By Evan Grant
The Dallas Morning News
December 20, 2010
If the Rangers are to return to the World Series, they must first win the American League. And if they are to win the AL, they must first make the playoffs.
We bring you this rather rudimentary lesson in Theory of Baseball Contention 101 because it's important to remember this in the wake of another No. 1 starter leaving the market. To win the World Series, the Rangers are once again going to need a No. 1 starter, but they can't get to the World Series without first making the playoffs and, in that manner, depth might currently be more important than an ace.
And so the Rangers watched Sunday as Zack Greinke left the market, traded from Kansas City to Milwaukee. That ended a week in which Cliff Lee, the only other true No. 1 on the market, chose Philadelphia as his long-term home over Texas. The Rangers would have liked either and, at one time, might have thought they could land both.
Going 0-for-2 in those pursuits is nothing to rejoice over, but in the end, losing out both times didn't seriously imperil the Rangers' chances of winning the AL West again.
The team that won the West in 2010 had a sturdy rotation built more on depth than anything else. As they prepare to defend that title, the Rangers must keep depth in mind. In not trading for Greinke, the Rangers held on to both Derek Holland and Michael Kirkman, both of whom could play significant roles in the rotation next year. They didn't give up either Tanner Scheppers or Martin Perez, who could be top-of-the-rotation starters in the long-term.
That said, simply standing still is not an option. The best route now: Improve depth. Take low-risk chances. The Rangers were once willing to take a $4 million gamble on Jason Jennings, who was coming back from injury. Wouldn't Brandon Webb, a former Cy Young winner, be worth a similar gamble? When the Rangers added Rich Harden and Colby Lewis last year, it was Lewis' ability to pile up innings that was the bigger acquisition. Wouldn't it make more sense to talk to Tampa Bay about James Shields, a consistent 200-innings starter coming off a down year, rather than pay a premium for Matt Garza?
In doing nothing this winter, the Rangers have protected what depth they have. Now, it's time to add to it.
