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saddles
No More "Bullpen Failure"
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My goal for this team is to build a World Series caliber team. I would really like to put together a team that has a realistic chance of winning a WS for 4 to 6 years. I really don't think that is realistic prior to about 2025.
Therefore, my ideas about what should be done to this roster is based on that. It is not based on contending for a wild card spot next year. If we get to be a wildcard before we get good enough to realistically go to a WS, then that is fine, but that, in and of itself, doesn't interest me at all.
I am also not concerned about our W-L record along the way. I am not concerned with wins every time we play. That is why I am willing to play a struggling young player as opposed to a veteran. I think if this is done the right way that wins will naturally increase along the way, but to me, that is a side benefit.
We will never buy our way to a championship, but we are going to have to be willing to spend in the level of the top 7 to 10 in payroll eventually. Since we cannot buy our way, and since payroll does have a limit, I think we have to try and develop as many very good to great players as we can from our system. Once you get close to finishing up developing enough guys you can finish the team up with free agents and trades. Some of that you can do a year or two ahead of time as long as those players high production years fits within several years of our window. A year from now, we will have a lot better idea about which positions will need fortifying with outside acquisitions, in order to build a WS caliber team.
I think we messed up last offseason in spending heavily at positions where we had a lot of system depth already. It wasn't a fatal mistake, but it will require tough conversations with Seager and Semien in the not too distant future. I actually don't think this coming offseason is too early to sit Seager down and tell him his defensive play warrants him changing positions next year. If he asks for a trade that might not be a bad development. If we do free up his money we could go after a great hitting OF or a top notch ace within the next 15 months. We don't have to trade him, but I can certainly see an upside to doing so. Again, I don't want to intentionally provoke him.
One other thing about having a goal of building a WS caliber team is that I think at times we will have to be willing to trade away a good player to make room for a very good or great player. The tough thing is that requires what could be seen as a step backwards initially. You would have to trust your staff to be able to tell you which players have the best chance to be the better players. For example, you may have a guy in place who seems like another David Murphy and who is doing fine, but you may have a prospect that your people say has a good chance to be another Rusty Greer. If there is only one roster spot, you would be wise to move on from the Murphy level player to make room for the potential Greer-type player. Fans will not understand that when the move is made and it could backfire, but it is hard to build the best team you can without taking a few chances along the way.
I understand that a lot of fans, and probably some of you guys view things differently, and I certainly understand why some have a different viewpoint. It would be helpful to keep the likelihood of different ones of us having different goals, in mind, when we differ about what the Rangers should do. When two people have a different destination in mind, it is just natural for them to want to take different routes. When the other guy wants to go a different route that is just natural.
Therefore, my ideas about what should be done to this roster is based on that. It is not based on contending for a wild card spot next year. If we get to be a wildcard before we get good enough to realistically go to a WS, then that is fine, but that, in and of itself, doesn't interest me at all.
I am also not concerned about our W-L record along the way. I am not concerned with wins every time we play. That is why I am willing to play a struggling young player as opposed to a veteran. I think if this is done the right way that wins will naturally increase along the way, but to me, that is a side benefit.
We will never buy our way to a championship, but we are going to have to be willing to spend in the level of the top 7 to 10 in payroll eventually. Since we cannot buy our way, and since payroll does have a limit, I think we have to try and develop as many very good to great players as we can from our system. Once you get close to finishing up developing enough guys you can finish the team up with free agents and trades. Some of that you can do a year or two ahead of time as long as those players high production years fits within several years of our window. A year from now, we will have a lot better idea about which positions will need fortifying with outside acquisitions, in order to build a WS caliber team.
I think we messed up last offseason in spending heavily at positions where we had a lot of system depth already. It wasn't a fatal mistake, but it will require tough conversations with Seager and Semien in the not too distant future. I actually don't think this coming offseason is too early to sit Seager down and tell him his defensive play warrants him changing positions next year. If he asks for a trade that might not be a bad development. If we do free up his money we could go after a great hitting OF or a top notch ace within the next 15 months. We don't have to trade him, but I can certainly see an upside to doing so. Again, I don't want to intentionally provoke him.
One other thing about having a goal of building a WS caliber team is that I think at times we will have to be willing to trade away a good player to make room for a very good or great player. The tough thing is that requires what could be seen as a step backwards initially. You would have to trust your staff to be able to tell you which players have the best chance to be the better players. For example, you may have a guy in place who seems like another David Murphy and who is doing fine, but you may have a prospect that your people say has a good chance to be another Rusty Greer. If there is only one roster spot, you would be wise to move on from the Murphy level player to make room for the potential Greer-type player. Fans will not understand that when the move is made and it could backfire, but it is hard to build the best team you can without taking a few chances along the way.
I understand that a lot of fans, and probably some of you guys view things differently, and I certainly understand why some have a different viewpoint. It would be helpful to keep the likelihood of different ones of us having different goals, in mind, when we differ about what the Rangers should do. When two people have a different destination in mind, it is just natural for them to want to take different routes. When the other guy wants to go a different route that is just natural.
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