendorf for a spot as a reliever who can work multiple innings and if they want Sam Freeman or Andrew Faulkner to be the second lefty.tmpplchld “He was available 1/8Sunday3/8,” Daniels said of Kela. “Barring something unforeseen, our plan is to have him out there.”tmpplchld Robinson Chirinos (left shoulder) has convinced the Rangers that he can be relied upon behind the plate along with Chris Gimenez. Bobby Wilson would be a third catch if the Rangers took that route.tmpplchld Josh Hamilton (left knee) answered any lingering doubts about his ability to be an everyday player during the final week of the season. Injuries are always an issue with Hamilton, so that could cement a spot for veteran bench piece Will Venable along with Drew Stubbs as the fourth and fifth outfielders.tmpplchld Hamilton playing on the Rogers Centre turf, though, isn’t a concern for Daniels.tmpplchld “At this point with Josh it’s a health deal,” Daniels said. “Just like everything else with him, it never ceases to amaze you, whether it’s pinch-hitting a week after surgery, playing nine innings two weeks later or three weeks later making a diving catch into the wall.tmpplchld “From what I saw this weekend, I saw really good at-bats. He managed the swing-and-miss a little bit. In-game adjustments, the ability to control the strike zone, those are big things for Josh.”tmpplchld The Rangers don’t have many decisions left to make for their division series roster, but the ones they are mulling over aren’t insignificant.tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 Fort Worth Star-Telegramtmpplchld Visit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld