Major League Baseball

Rangers will be right back in the saddle

Published Nov. 2, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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In the end, the Rangers’ prevailing goals eluded them, and it was the Giants who ended the 2010 season hoisting the trophy and thumb-spraying the bubbly. Needless to say, the Rangers and their partisans are disappointed.

Still, it was an enviable season. Ron Washington and his charges delivered not only the first playoff series win in franchise history but also the first pennant. And here’s the real consolation for Texas: there may be more to come.

Indeed, the Rangers, thanks to a stable ownership group, an accomplished GM, a steady hand in the dugout and loads of talent at the major-league level and down on the farm, are poised to lord over the AL West for the foreseeable future.

First and foremost, there’s nothing fluke-ish about the Rangers’ success in 2010. They won the AL West by an untroubled margin of nine games, and they spent 154 days in first place. In related matters, the Rangers won 90 games, and, according to their runs scored and runs allowed tallies, they should’ve won 91 games.

Insofar as the major-league roster is concerned, the big question is whether the Rangers can re-sign Cliff Lee. Lee will be the most hotly sought pitcher on the market this winter, and you can be sure that the usual high-payroll suspects will make overtures. On the other hand, Lee and his family are happy in Arlington, and co-owner Nolan Ryan has said the team intends to make a good-faith effort to re-up with him. Given the windfall from the Rangers’ new television contract, their burgeoning popularity and the fact that the hapless Tom Hicks is no longer writing the checks, there’s a strong chance the Rangers will do what it takes to keep Lee in the fold.

Beyond Lee, there’s some certainty. Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, C.J. Wilson and Darren O’Day are all arbitration-eligible and bound for big raises, but they’re also under team control. Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Colby Lewis are locked up in long-term contracts, and gifted youngsters Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz are far from their high-salary years.

GM Jon Daniels must make a decision on DH Vlad Guerrero, who is owed $9 million to play next season or a $1 million buyout. Given his age and pattern of decline throughout the season, finding another option might not be a bad idea.

The Rangers also will head into the winter with concerns at catcher. Bengie Molina is (wisely) talking retirement, and Matt Treanor is coming off a season in which he posted a sub-.600 OPS. Given the thin free-agent market for those accustomed to the tools of ignorance, the Rangers will likely turn to some combination of Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden in 2011. Considering the struggles of Molina and Treanor, the young guys might actually constitute an upgrade, at least with the bats. Also keep in mind that the Rangers thrived in 2010 despite not getting much production from behind the plate.

Other holes? First base remains somewhat unsettled. Mitch Moreland performed capably after his call-up, and his minor-league dossier suggests the 17th-rounder can indeed hit. However, pairing him with a right-handed platoon partner would be a wise move. Fortunately for the Rangers, few things are as easy as scaring up a lefty-mashing first baseman.

In the rotation, everyone returns save for (possibly) Lee and Harden, who, once his contract is bought out, will not be sorely missed. And there’s always the possibility that the Rangers at some point convert the gifted Feliz into a starter, and prospects such as Martin Perez, Tanner Scheppers and Danny Gutierrez might be able to contribute at the highest level in 2011. In terms of pitching, the Rangers have options.

When it comes to filling those few roster voids, the Rangers also have latitude. Their salary commitments for 2011 add up to a modest $32.1 million (not counting service-time raises), and there’s also that growing revenue stream into which the Rangers can tap.

And let’s not forget the final element that’s often so crucial to success — a weak division. In fact, this season the Rangers were the only team in the AL West with a winning record. While the A’s have some young talent, they’ve shown little ability to identify and develop hitters in recent years. The Angels have financial wherewithal but an aging roster. The Mariners have ... a cool workout room? Simply put, none of the Rangers’ divisional label-mates seems capable of a serious threat, at least for the time being.

So be solaced, Rangers fans: the belt and the title aren’t yours this time around, but your team figures to be a part of the playoff fray once again in 2011.

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