Texas Rangers Q and A: The Blame, the Roster, the Future

We recently sat down and discussed all things Texas Rangers. Here are the top three questions from yesterday’s Q and A.

Q: Who gets the blame for the Rangers collapse in Toronto?

The easy answer is Elvis Andrus but that’s too easy and a little unfair. Elvis Andrus made two of the three key errors that led to a Blue Jay’s comeback in the seventh inning of game five. The third error was a poor throw by Mitch Moreland, but in all honesty, Elvis could have come up with that catch as well so I unofficially credit Andrus with 2.5 errors in the inning.

With that said, Elvis is not solely to blame for the collapse. The Rangers were up 2-0 in the five game series. They won the first two games on the road and were headed home needing only one more “W”. Yet they failed to do so. This wasn’t just on the Goat of Game Five (Andrus) but on the entire team. The offense disappeared and the starting pitching not named “Cole” was abysmal.

The Rangers were an up and down team all season, they just picked a poor time to go down.

Q: How much will the roster change this next season? Do you see any major moves?

At the moment I don’t see many major shakeups on the roster. The Rangers would love to get out from under Elvis Andrus’ contract but there isn’t likely to be any major takers this offseason. Elvis played some of his best ball this summer so while his contract is big and ugly – it’s not crippling.

It’s difficult to tell how active the Rangers will be in free agency until after the MLB postseason is complete and emotions die down. They clearly need to add some bats so they can be equally efficient against left-handed and right-handed pitching.

At this point it wouldn’t even be surprising if the Rangers brought back Yovani Gallardo or Colby Lewis to stabilize the back of the rotation. The Rangers could add a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher but not a big name pitcher

The Rangers will add bats and arms but don’t expect them to break the bank on anyone. Their big free agent signing is seen as Cole Hamels who is under control for the next few years.

Q: Are the Rangers going to be contenders again next season or will age catch up with them?

It’s a common misconception that the Rangers are an old team. They are absolutely loaded with young talent and have a well-balanced roster. Another thing to clear up is, the Rangers were never supposed to be contenders this season.

The Rangers sustained so many early injuries, 2015 was considered a lost cause to most. 2016 was always supposed to be the year. The Rangers will be returning so many players in 2016, it will feel like they had an extremely active free agency.

Picture a starting rotation of Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, and Martin Perez. They could return Lewis and add him to the competition for the final spot with Nick Martinez and Chi Chi Gonzalez. The rotation should be loaded if health cooperates.

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