Texas Rangers: 2018 just the beginning of a painful rebuild
By David Hill
The 2018 campaign was a painful one for the Texas Rangers. Unfortunately, it is just the beginning.
2018 was the culmination of a rapid decent from contention for the Texas Rangers. Yu Darvish had been traded during the 2017 trade deadline, and Cole Hamels was moved this past year. The iconic Adrian Beltre retired in the offseason, leaving a gaping hole in the lineup. Even though the NL West title in 2016 was two years ago, it feels so much further away.
There were holes everywhere on the roster. Hamels, Mike Minor, and Doug Fister were the only pitchers to get five or more starts and have an ERA+ of 100 or better. All told, 15 different pitchers started a game for the Rangers last season, as the rotation was decimated by trades, injuries, and general ineffectiveness.
That same lack of production extended to the lineup as well. Only three position players, regardless of how many plate appearances they had, ended up with an OPS+ of 100 or greater. Jurickson Profar finally realized his destiny as a super utility player, and performed relatively well with regular playing time. Joey Gallo and Shin-Soo Choo joined Profar as the only other players to post an above average OPS+, with Choo’s 112 mark leading the team.
Considering the lack of production in the rotation and in the lineup, the Texas Rangers have a long way to go before competing again. Let’s look back at 2018, and then look ahead to see what moves could help.