In the spring of 2022, the Rangers' core could consist of catcher David Garcia, left-hander Cole Ragans, middle infielder Chris Seise and center fielder Leody Taveras.

Or Sam Huff could be the catcher. Or right-hander Hans Crouse could be in the group, along with middle infielder Anderson Tejada. Center fielders Bubba Thompson and Julio Pablo Martinez are candidates, too.

The Rangers are restocking a player-development system depleted by graduations of players including Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara, the whiff on right-hander Dillon Tate as the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft and in-season deals made to give the club a better chance at the playoffs.

In the final two months of the 2015-16 seasons, the Rangers gave up 17 players, mostly prospects, in trades designed to bulk up the major league roster. Of the traded-away players, 10 have appeared in the majors.

Philadelphia got five major-leaguers from the trade that sent left-handers Jake Diekman and Cole Hamels to the Rangers. That includes outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro, both of whom are in line to be starters this season.

"We're focused on being patient with that young group," general manager Jon Daniels said. "There's legitimate talent there. We want to challenge them but also be patient and let them develop at their own pace."

It is not an easy course. The Rangers were reminded of that late in spring training. Ragans underwent Tommy John surgery. Right-hander Kyle Cody, last season's top pitcher in the organization, was shut down for several weeks because of elbow inflammation.

The Rangers began restocking the system last July, trading away veterans Yu Darvish, Jeremy Jeffress and Jonathan Lucroy for prospects.

Based on conversations with scouts from other organizations, the Rangers are deepest at pitcher, catcher and center fielder. Those are the traditional up-the-middle spots upon which winning teams are built.

"Our strategy is always "best player available," Daniels said. "But middle-of-the-diamond players give you more options. They can move to the corner. The opposite is not true. The best athletes typically play the premium positions at a young age."

At pitcher, the Rangers have stockpiled arms. They used 28 of their 40 picks in last year's draft on pitchers.

Crouse, a 19-year-old reliever, could get to the majors in a hurry as a power reliever, but his long-term future is as a starter. Ragans, 20, has averaged 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first two professional seasons but needs better fastball command. His walks rate is 5.7 per nine innings.

At catcher, the Rangers have at least four potential major leaguers.

Garcia, 18, has the good hands of a shortstop, his former position, but needs to add strength as his body matures. Strength is not a concern for Huff, listed at 6-4 and 215 pounds. Huff has a power bat from the right side but must improve his receiving.

Matt Whatley, 22, is also a top-shelf receiver. He won the Johnny Bench award as the top collegiate catcher last season at Oral Roberts. Yohel Pozo, 20, has been on the straight-and-narrow since being involved in the hazing scandal at the Rangers' academy in the Dominican Republic. Pozo is a hitter first.

The Rangers have spent on center field.

Taveras, 19, received a $2.1 million signing bonus in 2016 as an international player from the Dominican Republic. The Rangers gave the same bonus to Thompson, 19, after taking him with the 26th overall pick in last year's draft.

The Rangers surpassed those deals this spring for Cuban defector Julio Pablo Martinez, who got about $2.75 million. Martinez, 21, will likely begin his career with the Rangers in the low-level Dominican Summer League but should advance at a rapid rate.

Twitter: @gfraley

Projected 2022 lineup

A projected Rangers lineup for opening day 2022: