ARLINGTON, Texas — The only possible mistake Bruce Bochy made in agreeing to become the 20th full-time manager of the Texas Rangers is the length of the contract.
He accepted a three-year deal when there should have been at least a fourth, maybe a fifth.
On Monday morning, the former skipper of the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres was introduced by Rangers GM Chris Young and primary owner Ray Davis as their new manager.
RayRay has earned his share of criticism for how he has operated this club in his tenure, but luring Bochy out of semi-retirement is not one of them.
The Rangers have the manager. Now they need players, preferably pitchers.
Bochy was thought to be done with managing, but a few weeks ago Young called him to see just how retired he was. Like so many men before him, Bochy can’t quit the game.
“I know some have asked, ‘Why?’ the simple answer is I miss the game,” Bochy said during the press conference.
He left the San Francisco Giants after the 2019 season to conclude a tenure with that club that started in 2007 and included three World Series; the first was in 2010, against the Rangers.
“The dugout, the competition. Being on a team. If I’m going to jump into the fire it had to be the right fit,” he said. “It’s time to play winning baseball here. They’ve had enough of the losing. When I look at this team, at the core players, and the vision that (Young) has, I got excited.”
The Rangers haven’t really been a fire, per se. More like a steady wave pool of lava.
There has not been a manager of people, and relationships, in baseball over the last 20 years any better than Bruce Bochy. Before he took over the Giants job, he managed the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2006.
That Bochy accepted the position as manager of the Rangers is the single most encouraging sign for this club in six years; that includes the free agent signings of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, hiring Young, and the dismissal of long time GM/President of baseball operations, Jon Daniels.
Bochy didn’t have to do this. He came to the Rangers because he wants to.
“I know we have some work to do but I can tell you I am all in on this,” he said.
Bochy would never have accepted this job, especially on a three-year deal, if he didn’t think this team was in a position to win.
No manager or coach who has a winning resume comes back unless it’s with a team that they think can be competitive immediately.
They have not had a winning season since 2016, and finished 68-94 in 2022.
Hiring Bochy will not give the Rangers a winning season in 2023.
The Rangers still need pitchers, another two bats, to think they can have a winning season in 2024, and in the discussion for the playoffs.
Bochy coming to the Rangers is an encouraging sign of what is possible.
He is nearly the opposite of the last manager the Rangers hired, and the trend that countless other MLB clubs have embraced in the last decade.
Former Rangers manager Chris Woodward was 42 when he was hired in 2018. He was part of the run of former ex-players who were hired as big league managers with limited experience.
The benefit to hiring that type of manager is they’re cheap, and often easily manipulated by members of the front office to manage the actual game to their preferences.
Bochy is 67, and more of your conventional baseball manager. He also doesn’t need the money, or will be concerned about job security.
He is also not stupid; he’s not going to reject input from Young or his assistants, but he’s going to run the clubhouse, and manage the lineup and the game, to his preferences.
“I am very open minded. I want input,” he said. “I want all of the information I can get.”
The next move for the Rangers now is to improve their talent; they need more pitching. They need more production from their outfielders.
“Moneyball” methods made a few clubs competitive, but as evidenced by the World Series in the last 10 years, it’s hard to beat money. You have to spend money to win the trophy.
On Monday, Davis was asked about his club’s payroll, and he said, “I’ve made the commitment to put a competitive team on the field.”
Given the amount of money he spent on free agents last year, he sounds like he is sick of losing.
The Rangers’ payroll of $114 million ranked 13th in MLB in 2022, and, when you look at the playoff teams this season, it’s not enough. Ray is going to have to add another $50 million.
As the manager, Bruce Bochy can only do so much, but that he thinks this team can actually win is the most encouraging sign they actually will.
