The Texas Rangers needed speed atop their batting order, and got just that when they lured free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo away from the Cincinnati Reds on Dec. 21. He reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $130 million contract, and the deal was finalized Dec. 27.

"Today is a dream come true," Choo said. "My next dream is to win World Series rings."

Choo batted .285 with 21 home runs, 54 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 107 runs as the Reds' leadoff hitter last season. He also had a .423 on-base, fourth best in the majors in 2013.

A .288 career hitter who hit at least 20 homers in three of the past five seasons, Choo also has a .389 on-base percentage in nine seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and Reds.

Signing Choo will cost Texas its first-round draft pick, but the Rangers had a void atop the batting order after trading All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit for power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder. The two will bolster an offense that dropped to seventh in the American League in runs (730) and on-base percentage (.323) last season after ranking in the top four in on-base percentage in the AL from 2010-12. As a result, Texas missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2009.

While Choo started 150 games in center field last year in his one season in Cincinnati, he will likely play left field for the Rangers to join an outfield that includes right fielder Alex Rios and center fielder Leonys Martin.

The Rangers were talking about re-signing outfielder Nelson Cruz, but they may decide not to after adding Choo.

NOTES, QUOTES

--RHP Miles Mikolas was acquired by the Rangers from the Pirates in exchange for 1B Chris McGuiness in a Dec. 30 deal. Both players spent most of last season in the minors.

Mikolas, 25, gave up no hits and no runs in 1 2/3 innings in two appearances for the Padres last season. In 54 appearances for Triple-A Tucson, he went 4-2 with 26 saves and a 3.25 ERA. He was dealt to the Pirates in November.

McGuiness, 25, was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Dec. 27. He went 6-for-34 (.176) with one RBI in 10 games for Texas this year. McGuiness hit .246/.369/.423 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs in 104 games for Triple-A Round Rock.

--OF Rafael Ortega was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Dec. 30 to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for newly acquired RHP Miles Mikolas. Ortega, coming off an injury-shortened season, was claimed off waivers by the Rangers from the Rockies on Nov. 27. Ortega, 22, missed most of 2013 with a broken leg. He appeared in 42 games in Double-A, batting .228 with a .315 on-base percentage, a .297 slugging percentage, one homer, 10 RBIs and nine stolen bases. In his only major league experience, he went 2-for-4 for Colorado in 2012.

--RHP Neftali Feliz likely will return to his old role as the Rangers' closer in 2014.

RHP Joe Nathan closed games for Texas the past two seasons, but he signed a free agent deal with the Detroit Tigers earlier in the offseason.

Feliz served as the Rangers' closer in their World Series seasons in 2010 and '11, racking up 72 saves. However, he was moved to the rotation after Texas picked up Nathan. After just seven starts, however, Feliz injured his throwing elbow and had Tommy John surgery.

Feliz, 25, returned in September and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

If Feliz is not healthy, the Rangers may opt to go with RHP Tanner Scheppers or former Kansas City Royals All-Star RHP Joakim Soria.

--OF Alex Castellanos was acquired by the Rangers off waivers from the Red Sox on Dec. 23. Boston picked up Castellanos from the Dodgers in October in exchange for minor league OF Jeremy Hazelbaker and cash. Castellanos, 27, spent most of the 2013 season in Triple-A but did appear in eight games with the Dodgers, hitting .167 (3-for-18) with one homer and one RBI.

--RHP Yu Darvish has been cleared to return to all baseball activities after receiving an injection in his back at the end of the season to alleviate symptoms similar to sciatica. Darvish, general manager Jon Daniels said, will not be behind any of the other pitchers in camp.

--C J.P. Arencibia's signing gives the Rangers a guy who could take over the full-time reins behind the plate if intended starter Geovany Soto struggles or gets hurt. Though Arencibia had a historically bad .227 OBP in 2013, he has power and durability. He has averaged 20 homers and 108 starts per season over the last three years. Also, he ranked seventh in the majors in pitch-framing ability last year.

--INFs Brent Lillibridge, Josh Wilson and Kevin Kouzmanoff and RHP Armando Rodriguez all signed minor league contracts with the Rangers with an invite to major league spring training. Lillibridge and Wilson had part-time utility roles in the majors in 2013. The Rangers could use another middle infield option in addition to UTL Adam Rosales in the event that Jurickson Profar stumbles and the club has to find a fill-in at second base.

--1B Mitch Moreland, who currently is a platoon DH option against right-handed pitching, could be out of if the Rangers add a full-time veteran DH. Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee all indicated a level of interest during the winter meetings.

--2B Russell Wilson was selected from Colorado in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The Rangers were inactive in the major league portion. Maybe it's more significant that the Wilson in question is also the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. The Rangers don't have any expectations of talking him into leaving football, but would like to get Wilson to camp to speak to and work out with some of the minor leaguers as almost a motivational speaker. Wilson has indicated he is interested.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We certainly hope that with what he achieved this past season, he can continue to build on it. And if he does, he becomes the guy that we always knew he was. This year was quite an experience for him to learn how to play the game of baseball under control and contribute. He certainly did that as the year progressed. We're looking for big things out of Martin. I think Martin is looking for big things out of Martin, and because he feels like that, I think it will work." -- Rangers manager Ron Washington, on OF Leonys Martin, who stands to be the team's regular center fielder and leadoff hitter.

ROSTER REPORT

The Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, losing to Tampa Bay in a tiebreaker for the second American League tiebreaker. They are two years removed from the second of back-to-back World Series appearances -- losing to San Francisco in 2010 and St. Louis in 2011 -- and seem to be in need of a shakeup.

BIGGEST NEEDS: The Rangers could use power bats in a number of spots, including designated hitter and right field.

ARRIVALS: 1B Prince Fielder (trade with Tigers), OF Michael Choice (trade with A's), C J.P. Arencibia (free agent from Blue Jays), OF Shin-Soo Choo (free agent from Reds), OF Alex Castellanos (waiver claim from Red Sox), RHP Miles Mikolas (trade with Pirates)

DEPARTURES: 2B Ian Kinsler (traded to Tigers), OF David Murphy (free agent, signed with Indians), OF Craig Gentry (traded to A's), RHP Josh Lindblom (traded to A's), C A.J. Pierzynski (free agent, signed with Red Sox), RHP Joe Nathan (free agent, signed with Tigers), 1B Chris McGuiness (traded to Pirates)

FREE AGENTS: INF Jeff Baker, DH Lance Berkman, OF Nelson Cruz, RHP Matt Garza

The Rangers are open to bringing Cruz back if he eventually takes a two-year deal or two guaranteed years and some kind of an option. They may eventually consider Baker if the market doesn't produce a more versatile right-handed bat, but Garza is not a priority.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: LHP Neal Cotts, RHP Neftali Feliz, 1B Mitch Moreland, RHP Alexi Ogando

MEDICAL WATCH:

--LHP Matt Harrison (lower-back soreness) had surgery April 23 to repair a herniated disk and underwent a second back operation May 1. He then had surgery Sept. 9 to remove a rib in an effort to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. Harrison is expected to be ready in time for spring training.

--LHP Edwar Cabrera (left shoulder surgery in July 2013) missed the entire 2013 season. The Rangers acquired him off waivers from the Rockies in October.