Major League Baseball (MLB) has gained a reputation for its slow and methodical team rebuilding efforts.
MLB has been known for its slow, methodical team rebuilding efforts.
But the Rangers had no use for such patience — jumping from 20th in MLB payroll in 2021 at $95.8 million to fourth this year at $251.3 million.@AEricFisher’s feature » https://t.co/QMIzCJnSuK pic.twitter.com/OecLR9vZCm
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 28, 2023
Many teams undertake multi-year plans to rebuild their rosters, similar to the paths taken by the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs, who both eventually won World Series titles.
The Baltimore Orioles are currently embarking on their own rebuilding journey. However, the Texas Rangers decided to take a different approach, opting for a quicker rebuild.
Unlike other teams, the Rangers had no intention of being patient and waiting for a slow rebuild. Instead, they were determined to jumpstart the process and shorten the timeline.
In November 2021, the team made a bold move by committing over half a billion dollars to sign four notable free agents within just 24 hours.
The key infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien were among the new acquisitions. This hefty financial investment from the team"s ownership was led by managing partner and majority owner Ray Davis.
"It always had to be a combination [of player development and free agency], but management looked to make a big statement and then backed it up with resources," Matwick said.
As a result of these player contracts and others, the Rangers" payroll skyrocketed from $95.8 million, ranking 20th in MLB in 2021, to $251.3 million, placing them fourth this year.
Unfortunately, the immediate reward for this financial commitment was not evident. The Rangers experienced a disappointing 94-loss season last year, leading to the firing of president of baseball operations Jon Daniels after a 20-year tenure with the club.
"Bottom line is we’re not good, and we haven’t been good for six years," the characteristically blunt Davis said then. "To be competitive going forward, I felt that we need to make a change."
This decision was followed by the dismissal of field manager Chris Woodward just two days later. The organization went through a significant overhaul in its leadership.
Chris Young, the team"s former general manager under Daniels, now leads the Rangers" baseball operations. He is joined by Bruce Bochy, a three-time World Series-winning manager.
Bochy was enticed out of retirement and signed an undisclosed three-year contract, making him one of the highest-paid managers in MLB.
Despite these changes, the Rangers faced additional obstacles. They signed star pitcher Jacob deGrom to a lucrative five-year, $185 million deal last offseason, only to see him limited to six starts this year due to injuries.
However, this setback did not deter Davis, Young, and the Rangers from their aggressive spending approach.
They made additional acquisitions, such as pitchers Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery, in deadline deals this summer.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Rangers" payroll already stands at $184 million. They still have several costly decisions to make for the following year.
The organization remains committed to its goal of rebuilding quickly and putting a competitive team on the field.
