Texas Rangers: Stick To It? Or Go For It?

After years and a decade of wandering aimlessly from youth movement to patch-it-together-retread program to losing season, the Texas Rangers in 2007 gave general manager Jon Daniels a contract extension and a mission: Rebuild the farm system. Build a major-league winner. Three summers later the Rangers have ... arrived? With...

By Richie Whitt

June 22, 2010

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After years and a decade of wandering aimlessly from youth movement to patch-it-together-retread program to losing season, the Texas Rangers in 2007 gave general manager Jon Daniels a contract extension and a mission:

Rebuild the farm system. Build a major-league winner.

Three summers later the Rangers have ... arrived? With a minor-league system that's been among baseball's best and young players starting to play like championship veterans, Texas has an 8-game winning streak and the largest division lead in baseball.

So what now?

Since Rich Harden flamed out as the supposed ace, there are grumblings that the Rangers still need a pitching horse who can beat the Angels down the stretch or even the Yankees or Red Sox twice in a playoff series.

Seattle's Cliff Lee and Houston's Roy Oswalt are thought to have that kind of stuff and experience and toughness. But they ain't cheap.

Question: Do the Rangers give up some of their prized prospects (Justin Smoak, Tanner Scheppers, etc.) to rent a primo pitcher for this year's playoff run? Or do they continue with the plan and further cultivate baseball's best young talent?

In short, do you want the Rangers to stick to it, or go for it?

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