This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry's Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No MLB team has won back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000. Like the 22 teams before them, the Texas Rangers will soon embark on their own quest to repeat after winning the first title in franchise history in 2023.
The Rangers celebrated the win, but with the Winter Meetings in full swing, the front office knows it’s time to focus on reloading the club for 2024.
“We have a job to do and we want to put ourselves in the best position to try to celebrate again next offseason,” general manager Chris Young said. “How hard is it to repeat? Well, I think history just answers that. The data suggests that it's very hard to do.”
“I don't know how to quantify that, but it's really difficult, I'll say that,” manager Bruce Bochy added. “It's hard to win one time. To repeat, yeah, it's really difficult.”
There’s still work to be done, but the Rangers have firmly gotten the ball rolling.
Here are three takeaways from Day 2 of the Winter Meetings as the Rangers begin their pursuit of back-to-back World Series titles.
Bullpen addition
The Rangers reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Kirby Yates on Tuesday, making the first move to reload the bullpen for 2024. Texas finished 24th in MLB in bullpen ERA (4.77) in the regular season, while going just 30-for-63 (47.6 percent) in save opportunities.
Yates will no doubt bring depth and quality innings to the Rangers’ bullpen after posting a 3.28 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings (61 appearances) for the Braves in 2023.
“I think you look at our season, we let some wins get away,” Bochy said. “It got a little bumpy there with the bullpen trying to get that in order. That was a challenge. We have some pieces to add, though, to complete the club here.”
The Rangers aren’t one reliever away from a fully established bullpen, but Yates is a quality veteran arm, and his signing gets things moving in the right direction with a lot of time left in the offseason.
Garver return?
As Bochy met with the media for the first time since the World Series parade, he ran through the players who the Rangers would need to replace on both sides of the ball. Catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver was the first name he mentioned.
Garver spent time on the injured list with a left knee sprain, but he finished the year with a .270/.370/.500 slash line in 87 games before delivering two of the biggest hits of the postseason -- a grand slam against Baltimore in the ALDS and an RBI single in Game 5 of the World Series that broke a 0-0 stalemate.
Garver struggled with injuries during his two years in Texas, but when healthy, he was a major contributor on the offensive end.
The Rangers can fill the DH role and the role of backup catcher behind Jonah Heim internally, but re-signing Garver could kill two birds with one stone.
“Mitch obviously played a very impactful role for us,” Young said. “It was impressive how well he played, especially for a period of time when Jonah got hurt and then through the playoffs. We've been in touch with his agent. I think there's a number of things we have to work through and consider, especially with our young guys and how we get everybody at-bats moving forward. But nonetheless, Mitch is a really, really talented player, and we're going to stay engaged.”
Other keys to winning
Bochy has four World Series titles as a manager, but for all his successes, he’s never won in back-to-back seasons. Beyond the players -- and the Rangers have a solid core -- and actual play on the field, Bochy pointed to two important elements on a journey to repeating.
“There's two important elements in this,” Bochy said. “One is to stay healthy. That's always a big part. Keep your guys healthy. With this core that we have, we certainly feel like we should get to the postseason.
“The other one is staying hungry. You've gotta want it. You can't get complacent. You have to want it. That's the second, I think, bigger element.”