Every Rangers fan knows the history of failure when it comes to building quality pitching staffs, so I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. (And trading away Chris Young, Edinson Volquez, Armando Galarraga and Jon Danks in recent years sure didn’t help matters, did it?)

Which leads us to where the Rangers will go from here. And club president Nolan Ryan has made it quite clear that the off-season goal is pitching, pitching and more pitching — primarily a quality young starter such as Zack Greinke, Matt Cain or Clay Buchholz. But the key to whoever is acquired is having a strong mental attitude to pitch in a hitters’ ballpark.

With the payroll expected to remain right about where it is (just under $70 million), don’t expect a major free-agent signing. Free-agent pitchers don’t go to Arlington, anyway. So it will have to come via the trade market, and at least the Rangers have something to offer.

Hank Blalock’s option was picked up, but he could be dealt to one of the teams that doesn’t land elite free agent Mark Teixeira. The glut behind the plate also will be eased, with either Gerald Laird or Jarrod Saltalamacchia being dealt.

Laird has the biggest contract, so he is the likeliest to go (Detroit?, Cincinnati?). But it’s no secret Saltalamacchia’s long name has been mentioned in a possible deal with the Red Sox.

The Rangers also have prospects to deal, but don’t expect them to part with shortstop-of-the-future Elvis Andrus or center fielder Julio Borbon.

But bottom line, they’re not really close to being a playoff team at this point.

Q: What’s going on with Roger Clemens these days?
— Joe Gingras

A: Just more bad news, Joe. Last week, a Houston charity golf tournament Clemens had been involved with for four years terminated its association with him.

Meanwhile, the FBI’s perjury case against Clemens continues to move along at a snail’s pace. Last week, there were reports that Clemens’ former trainer Brian McNamee gave a DNA sample to the FBI to help the case against Clemens.

Investigators are trying to establish that syringes provided by McNamee contain Clemens’ DNA, and were used by McNamee to inject Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens also is pursuing a defamation of character suit against McNamee.

In one piece of good news last week, disorderly conduct charges were dropped against Clemens’ son Koby, a catcher in the Houston Astros’ chain, who was arrested a few months ago along with two teammates after a restaurant incident in Salem, Va.

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