And so we’ve come to the end of our thrilling 30-part series, “Three Reasons You Should Watch the [team you don’t usually care about] in 2015” ... except it didn’t really work out that way, because it seems that many of you haven’t been reading about teams unless you already cared about them.
Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. And it’s been instructive for at least one person: me. Thirty teams is a lot of teams! Thirty teams, a couple of dozen players worth knowing on every team, that works out to ... shoot, gotta be at least two or three hundred players, right? And looking for reasons for you to watch every team has given me reasons. And yet again the Selfish Gene is running the show.
Anyway, here are three reasons to watch the Rangers, who finished last last season and are generally expected to finish last this season, in 2015 anyway.
1. “Dead money walking!”
Or hitting, or fielding, or running, or whatever.
Okay, so that’s not quite fair. While it’s true that the money spent on Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo was mostly dead – that is, the money, $24 million for Fielder, $14 million for Choo, didn’t buy much real production from either rplayer – it’s also true that there’s still plenty of time for both of them to enliven some money. You know, since both Fielder and Choo are signed for another six years.
Which makes them interesting in a couple of ways.
Fielder played in only 42 games last season, and somehow managed only three home runs. But he’s not that far removed from four top-10 MVP finishes. Granted, Fielder probably won’t ever hit 50 home runs in a season again. Or 40. But is 30 really so out of the question? Remember, just a few years ago Fielder’s agent projected 600 home runs for Fielder by the time he turned 37. Considering he’s got just 288 now, he’ll have to pick up the pace pretty soon!
Meanwhile, Choo did get into 123 games, but his on-base percentage plummeted from .423 with the Reds in 2013 to just .340 with the Rangers in his first season after signing a seven-year, $130 million contract. Is Choo a good bet to bounce back? Well, he will turn 33 in July. Which was an excellent argument for not signing him for SEVEN YEARS. In the short term, though, his .282/.383/.453 career line probably does tell us more than his subpar 2014 about his future.
2. “Wait, who’s in left field?”
“No, why’s in left field.”
Sorry. Old joke. Seriously, though, you’re absolutely forgiven if you have no idea who’s playing left field for the Rangers this season. In fact, it’s not clear that the Rangers know, since they’ve got two righty-hitting rookies vying for the role.
Actually, Ryan Rua does seem to have won the job with a big spring. But Jake Smolinski had a great spring, too. And while Smolinski’s made the roster as the club’s fourth outfielder, why would someone named Jake Smolinski be satisfied with anything less than full-time duties? I’m expecting a Battle Royale (with cheese) between these two, the loser getting dispatched to ... well, probably nowhere except the bench, since the Rangers don’t really have so many replacement-level outfielders that they can actually send one back to Round Rock. Still, drama!
3. The Best Player on the Field
When the Rangers are in the field, anyway. Because Adrian Beltre will usually be at third base, continuing his surprising, yet inexorable march toward that exclusive room in Cooperstown with all the plaques.
Beltre turns 36 next week, but don’t give up on him yet; the last five seasons of his career have easily constituted the best five-season stretch of his career! Doesn’t mean he’ll have another great season, but Beltre has been enjoying perhaps the greatest mid-30s career among the game’s great third baseman.
He’s already done enough to merit election to the Hall of Fame. Still, you never know for sure what Voters of the Future will do. Even if you assume they’ll do the right thing, though, why not watch Beltre pad his credentials this season? Only a cad would wait until 2017 when he collects his 3,000th hit...
2014 record: 67-95
Playoffs: not even close
Projected 2015 record: 74-88
Key additions: SP Yovani Gallardo, P Ross Detwiler
Key subtractions: OF Alex Rios, SP Yu Darvish (injury)
