The best season in the history of the Texas Rangers ended with four losses in a span of five games. OK, so those five games came in the World Series. Still, it suggested that while things were good, they could be even better. They just might be in 2011.
2010 record: 90-72, first in American League West
Manager: Ron Washington
Key additions: 3B Adrian Beltre, C/1B Mike Napoli, C Yorvit Torrealba, RHP Dave Bush, RHP Brandon Webb.
Key losses: DH Vladimir Guerrero, IF Jorge Cantu, OF Jeff Francoeur, C Max Ramirez, LHP Cliff Lee, RHP Frank Francisco,
Outlook: The fact that the Rangers lost what many consider to be the best pitcher in baseball and still expect to surpass last year's win total says all you need to know about the situation in Arlington right now. The current club is built to win, the farm system is loaded and ownership is primed to keep the club atop the AL West for years to come.
Sure, Cliff Lee took his game to Philadelphia, but Cliff Lee-lite, C.J. Wilson, is armed to step into the No. 1 starter role and has plenty of support. Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter combined for 25 wins in 2010, and highly regarded Derek Holland should take the next step toward dominance.
Dave Bush is a quality acquisition to hold down the back end of the rotation. Brandon Webb, a former Cy Young Award winner, is hoping to be ready sometime after the season begins, which provides some depth.
Texas may have gotten a big break in a move it never made. After signing Adrian Beltre, who was the best player for the Red Sox last season, the club entered a period in which Michael Young, the former third baseman and an all-time great in franchise history, requested a trade, not content with being relegated to the designated hitter role.
That seems to have washed over, and the fact that Young is still in the fold could prove vital now that Beltre is dealing with a calf strain. It is not an injury that should keep Beltre out of the lineup on Opening Day, but the situation reinforces the luxury of having a quality DH who can play three infield positions, if needed.
With Josh Hamilton (when healthy, the best player in baseball) in left, Nelson Cruz in right, Beltre at third, Ian Kinsler at second, Young as the DH and others such as Mike Napoli and the budding Mitch Moreland at first, the Rangers will score plenty of runs. They have the potential to be very, very good defensively, too. Elvis Andrus is a multi-Gold Glove Award winner in waiting.
The bullpen, which ranked among the best in all of baseball last season, lost setup man Frank Francisco but picked up 41-year-old Arthur Rhodes, coming off a shutdown season in Cincinnati. There should be no major change among the relief corps. In fact, it could be better with closer Neftali Feliz getting another year under his belt. He won't turn 23 until May.
Essentially, there is not a major weakness. If the rotation can fill in the loss of Lee, and the Young situation can turn into a positive, the sky is the limit for Texas in 2011. Maybe those last five games can even go a bit better.
What it means to the Red Sox: There will be no shortage of experts picking the Red Sox and Rangers to meet in the American League Championship Series. Boston is 6-13 against Texas in the last two years, including 2-7 in Arlington.
