ARLINGTON -- Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was busy at the General Managers Meetings last week in California. Between meeting with other GMs and player agents, Daniels has begun to lay the groundwork for potential offseason moves.
The Rangers will express interest in just about every starting pitcher or reliever available either by trade or free agency. Texas' need for pitching is so deep that there are very few pitchers it won't at least discuss internally.
The Rangers could use as many as four more starters before Spring Training. They will need at least four relievers, too. There are additional needs, including catcher.
Here are a dozen candidates who could be of interest:
LHP Yusei Kikuchi
The Rangers' offseason plans always include investigating the next star player from Japan. Kikuchi is this year's highly coveted pitcher from the Pacific Rim, and Texas will be among his suitors. Kikuchi, 27, was 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 23 games for the Seibu Lions, striking out 153 batters in 163 2/3 innings.
IF Manny Machado
Why not, especially if there are other teams backing away because of Machado's postseason issues? He is 26 and still a powerful force in the middle of the lineup who might help out Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara and others around him. His contract would be a strain for a team in desperate need for pitching, but he would give the Rangers a marquee player going into the new ballpark with Minor League pitching help expected in the next few years. Chris Woodward was one of his coaches with the Dodgers. It is probably a long shot, but it can't be dismissed.

LHP Patrick Corbin
The D-backs' southpaw and the Astros' Dallas Keuchel are considered the top two starting pitchers on the free-agent market. Corbin had the better numbers and is 1 1/2 years younger than Keuchel, so put him at the forefront. The Rangers didn't play in that market last year, and they will probably be reluctant to do so again this offseason.
RHP James Shields
Shields turns 37 in December and has seen better years. He was 7-16 with a 4.53 ERA with the White Sox this past year, though he threw 204 2/3 innings and had a respectable 1.31 WHIP. Shields could give the Rangers a leading presence in the rotation and a reliable arm that would allow some of their young pitchers more development time in the Minor Leagues.
LHP Giovany Gonzalez
Gonzalez is no longer in his prime, but he is relatively durable. The free agent has made at least 31 starts in eight of the past nine years. He's no longer a pitcher to build a staff around, but he could give the Rangers badly needed innings and time to let younger pitchers develop.

RHP Sonny Gray
The Yankees are trying to trade Gray after he struggled the past two seasons in the Bronx. He is also a free agent after the 2019 season, so he may not fit into the Rangers' long-term future. But if Texas got him in a trade for the right price, he could have a big rebound year and may decide that Arlington is the place for him long term. If nothing else, Gray could give some short-term stability to the rotation -- and maybe even get the Rangers a non-waiver Trade Deadline candidate for better than what they might have to give up this season.
RHP Dylan Bundy
Bundy was 8-16 with a 5.45 ERA in 31 starts for the Orioles last year, but he was a 13-game winner in 2017 with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, and he still has three years before he can become a free agent. The O's still don't have a general manager, but they are obviously in rebuild mode, so Bundy could be an interesting target.

LHP Robbie Ray
The D-backs left-hander, another trade possibility, was outstanding in 2017, going 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 28 starts. He was 6-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 24 starts last season, despite missing almost two months with a strained oblique. He is 27 and has two years to go before free agency.
C J.T. Realmuto
If the Marlins are serious about trading Realmuto, there are going to be plenty of interested teams. He is one of the best catchers in the game, and he has two years to go before free agency. If Miami trades him, it is going to expect a lot in return.

C Wilson Ramos
The Rangers' curious decision to decline Robinson Chirinos' option leaves them in need of a catcher. Ramos and Yasmani Grandal are the best of the free agents. Grandal was given a $17.9 million qualifying offer by the Dodgers, so Ramos might be more attractive, although his long list of injuries includes two torn ACLs in his right knee.
OF Adam Jones
The battery should be the Rangers' biggest concern, but Jones is a right-handed-hitting outfielder who should be able to play all three positions, as well as designated hitter, if needed. He is also a well-respected veteran who could add some leadership. A productive right-handed bat on Texas' left-handed-leaning lineup could be a good thing.

RHP Garrett Richards
Richards is a free agent, and he will miss the entire 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. But the former Angels right-hander was once considered to have No. 1 stuff. The Rangers might be intrigued by the possibility of taking on a project, but they also need to find some healthy pitchers along with any reclamation projects.