Texas Rangers: 5 Reasons They Can Get Back to the World Series Next Year

Next year, the Rangers will attempt to defy history and win a World Series after losing two in a row.  Prior to the Rangers, nine teams have lost consecutive World Series, and only once has the team come back to win the World Series the following season (the 1923 New York Yankees).  

The Texas Rangers will face many of the challenges facing any team attempting to sustain continued success: free agency, ballooning contracts and aging talent.  The Rangers have a number of advantages, however, that will give them the opportunity to win their third consecutive American League pennant and return to the World Series.

Here, we look at five reasons why the Rangers are uniquely poised to return to the World Series in 2012 and may become the second team to come back from two consecutive losses and win a World Series. 

Few Significant Free Agents

Much has been made about team ace C.J. Wilson's free agency, and based on Wilson's recent comments, it is by no means a sure thing that Wilson will return to Texas next season.  His departure would certainly be trouble for the Rangers, as his 223.1 innings pitched, 206 strikeouts and 16-7 record would be difficult to replace.

Yet other than Wilson, the Rangers have few concerns about free agency.  Wilson is the only significant member of the team who is a free agent, and even if Wilson departs, the Rangers will return nearly the entire team that won back-to-back pennants.

The Rangers' payroll is still expected to jump significantly due to a number of players reaching arbitration status, but the fact that the Rangers won't have to pay large sums to re-sign several free agents should leave the team with enough payroll to chase a few free agents.

Youth

Not only do the Rangers not have to worry about losing many players to free agency, they also likely will not have to concern themselves with losing players to the erosion of skills that comes with age.  

Michael Young, the oldest offensive player of significance on the team, is only 34 and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.  Darren Oliver, who pitched 51 innings out of the bullpen, is the only pitcher to log serious innings who will start next season over the age of 36.  

The team is full of young players, like Elvis Andrus (23), Mitch Moreland (26), Neftali Feliz (23), Derek Holland (25) and Matt Harrison (26).  The Rangers roster is full of players either in the prime of their career or on the precipice of their prime, and there's no reason to believe the team can't be even better next season. 

Weak AL West

Unlike other sports in which it's rare for a championship team not to make the playoffs the following year, baseball teams can often struggle to return to the postseason the following year due to the limited number of teams that advance to the playoffs.

The Rangers are lucky to play in the AL West.  The AL West is the only division in baseball with four teams, meaning the Rangers have one less team to top in order to make the playoffs.  The AL West has also grown weak in recent seasons.  Though the Angels showed improvement in 2011 over their 2010 squad, their last two seasons reflected their worst records since 2003.  The Athletics have finished below .500 in four of the past five seasons, and the Mariners haven't played so poorly since they first entered the league.

Unless the Angels can sign a big free agent or two, Moneyball finds a lode of hidden gems in the Athletics system, or the Mariners push "reset" on their roster, the Rangers are likely to find little preventing them from winning the AL West and returning to the postseason in 2012.

Strong Farm System

Baseball executives tend to think of the players in their minor league system representing the distant future, but they can be a critical component to short-term success as well.  Late in a season, as players fall to injury and slumps, teams rely on minor leaguers to fill in the gaps.  Minor leaguers can also serve as trade bait to bring in players to bolster the roster.  A strong minor league system can be the difference between a team that falls apart in the final stretch and a team that plays well when it matters most.

The Rangers have a talented, deep farm system that offers a wide array of young talents.  The top four affiliates in the Rangers' minor league system, as well as its rookie ball Arizona league team, qualified for the playoffs for the third straight year.  

Jurickson Profar is perhaps the most talented player in the Rangers' farm system, a young shortstop with a good amount of pop in his bat and an excellent eye at the plate.  

Martin Perez and Robbie Ross are both promising young pitchers.  Perez struggled last year in AAA, posting a 4-4 record with a 6.43 ERA, while Ross went 9-4 with a 2.26 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 123 innings.  

Should the Rangers find themselves the victims of injuries down the stretch, or need to plug holes in their roster, they are well stocked to make the necessary moves to propel them into the playoffs.

Flush with Cash

Despite playing in the fourth-largest market in the country, the Rangers' payroll in 2011 was only the 13th highest in the league, totaling under $100 million.  This could change, as the Rangers find themselves in line to receive a mother lode of cash.

Last year, the Rangers signed a 20-year, $1.6 billion television deal with Fox Sports Southwest.  This deal, which puts them in the same league as the Yankees and Red Sox, allows the Rangers a great deal of room to grow their payroll.  If the Rangers moved even halfway between their current payroll and Boston's payroll, they would find $30 million of additional money to spend on talent.

The contract does not begin until after the 2014 season, but the Rangers received a significant bonus upon signing the contract and might be willing to commit to spending some of the money before cashing the check.

What might the Rangers do with this newfound cash?  One possibility is ensuring the return of C.J. Wilson.  The team showed discipline in not overspending on Cliff Lee during the last round of free agency, and the team could face a similar decision in choosing whether to bring back Wilson.  

The Rangers instead might choose to put their faith in their young pitching staff and pursue a big bat for their lineup, mirroring their decision to sign Adrian Beltre after the 2010 season.  Many Texas fans are salivating at the thought of adding the big bat of Prince Fielder to their lineup, but the team might also consider a run at David Ortiz, Jose Reyes or other big name options.  

Of course, the team could make a run at the biggest prize of all, Albert Pujols, but it would have to tie up a significant portion of its upcoming television contract.