Inbox: Will Rangers acquire an ace?

Isn't it time for Jon Daniels to quit bargain hunting for pitching and commit to a top-end pitcher to complement Cole Hamels, or is he just not that interested in winning?
-- Kris. H., Tahoka, Texas
This was made clear at the beginning of the offseason: The Rangers had three openings in their starting rotation this winter. Not just one. It was obvious from the beginning they were going to be acquiring starting pitching in bulk. With their financial parameters, one high-priced starter wasn't going to get it done -- their resources had to be spread out across the rotation.
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Interested in winning? The Rangers went all-out to win in 2015-16, and that's part of their current predicament. Five top pitching prospects -- Jerad Eickhoff, Alec Asher, Jake Thompson, Luis Ortiz and Dillon Tate -- were included in the trades for Hamels, catcher Jonathan Lucroy and designated hitter Carlos Beltrán. That's a huge blow to pitching depth, not to mention the other setbacks in pitching development that have left the Rangers severely lacking in Major League-ready pitching prospects.
There are a lot of reasons, some self-inflicted, why the Rangers are in their current situation, but lack of interest in winning is not one of them.

Drew Robinson's name hasn't been mentioned all winter. What are the Rangers' plans for him?
-- Sandy J., Las Vegas
Robinson is a physically gifted player who has earned a spot on a Major League roster because of his ability to play multiple positions. But he also has the ability to push Delino DeShields in center, Willie Calhoun in left and Rougned Odor at second base. He has hardly been forgotten.
The Rangers have a pitcher on the roster named Clayton Blackburn, who they got from the Giants. Is this a guy who can help?
-- Chuck S., Oklahoma City
Blackburn has two attributes that the Rangers admire: High-quality character and the ability to throw strikes. His stuff though is considered average and he needs to find a "put-away" pitch to get Major League hitters out.
What would the Rangers have to give up in trade to get Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi from the Rays, or Michael Fulmer from the Tigers?
-- Don M., Garland, Texas
To make a deal like that, you need at a minimum upper-level prospects, and the Rangers have already pillaged their farm system. Texas has only two players among MLB Pipeline's Top 100: outfielders Leody Taveras and Calhoun. Right now, the Rangers are of a mind to keep hold of the prospects they have.

Any chance the Rangers might re-sign Derek Holland?
-- David M., Harker Heights, Texas
Only if the media gets a vote. Look, one thing about these reunions is it puts too much spotlight on the player and places undue pressure on him to recapture past glory. The Rangers saw that with Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli the last couple of years, and that would probably be the case with Holland.
Would it be logical to trade Odor to the Yankees for David Robertson as our closer? I would want to get an extension first since he only has one year left. I would put Jurickson Profar at second since his defense is much better than Odor and I think if given a chance he can still be a good player.
-- Phil B., Fort Worth
That proposition has a lot of moving parts, but the bottom line is the Rangers are not going to trade a frontline position player for a high-priced setup reliever.