Like many of the Rangers' first 36 years in Arlington, this offseason began all too soon. 25 players all had dreams of playing in the Fall Classic and being crowned champions of the baseball world.

Those dreams were squashed way back in August. Which begs the question that has been asked all but three times in the history of the Texas Rangers: What needs to be done this offseason to produce a Rays-like season in 2009 and make a run in the playoffs?

The Rangers have a handful of "good problems" to take care of this offseason. Their farm system is rich in talent. They have a number of good, young players who finished the season on the big-league roster. Their depth behind the plate is superior to every team in the league. So, with so many young "phenoms" in the system, what does the team need to be a legitimate contender?

Stay Healthy

The Rangers had a countless number of injuries to key contributors throughout the 2008 campaign. Vicente Padilla, Kevin Millwood, Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler, and David Murphy (to name a few) all lost a substantial number of games due to injury. The four position players mentioned were all everyday players in the lineup. The two pitchers mentioned are advertised to be the No. 1 and 2 starters, respectively.

If the Rangers can stay healthy in 2009, even with the team they had in 2008, they should win 10 more games. That would give the Rangers a record of 89-73; more than good enough to be mentioned as at least a wild-card contender.

Molding of Youth

No, not THAT kind of mold. The kind of mold that you can actually see when nine individual players on the field begin playing as one cohesive unit. With so many injuries last season, the fans in Arlington were treated to a premature talent show. Many prospects in the farm system went from a "slowly but surely" ascent to a "rapid fire" ascent into "The Show."

Their talents were displayed and the future suddenly seemed bright in Arlington. The most notable of players: Chris "Crush" Davis, Matt Harrison, and Taylor Teagarden provided a spark on both sides of the ball near the end of the season.

Davis joined the lineup and looked as though he was a five-year veteran, knocking the cover off the ball almost every at-bat. Harrison struggled in his early starts but quickly got on track, posting impressive wins over playoff-bound teams such as the Angels and White Sox. Teagarden is solid behind the plate with a quick, powerful bat.

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