SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — You can’t win if you don’t play.

That’s the difference between the Rangers’ approach to free agency this year and recent winters past: They are at least willing to play at the top of a free agent market heavy on starting pitching and third basemen. And wouldn’t you just know it, those happen to be their two primary needs.

“The last couple of years, we really haven’t explored it,” general manager Jon Daniels said Monday on the eve of the official start of the MLB GM meetings. “We didn’t feel it was the right time. This year, we are going to look at everything. Our goal is to get better, period. There are a couple of spots more [available] than others. We have signed [top free agents] before and at some point I have to suspect we will again.”

Daniels has made it clear since the season ended that he expected the Rangers would increase their payroll, which was about $130 million in 2019, but didn’t indicate by how much.

On Monday, by saying the Rangers were prepared to investigate the top of the market, he seemed to imply an increase of $30 million or more would not be out of the question. It would take as much to land one of the premier free agents.

To that end, the Rangers have been in touch with just about everybody on the just-opened free agent market. Yes, that includes the likes of ace Gerrit Cole and third baseman Anthony Rendon, two sources said. Both are conveniently repped by agent Scott Boras. He also has other top-tier free agents, including pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Hyun-Jin Ryu and third baseman Mike Moustakas.

The first thing the Rangers must determine is how willing they are to dive into Cole and/or Rendon. Both are liable to require investments of seven or more years and $200 million or more.

And they might not stop there. Daniels said adding a top-tier free agent would “not necessarily” keep the Rangers from filling other needs with significant free agents.

“We’re going to sort through what’s best for us,” he said. “We’ve got an idea of where we’d like to go.”

It’s a dramatic change from the recent past.

The Rangers signed Shin-Soo Choo to a seven-year, $130 million contract after the 2013 season. While Choo has been productive and professional, the contract has been considered more obstacle than asset. See the Rangers annual attempts to move their DH and other clubs unwillingness to offer anything in return except moderate salary relief, as an example.

The Rangers have taken on some significant salary obligations in trades and via contract extensions but have not extended a long-term free agent contract since then. The Rangers are about to enter their second stadium with an insurance company for a title sponsor and have proved to be just about as risk-averse.

The biggest single-season salary doled out to a free agent: $11.5 million to Carlos Gomez for 2017. The biggest total commitment: $30 million to Lance Lynn for three years last winter. Lynn and Mike Minor (three years, $28 million) have both provided above-average returns, but sooner or later, you have to pay the premium.

The next step: Convincing somebody to take a lot of money. Not as easy as it sounds. The question is what do the Rangers have to sell. Back in 2010, during the pursuit of Adrian Beltre, Texas was coming off a World Series and had a young core under control. After 2013, when the Rangers pursued Choo, they did so with four consecutive 90-win seasons on the résumé.

Now, they’ve got to sell guys on a new ballpark, which is going to be nice and comfortable, and a vision. For guys like Cole, who came so close a world championship this year, and third baseman Josh Donaldson, who is going into his age 34 season without having been to a World Series, it will be a much tougher sell.

Take the case of Cole, for example: The Los Angeles Angels play 20 minutes from his home in Newport Beach, Calif., which, by the way, is where he grew up. The Angels have the best player in the world in Mike Trout and a phenom in Shohei Ohtani. There are reasons for the Angels to be a favorite for Cole.

Donaldson grew up a Braves fan in Alabama and went to the postseason with their young, exciting roster in 2019. There is reason for him to return there.

“We’ve been there and we feel like we know how to get there,” Daniels said. “We’ve got a new ballpark and we’ve got ownership that wants to be there. It’s going to be on us to sit down and clearly explain our vision and our plan for getting back there.”

It starts by being willing to pay the price. The Rangers don’t have sticker shock. Yet.