Tear it down and rebuild? Why that shouldn't be an option for the Rangers

Kevin Sherrington, sports columnist for and The Dallas Morning News, answered questions about the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks and local college sports during a live chat recently. Here are some highlights.

Question: Should the Rangers tear it down and rebuild?

Sherrington: No, that's not the way to go. In my column that just posted, I criticize Jon Daniels for not trying to find a pitcher for the top half of the rotation, but that's not because I think they need it to compete this year. I don't think they can compete with the Astros or Angels or maybe even the Mariners and A's. That's not the point. The point is that they'll need someone to front the rotation for the next four or five years, and where is he coming from? Not the farm system. This will be a bridge season, maybe two, before they can be competitive again, but even then it's going to be difficult to fill out a rotation. Doesn't mean they should tank, though. Houston went through years of misery, and even if you do that, it doesn't mean you end up with a bunch of All-Stars like the Astros did. Baseball isn't the NBA. It takes more than one or two stars to make you a contender.

Question: Has this offseason been a failure for the Rangers?

Sherrington: As previously noted, it's not impressive. They've made several complementary moves, but nothing to fix the rotation, or at least make you think it's competitive. Maybe Jon Daniels will change course in that dinner with Yu Darvish. When he picks up the check, he could say, "There's more where this came from," then wink.

Question: Is a Yu Darvish reunion possible? Should the Rangers seriously consider it?

Sherrington: Absolutely they should consider it. Look, he's frustrated fans because he's not Kershaw or Kluber. I get it. Critics hate it when we call him an ace. But that's just semantics. He's the best pitcher the Rangers have since he came to America, and he'd be their best pitcher the next four or five years. For all the fans who say good riddance, what do you think of the Cubs' and Astros' interest? Best teams in ball, and they want him. And how would it make you feel to see Darvish in an Astros uniform? Besides, he's pitched in Texas, he lives here and he likes it here. Cliff Lee was better, but his wife hated it, and that's why they left. Hard to find pitchers who enjoy the Texas heat.

Question: Best-case scenario for new Rangers pitcher Matt Moore?

Sherrington: As I wrote in a column just posted, the best the Rangers can probably hope is that Moore has a season pretty much like Andrew Cashner's. That would be a great improvement over last year, when he was, by any measure, the worst starter in the majors. But is that enough to make the Rangers competitive in the West? No. They need someone else to complement Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation. Right now, they've got a 2, 4 and about four 5s.

Click here to view the full chat transcript.



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