A new report suggests that after a recent hot streak, the Texas Rangers will be aggressive before Thursday’s trade deadline, specifically to give Bruce Bochy one last chance at a World Series win.
After struggling to hover around .500 for much of the season, the Rangers head into the MLB games today a half game out of the final Wild Card spot and just four behind the Houston Astros in the National League West. It is the result of winning eight of their last 10 and six straight before a Monday loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
It has opened the door to a lot of speculation on what they could do before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline. Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed probable that they might be sellers. However, on Tuesday, New York Post MLB insider Joel Sherman suggested they could be aggressive to improve the roster this week. Specifically, to give manager Bruce Bochy as strong a roster as possible in what will be his final season in the league.
Bruce Bochy record (Career): 2,227-2,236
“Even as they were not able to play consistently well, word was circulating the game that their head of baseball operations, Chris Young, wanted to go for it, in part because this is the final season of manager Bruce Bochy’s contract and, at 70, there is a belief this could be the last year of a Cooperstown-bound career,” Sherman wrote.
“Young wanted to make sure he honored that by trying his best to give Bochy a chance to go out well. He confirmed this in a text exchange. ‘I have great admiration and respect for Boch and want to do our best to give him a chance to win again.’”
The Texas Rangers skipper has been a part of four World Series wins and has the sixth most victories as a manager in MLB history.
To further add to the idea that this is Bochy’s final season, Sherman added that former Miami Marlins manager and current Rangers special assistant, Skip Schumaker, is “widely viewed as most likely to succeed Bochy.”