A tale of two franchises

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and it was also a mix of both. The state of professional baseball in Texas is complex. At the major league level the state is looking at two teams that deserve to finish no higher than .500. At the minor league levels a stark contrast is apparent. On the one hand the Rangers have the 2nd best system in the sport. On the other hand, the Astros have either the 29th or 30th ranked system. This is a tale of two franchises. One that is doing things the right way, and one that is doing things the wrong way.

The organizations have differing philosophies these days. It’s free agency vs. development. Which idea will be a priority?The idea of Free Agency is that it is meant to augment your core and
periphery when your pro roster has a hole that your farm and player
development system can’t fill. The Rangers have players with varying skill sets that are ready or almost ready to contribute at the major league level. The Astros do not. This is the fundamental difference between the Rangers and Astros in 2008 and moving forward.

You may be asking yourself, “What’s the point”. The point is that building through Free Agency is unsustainable. Players that hit Free Agency generally are older which means they are either at the end of their prime years, or already in the twilight of their careers. These players also don’t play for free. The financial commitment required to bring potentially useful Free Agents in tends to not be worth it.

The financial side really is the key here. The Rangers are in the 4th largest market in the US, but are able to save some money while the organization builds. The Astros keep spending money, but have a similar product. Both organizations need pitching. Where does each turn? In Free Agency either could try to make a run at CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets. What about the trade market? The Astros have virtually no trade chips. They can pick up the Randy Wolf’s of the world, and thats about it. Not so for the Rangers. The Rangers could also rely on younger guys next year and hope they continue to learn The Astros? They likely will be forced to venture into the Free Agent market since their system is so bad. Mike Hindman of the Dallas Morning News’ Texas Rangers blog points out how ridiculous the pitching free agent market is at this location . As if you needed more reason to avoid the Free Agent Market, check out his rotation of the highest paid Free Agent starters.

Short-term quick fixes or long-term growth? I know which solution I would go for. The Rangers finally hit rock bottom, and have decided to go about a rebuilding program. The Astros still suffer from the “Curse of the Killer B’s”. They always think they are close to contention and never want to admit that its time to rebuild. Sports take guts. It takes guts to tell your fans that they have to wait a few years for the finished product to arrive, but that when it comes it will be great. If the Astros ever want to get to the level they want to get to they should try to get some of the Rangers’ guts to rub off on them.

Like this post? Share it »

Last post (s) by Josh Lile

• One less gas can will be on the 2009 roster - January 1st, 2009
• Mark Teixeira, a 17 month retrospective - December 10th, 2008
• Gerald Laird is a Tiger - December 7th, 2008
• Well, we know Jon Daniels isn't sleeping on the job - November 20th, 2008
• The Rangers 2008 closer will be... - November 8th, 2008