There is not a lot of news coming out of Arlington at the moment. But things around baseball are starting to happen that could affect the Rangers going forward.
When I say things, I don’t just mean in the manager search. Other things happening could be huge for the Rangers going into free agency. (Do I have your attention yet?)
First of all a couple of names that I listed in my article about hiring a manager have been removed from contention. It was announced yesterday that David Bell will be named the manager for the Reds. This isn’t a huge surprise considering he has strong ties with that organization. His father and former Ranger great Buddy Bell played and coached there when he was a kid. Another name apparently out of the running is Joe Girardi. Girardi let it be known that he is taking himself out of the running for any jobs, to continue his current analyst position with the MLB channel. He has however, not ruled out ever managing again.
Where does that leave the Rangers? Nobody is certain. But my top three favorites are still in the running and that is good for me personally. My top choice is either Jayce Tingler or Joe Espada. If neither of them get the job I have high regards for the Cubs bench coach Brendan Hyde. Hyde has spent the last two years learning from one of the best managers in baseball, Joe Madden. He is also still in the running.
There are other things happening that could have HUGE implications to the 2019 Rangers roster. Every true Ranger fan should root for the Los Angels Dodgers to win the World Series. If the Dodgers were to beat the Red Sox, it might be what Clayton Kershaw needs to opt out of his contract and seek free agency. There are rumors that he wouldn’t mind coming home to the metroplex where he starred at Highland Park high school. These are only rumors, but think about it. There is no real thought that the Rangers will compete in 2019 for the west. Spending heavily in free agency isn’t really expected this offseason. But if they do write a big check, that’s the one name that would sell tickets next year. It would also give the club a true ace opening the new stadium. I for one will have my fingers crossed. GO DODGERS!!!
Oh yeah!!! I think I am going to start a podcast for Dallas Sports Nation that focuses on the Rangers. I should be doing the first episode this week. It will focus on the Ranger calendar, articles I have written and what I hope to cover this offseason. In the future we can talk about the organization from top to bottom.
I encourage you to follow @DALSportsNation, @RangerNationDAL or John Moore on twitter. I hope to have a podcast that answers twitter questions you may have about anything Texas Rangers.
Until then, I need to clean up the recliner of Cheetos. Nerd out!
Photo: Karen Warren/Chron
