In a Unique 2020 Season, External Moves May Be at the Bottom of the Rangers' Priority List
Nolan Arenado. Kris Bryant. Nicolas Castellanos. Starling Marte.
The month of January was filled to the brim with rumors surrounding the Texas Rangers and these four players. Now looking back in hindsight, fans clamoring for additional moves seemed like such a simpler time. Now as the calendar turns from May to June in the coming days, a regular season baseball game has yet to be played in 2020.
Next week is a big week for baseball. Major League Baseball and the Players Association are going to be diving into arguably its largest hurdle that stands in the way of a baseball season being played this year.
In the event that optimism prevails, baseball is going to look very different. The season will be essentially cut in half, rosters will be expanded, and health and safety protocols could take some of the charm away from the game. The most charming aspect of baseball — the fans in attendance — will be noticeably absent for at least the start of the season until federal and state governments deem it safe enough to allow paying customers into stadiums again.
Earlier this week, we had the chance to speak with Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels about a variety of topics, including the organization's mindset on how they will construct and utilize a 50-man roster (30 active, 20 on a taxi squad). A number of players that wouldn't likely see the big leagues for all or most of 2020 could potentially land a spot as one of the 50 men the Rangers will deploy in their effort to make a push for their first postseason berth since 2016.
An additional question that could come across the minds of the Rangers faithful is how Texas could utilize external pathways to improve the roster. After all, if you attended the Peek At The Park fan event in January — an event centered around fans getting their first glance at Globe Life Field — you likely witnessed fans bombarding the Rangers general manager with questions about free agents and trade targets all while everyone sat only a stone's throw away from the brand new $1.2 billion stadium.
A new stadium is cool and all, but what about Nolan Arenado? Or Kris Bryant?
In a conference call with Jon Daniels late last month, he was up front and concise when asked if he's spoken with other teams about improving the roster throughout this unique time.
"Very little — close to none," Daniels said.
In our conversations with Daniels throughout this hiatus, the health and safety of those in the organization has been at the forefront of the discussions, especially in the early days of the shutdown. Now that MLB is gaining some traction toward a baseball season actually being played this year, more focus is shifting toward baseball operations.
The Rangers aren't alone in this situation. Every club is trying to navigate through the pandemic where the health and wellbeing of the players and club employees are paramount. Clubs have been forced to cut pay and some even furlough employees due to the loss of revenue. It's been the reality check of all reality checks that has forced baseball executives to think about things other than baseball.
Throughout the winter, Daniels was very active in pulling the trigger on both free agent signings and making trades. Daniels revamped the starting rotation and improved multiple positions in the field, giving Texas the potential for competing for a playoff spot. The Rangers were also consistently in the pool of teams in the running for larger trade targets like Arenado and Bryant.
However, the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. It could have also changed the club's overall approach in how aggressive they get with acquiring big names via trade. Daniels could be understandably hesitant to pull the trigger and trade for a player like Arenado now that the 2020 season will be essentially cut in half. To refresh your memory, Arenado can opt out of his current contract after the 2021 season.
The Rangers still have to get their ducks in a row before they can start tackling issues externally. The details of what will be a very unique season are still yet to be seen. How clubs are allowed to tinker with their taxi squads could determine how aggressive general managers get with seeking external help for their rosters. And who knows what the regulations may be for trades during a very shortened season.
There will be plenty to figure out internally before Daniels starts blowing up the phones of other general managers. Looking externally could only complicate things for the Rangers as they attempt to wade through uncharted waters.
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