Rangers Swept in Seattle Ahead of Tough Home Stand, Trade Deadline. Where Do We Go From Here?

Just one week ago, the Texas Rangers dropped the finale in Colorado surrendering double-digit runs. However, there was no reason to panic. Despite the loss, the Rangers were still a .500 team with a 10-10 record and very much in the thick of the American League playoff race.

Now, the Rangers have all the makings of a team that could sell and sell big in the coming week.

The Rangers dropped the next seven games after the loss in Colorado. They were swept by San Diego in a home-and-home series. To add insult to injury, they became the butt end of a myriad of jokes on social media following the 3-0 pitch, unwritten rules fiasco. Then, the Rangers laid a big fat egg in Seattle, getting swept in three games over the weekend.

"Everything that could possibly go wrong (is going wrong)," said Rangers pitcher Lance Lynn before Sunday's loss. "We haven’t pitched as well as we're capable of. We haven't scored runs as well as are capable of and we haven’t played defense as well. When all three of those go wrong at the same time, you see what happens. ...We’ve got to figure out how to right the ship and not make the errors, the bad pitches and or give away at-bats. We’ve got to fight till the end and might be able to scratch one out. We have to stay positive and not let the last week define who we are."

Lynn is set to be the center of many conversations this week on a number of levels. The trade deadline is a week from Monday and Lance Lynn is among the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young award. Now, Lynn is on a reeling 10-17 team that is in a free fall out of playoff contention. The rumors of Lynn being traded began last week and they will soon heat up even more in the coming days. And they should take the biggest haul they can get for him.

To be fair, the Rangers have been dealt a bit of a bad hand. They lost Corey Kluber after an inning. Closer José Leclerc suffered the same exact injury as Kluber just days later. Robinson Chirinos and some of the other veterans have been dealing with aches and pains all season. And they lost Willie Calhoun for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury.

However, the injuries aren't the only reason for their struggles. Many were skeptical that this lineup could do any damage. Not only have they proved the skeptics right, they've been utterly abysmal. The starting rotation—the one strength of the team—has been wildly inconsistent, and at times been just as awful as the lineup.

The bullpen has been the only group to show any kind of growth as the season has progressed. Rafael Montero has been great filling in as the team's closer. Jonathan Hernández has been sensational. Several other young arms like Wes Benjamin, Taylor Hearn, and Kyle Cody are flashing some of their potential, which leads to the inevitable: sell and let the youngsters play.

The 2020 season is unlike any other baseball season. At this point, the Rangers have a large enough sample size to know the probability of making any kind of a push for a playoff spot is very unlikely. With no minor league season, this could be a great time to be opportunistic and get a good look at the younger talent, including outfield prospect Leody Taveras.

The Rangers will mull over which direction to go on their way back home from Seattle, but I'll take you back to this quote from manager Chris Woodward from Saturday: "If we can't find a way to win baseball games, then we're going to have look at what we have."

The Rangers aren't winning baseball games. They've lost eight straight. The season is nearly halfway complete. While there are a few players that are showing well, the offense isn't good. The pitching is not performing at a playoff-caliber level.

The team slogan ten years ago was "It's Time"—and it was. The team exceeded many expectations and won their first American League pennant and went to the World Series.

Ten years later, we can also say "It's Time." It's time to sell and truly figure what what you have in your organization.

I understand the Rangers' efforts to compete in 2020, even before COVID-19 derailed everything. The opening of a new ballpark seemed like a good time to spend more and take a chance at a playoff run. And maybe if 'Rona didn't jack everything up, they could have. Maybe.

But it's not happening. And now, it's time—time to close up shop and punt on the season. Get a haul for Lance Lynn. Dangle him to the Dodgers, Padres, or Braves. Get some impact talent in the organization. Talk to teams about Joey Gallo. See if there's anything worth getting.

It's painful to let go of some amazing talent, but a three-year retool hasn't panned out. This team lacks excitement and is void of impact talent. It's time to let the youth of the team play.

I took to social media over the weekend to get a feel from Rangers fans on how I felt on this situation: How many players on the current roster could you make a legitimate case to earn a spot on either the 2010 or 2011 teams?

My only two locks: Lance Lynn and Joey Gallo.

Why is this exercise important? Because the ultimate goal is to win a championship. Those 2010 and 2011 teams were the closest this franchise has had to a championship team. If anyone can definitively say that only two players are worthy of a spot on a championship team, then this version of the Texas Rangers isn't anywhere close to a championship team.

Let the youth movement begin. Nick Solak, Jose Trevino, Leody Taveras, Anderson Tejeda, Sherten Apostel, Wes Benjamin, Kyle Cody, Taylor Hearn, and more—let's see what they've got. It's time.

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