Jon Daniels: 2018 Rangers will be designed with Beltre as 3B

The Texas Rangers are reportedly set to decline their 2018 option on first baseman Mike Napoli, but another veteran is still in their plans for next season.

Though trade speculation surfaced after the Rangers failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014, general manager Jon Daniels told reporters, including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that the organization plans to keep third baseman Adrian Beltre.

"This team will be designed with Adrian as our third baseman," Daniels explained Wednesday.

Beltre indicated in August - after Texas traded Jeremy Jeffress, Jonathan Lucroy, and Yu Darvish - that he wasn't interested in staying with the Rangers if the team began to rebuild, but Daniels informed the 38-year-old that the team plans to be better in 2018.

"At this stage of my career, I'm not here for a rebuild," Beltre told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News in August. "But I don't think it will be. I think there is a possibility of this team playing better this year. I'm still focused on this year and don't want to think about it right now, but it would change things for me."

The Rangers went 28-29 after July's trade deadline. Daniels told Beltre the Rangers weren't going to bring in a bunch of All-Stars over the winter, but he does expect the team to get back to the postseason.

"I told him that’s very much where our mindset is," Daniels said. "I believe if we make the right moves, we can absolutely contend. I said, if that changes, I’d let him know."

Beltre appeared in just 94 games last season - his lowest such total since 1998 - but still produced a healthy .312/.383/.532 slash line with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs.