Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young had a strong message during his press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “There is not one person in this organization that does not have something to prove.” The Rangers have had two disappointing seasons following their World Series victory in 2023, despite ranking in the top ten in total payroll both years.
Young has made it clear that the team will not be spending much this offseason and made moves to cut payroll, like trading Marcus Semien and non-tendering Adolis García and Jonah Heim. He has said that owner Ray Davis has provided the team with enough money for them to be successful, and they are going to need the team to step up.
Texas Rangers Look Inward Amid Payroll Cutting
Struggles Last Year
The main struggle the Rangers faced last year was their lineup. Their big additions last offseason were Jake Burger and Joc Pederson. Neither of them had a good season at the plate.
Pederson slashed .181/.285/.328 with nine home runs and 26 RBI with a -0.4 WAR. He made $18 million and was the fifth-highest-paid player on the team. He is going to make $18.5 million this year and will be the fourth-highest-paid player on the roster. For how much he is getting paid, Pederson will need to step up.
Burger didn’t make as much as Pederson, but he still needs to improve big time. He logged 0.9 WAR, hitting .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. These were decreases from the previous two years where he had a .250 batting average and had 34 and 29 home runs. He also dealt with injuries that kept him out for some time.
Besides the new additions, Josh Jung was another player who struggled. He doesn’t make a ton of money, but he has struggled with injuries since 2023 and has not been able to recapture that magic. He did play the most games of his career last year with 131, but logged 1.4 WAR compared to 2.6 in 2023.
All of his major stats decreased from 2023 to last year. Jung will need to be better if the Rangers want to win, and hopefully, he can look like his All-Star 2023 version.
Adjustments
Justin Viele, who was the assistant hitting coach last year, is taking over as the Rangers’ new hitting coach and will look to get them out of their funk. It seems like the new approach that they will take will be more focused on putting the ball in play compared to the slugging-first approach that they have had in previous years.
Young has made some moves this offseason to try to improve the team without spending much, like the signings of Danny Jansen, Alexis Díaz, Tyler Alexander, and re-signing Chris Martin.
The Last Word
The Rangers will not have the lofty payroll that they have had in years past, but they have a roster full of talented players. Young expects the players to play up to their potential and thinks that they have the right players and personnel in place to help the team reach the same heights as 2023. They still expect to compete for the AL West and a World Series in 2026.
Main Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
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