The Sunday Read: Scattershooting, spitballing, thinking out loud on Rangers’ final two weeks
(AP photo/LM Otero)
The 162-game marathon has been reduced to a 14-game sprint.
The Rangers will know in two weeks, probably sooner, if they will be playing baseball in October or playing golf. But the way things are going, the Oct. 1 season finale at Seattle might determine everything.
After a huge series to start the week that rearranged the postseason picture, the Rangers have dropped two straight at Cleveland. But the remain a half-game back in the American League West after the Astros have lost consecutive games to the 101-loss Royals.
The Mariners lost their second straight, this time in 11 innings to the Dodgers. That kept the Rangers a game up on them, but Seattle fell out of the playoff picture.
Despite appearances, all three really do want to win the West.
One contender has won games, the Blue Jays. Their two wins and the Rangers’ and Mariners’ two losses have bunched up the wild-card standings. The Blue Jays are back in the third spot, a half-game behind the Rangers and a half-game ahead of the Mariners.
Got all of that? It’s extremely fluid.
Can the Rangers survive? Sure.
Will it be easy? It hasn’t been so far.
Now that’s a lot to unpack! I thought the sweep vs Jays was going to springboard them to a strong final 2 weeks. Apparently not. I can’t figure out our offense. Jung will be a positive addition, and it will (should) help the players around him in the lineup. I’m not as excited about Garcia returning as most. Carter is a keeper and just hope the league doesn’t figure him out for another 2 weeks. Finally, the Angels? The longer you know them, the less you know about them.
Boo! This is nuts. Jung came through tonight and has been good in two games with the glove. The Angels are a disaster.
That 50 MM better instead go to Montgomery, Hader, Maton, and additional reliever acquisitions (Classe or Bednar) plus a potential QA to recoup a draft pick for Mitch Garver.
I can’t see them offering Garver a qualifying offer. He’d take it in a heartbeat. $20 million is pretty steep for an injury-prone DH/backup catcher.