Rangers seek momentum, new manager to contend again in ‘23

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Rangers are greater than a decade faraway from their solely World Collection appearances, and mired within the longest stretch of consecutive shedding seasons within the franchise’s half-century in Texas.

They’re once more on the lookout for a brand new supervisor.

Lower than 9 months after a file offseason spending spree of greater than a half-billion {dollars}, the Rangers fired Chris Woodward with the first-time supervisor late in his fourth season of what had turn out to be an prolonged rebuilding course of. They’ll have a shedding file for the sixth 12 months in a row except they win not less than 29 of their final 46 video games — and to complete above .500 would wish yet another win than that.

What the Rangers actually hope to do over these closing seven weeks is to construct momentum going into 2023, which basic supervisor Chris Younger stated remains to be after they anticipate to be a playoff-caliber group once more.

“We need to proceed to create a aggressive, energetic group that takes the sphere evening in, evening out ready to win,“ Younger stated. “And I believe that we need to see enchancment in our fundamentals, simply the essential fundamentals. It’s one thing that we haven’t executed these on the stage we have to to turn out to be a championship group.”

Texas will get extra seems to be at children like speedy outfielders Leody Taveras and Bubba Thompson, and infielders Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran, and left-handed starter Cole Ragans, who’re all already within the massive leagues.

The entrance workplace will begin to consider potential managerial candidates. The following full-time supervisor would be the fourth for Texas since Jon Daniels, now president of baseball operations, grew to become the group’s basic supervisor in October 2005.

The Rangers received American League championships in 2010 and 2011 beneath Ron Washington, the primary supervisor employed by Daniels after Buck Showalter was fired on the finish of the 2006 season. Washington resigned late within the 2014 season for private causes.

Jeff Banister received AL West titles the following two seasons, however was gone lower than two years after that. The Rangers then employed Woodward, who was coming off back-to-back Nationwide League championship seasons as third base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I take numerous accountability for our efficiency over the past six years, and we haven’t been ok,” Daniels stated. “However finally, it is a group effort. … Once we had been good, it wasn’t about me. It’s at all times been a group effort. We now have a methods to go. We now have numerous good individuals right here. So far as my private accountability or state of affairs, that’s one thing we’ll tackle down the road.”

Texas Rangers basic supervisor Chris Younger listens to a query throughout a information convention after asserting the firing of supervisor Chris Woodward, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.

Daniels didn’t elaborate on what he meant concerning his state of affairs. He held the titles of group president and GM from 2013 till December 2020, when former massive league pitcher and MLB government Younger was introduced on as basic supervisor.

Younger stated the managerial search could be “a full partnership” even past him and Daniels, to incorporate possession and the complete entrance workplace.

“Actually, we will likely be on the identical web page by way of who we select to handle the group transferring ahead,” Younger stated.

The Rangers are clearly higher than they had been final season, after they misplaced 102 video games earlier than including All-Star shortstop Corey Seager ($325 million, 10 years), Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien ($175 million, seven years) and beginning pitcher Jon Grey ($56 million, 4 years).

Whereas these big-dollar signings final December didn’t instantly alter the group’s timetable for being a playoff contender, there was not less than the expectation for extra optimistic progress this season.

Woodward was fired Monday, the two-year mark for the reason that Rangers final had a successful file. They had been 10-9 one-third of the way in which by way of the 2020 season that was delayed and shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, then misplaced eight video games in a row.

Interim supervisor Tony Beasley, the third base coach since 2015 and longest-tenured member of the teaching employees, will likely be given consideration for the full-time job. Younger stated the group’s win-loss file the remainder of the season received’t essentially replicate the extent to which Beasley is a candidate.

The Rangers cut up their first two video games beneath Beasley, who had by no means earlier than managed a giant league recreation however was beforehand a minor league supervisor for eight seasons in different organizations. Washington (now third base coach for reigning World Collection champion Atlanta) and Banister (now Arizona’s bench coach) had been first-time MLB managers in Texas, identical to Woodward.

“We didn’t anticipate to go worst to first this season,” Younger stated. “Tradition builds, and Woody has had an impression on that tradition, a really optimistic impression in numerous methods. That is about transferring ahead, what the following step is and constructing that tradition. And we really feel that the time is correct.”

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