Texas Rangers Boss Wants to Let Legendary Manager ‘Work His Magic’

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had an interesting history with the World Series during an incredible five-year run with the San Francisco Giants.

In 2010, he led the Giants to their first World Series win since 1954. Then, the next season, San Francisco failed to make the playoffs. Then, in 2012, the Giants returned to the World Series and won. The next year, they failed to make the playoffs.

So, in 2014, San Francisco won its third World Series under Bochy.

When he took over the Texas Rangers in 2023, the franchise had never won a World Series. Bochy guided them to their first championship.

He and the Rangers followed that up by failing to make the playoffs.

See the pattern? President of baseball operations Chris Young sure does.

“Well, if you believe in Bochy’s pattern that he’s established over the last however many years,” he said with a chuckle during an appearance on Foul Territory.

Of course, it’s not as simple as handing Bochy the keys in an odd-numbered year. After the Rangers’ rigorous run to the World Series title — which saw them qualify as a wild card team and win every road game they played — Young admitted that the wear and tear of that run took its toll on the team, which played its title-clinching game on Nov. 1.

The down year had nothing to do with Bochy or his pattern, Young said.

“I think we all realized the toll that 2023 took on us,” he said. “From fighting our way into the playoffs to clawing our way through the playoffs, into the World Series and just finishing the series really kind of banged up and hurt on a number of levels, we just didn't have the off season that we needed to have.”

The Rangers finished the season 78-84 and had several key players on injured reserve at various times, including pitcher Max Scherzer. Shortstop Corey Seager had two separate sports hernia procedures, and the starting rotation was much more banged up than in 2023.

Young has made several moves to give the team more depth and more offense, including signing Joc Pederson and Jake Burger. He has also signed several pitchers to shore up the bullpen, along with trading first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for reliever Robert Garcia.

His biggest move was luring starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi back on a three-year deal.

Young and his staff, he said, have worked to create more competition on the roster, especially at closer, which could take a committee approach, with Chris Martin potentially getting first crack at the job.

He also knows that his future Hall-of-Fame manager is in the final year of his three-year deal and there is no guarantee he’ll manage past this season. He wants to position him well for a potential fifth World Series ring.

“Boch is such a wonderful manager,” Young said. “I want to give him the best roster possible and then let him go work his magic.”