Where Do the Rangers Stand Amid the AL West?

The Texas Rangers are a team that is sort of in a transitional period right now. They're not quite competitive or deep enough to compete with the reigning World Series Champion, Houston Astros, but they're also not bad enough to project as one of the worst teams in the American League heading into this season. Rather, they seem to be where no team wants to be and that's stuck in the middle.

After finishing the 2015 and 2016 atop the American League West only to fall short during the American League Divisional Series to the Toronto Blue Jays both times, Texas ended up finishing last year in the middle of the pack at 3rd in the AL West. Prior to 2015, Texas was dead last in the American League West with a 67-95 record which ended up leading to the organization making a managerial change and bringing in current skipper, Jeff Banister.

Looking at the Rangers right now on paper, there's some things to like, while other things to dislike. Among the things to like is Adrian Beltre locking down things at the hot corner, Cole Hamels a top the starting rotation, and the youth that Texas has. On the other hand, one of the biggest things to dislike is that their rotation lacks impact arms, they don't have a top of depth like the Houston Astros do, and their bullpen is still very shaky.

When this offseason first started, the Rangers were adamant about adding to their starting rotation so they went out and signed free agent, right-handed starter, Doug Fister. Following that move, the Rangers made several smaller moves to build up their minor league system some reuniting the team with old faces before acquiring another starting pitcher, this time in Matt Moore, from the San Francisco Giants. Since acquiring Moore, the Rangers have also signed Bartolo Colon, second baseman, Darwin Barney, and third baseman, Trevor Plouffe. While there has certainly been activity on the Rangers transaction wire, it hasn't been the biggest or most impactful moves which could serve as a problem heading into this season.

Cole Hamels

After Cole Hamels, the Rangers lack another solid starting rotation option. Yes, they have veteran leadership in Doug Fister and Bartolo Colon, who the team signed to a minor league deal now, but both of those pitchers are almost near the end of their careers. As things currently stand, Martin Perez would be the Rangers number two starter. Perez has a cumulative career ERA of 4.43 over 676.0 IP and has dealt with a couple of injuries during his big league career. The aforementioned Doug Fister has recorded a combined 142 earned runs over 270.2 IP the last two seasons, while Matt Moore is coming off a career worst year last season posting a 5.52 ERA over 174.1 IP along with a 1.39 home runs-per-9 rate.

Beyond those four options, Texas also has Mike Minor and Matt Bush as potential starting rotation or bullpen options. Minor posted a career low 2.55 ERA last season, while Matt Bush has put together two good seasons with a cumulative 9.39 strikeout-per-9 rate along with a 1.18 WHIP. If the Rangers want to have any success this season, they will need each of these starters to have career years, which is a lot to ask. Ideally, Texas should add another top of the rotation starting pitcher to combine with Cole Hamels after losing Yu Darvish to free agency, but it doesn't seem likely that the team wants to spend that kind of money.

Shifting to the bullpen now, the Rangers finished last season with a cumulative bullpen ERA of 4.76 over 516.0 IP which put them 28th in the league. The Rangers bullpen gave up the 9th most earned runs over that span (273) and recorded the 27th fewest strikeouts (467) in the league. Last season, Texas had a miserable time trying to find someone that could get outs and lock down save opportunities during the 9th inning. The team kept auditioning closers and it doesn't look that much different heading into this season. While Texas has some other intriguing young arms slated to pitch out of the bullpen this year, they didn't do enough to address the situation this offseason.

Alex Claudio

The team has pretty much the same bullpen staff in place, with the exception of Sam Dyson, who was traded to the Giants halfway through last season. Right now, the Rangers do not have a closer set in stone, but according to their depth chart, it will likely be left-hander, Alex Claudio. Claudio recorded 11 saves in 15 save opportunities last season and has a career 2.66 ERA over 162.1 IP. Another piece that the Rangers will rely heavily on this season in the bullpen is Jake Diekman. Diekman missed much of last season recovering from colon surgery, but came back in September to put up a 2.53 ERA over 10.2 IP along with a 10.97 strikeout-per-9 rate.

From an offensive standpoint, the biggest bat in the Rangers lineup last season, from an on-base perspective, was shortstop, Elvis Andrus. Andrus had another good year last season hitting: .297/.337/.471 over 689 plate appearances and should be able to replicate that success again this season. Beyond Andrus, another key component of the Rangers offense is second baseman, Rougned Odor, who received a six-year, $49.5 million dollar extension prior to last season and is only 24 years of age. Odor had a career low .204 batting average over 651 plate appearances last year, but started in all 162 games during the season, which was a career high. If Odor remains healthy, he should be able to give the Rangers at least 25 home runs along with around 70-80 RBI.

Joey Gallo is another intriguing player, but he is more of an all or nothing type of hitter. Over 532 plate appearances last year, Gallo hit 41 home runs and 80 RBI, but recorded 196 strikeouts. In the outfield, the player that will likely have the biggest impact is 22-year old, Nomar Mazara. Mazara has power as well, but like Gallo, he's another all or nothing hitter who needs to work on his discipline at the plate and take fewer strikeouts. Mazara finished with 127 strikeouts over 616 plate appearances and ended the season hitting: .253/.323/.422.

Finally, the biggest piece to the puzzle for the Rangers is Adrian Beltre, who is entering the final year of his contract. Beltre has long been viewed as a future Hall of Fame player by many throughout the industry and plays a significant role in terms of leadership in the Rangers clubhouse. If Beltre is able to stay healthy all season, which was a bit of a problem for him last year, he should be able to go out on top and leave a lasting legacy on the Rangers franchise.

Although the Rangers have a few impact players on their roster, they are going to need a lot to go right and for their bullpen to find long-term sustainability during the season, if they want to make any noise within the AL West. From a talent standpoint, they are not on the same level as the Houston Astros and fall severely short in their rotation with impact arms. In addition, the bullpen still looks rather shaky and the offense has some promising potential if everyone stays healthy. Ultimately, the Rangers will most likely find themselves sitting on the sidelines again come October as they continue to navigate through this transition process and keep an eye on the future.