My suggestion would be to ride it. If it is in your size, you're very lucky to find a mint road/touring bike for $200.. Just start commuting on it and see what you need to replace.

For me, I'd never swap out the drop bars, but to each his own. Drop bars are useful for longer rides. They give you more hand positions and help you drop drown to more easily ride into a headwind.

If it were me, I'd just start riding it and see what works best. You may find more important things may need replacing before the handlebars and shifters, like a more comfortable saddle, tires, brake pads, etc.