Another executive has left the Rangers, as Jim Miller will move to President of the Round Rock Express. That would be another defection with upward movement to the Astros organization. Miller was a key player in building MLB credibility under the Ryan years.
On the field the Rangers are mired in another losing streak, as of today it is 6 games in a row. Pitching continues to be an issue, just as leaving runners on base is. It seems that the organization, both on and off the field is drifting without clear leadership.
There has been one bright spot in this, and that is the play of Elvis Andrus. Last night he had a very nice night at the plate, and several good fielding plays. Recently, he had an exchange with Beltre over his fake catching of the ball. For some reason, Elvis may be trying to do something to elevate his position with the team. It certainly seems he is trying to be a leader.
If one were to guess, it would seem it is time for him to step up his play and set an example. It could also be that he has been told to do so, because of the play of Odor, and the fact that Profar will be back next year could be another factor. The Rangers now have options up the middle of the infield, and he could be feeling the pressure. Whatever the case it is a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy season.
Outside of Beltre and Andrus, there are no clear leaders on the team that suits up to play. The rest is too young and inexperienced or just trying to make it in the show.
It seems clear that management has some issues, and rumors abound about Mike Maddox and other coaches that will certainly garner offers in the offseason. All of this points to some very bad signs for the entire organization. There is a clear disconnect between the players on the field and management. There is no clear direction, except to finish this season and find out what might work for next year.
Meanwhile, anyone who can, that is in the Rangers front office is leaving at the first opportunity. This begs the question as to why? I think only Bob Simpson and John Daniels can answer those questions, but at some point the entire organization could be thrown into chaos. Maybe it is already and this teams record is the result. There are still reasons to be positive about what we are seeing. Derek Holland is back, and from all indications they have decided just to let Yu Darvish rest for the remainder of the season to be ready for next year. Those two guys are what the team builds on for next year. The other positive, is that Colby Lewis seems to be improving, he may never be the pitcher he was, but he certainly could be a very nice #5 pitcher for many teams. If he can keep that ERA down just a bit, he could be that guy who eats 180 innings and wins 10 games, which is exactly what you need in the 5 spot, plus his veteran leadership. To me that means that one of those young pitchers Tepesch, Martinez, Mikolas, Robbie Ross Jr., etc., are battling for the 4 spot and depth. Nobody really thinks Harrison will return, and Perez will most likely be out until 2016, so that leaves the team with a gaping hole in the #2 rotation spot.
The concern is how to teach those guys how to hit with runners on base, and will any free agent pitcher come to Texas with the organization in a mess. That usually depends on the paycheck, but does that also mean that the team will have to go back to the bad old days or overpaying for mediocre pitching? Those years still make me cringe as the team ERA was for years the worst in all of baseball just as it threatens to be this year. That brings the circle back to the credibility factor, and from the outside looking in, it seems that credibility is leaving on a daily basis. Maybe Daniels can turn it around, but the fear from the cheap seats, is that he disregards all that old-time baseball experience, and he believes that the Billy Beane method will work in Texas. Time will tell, there is reason for hope, and there is reason for pessimism, but with spring training all things will be wonderful again!
