The Rangers payroll situation is... interesting. We're locked into some big contracts through the end of the decade and there's not a ton of wiggle room. Seager's deal is worth every penny when he's healthy but that's a lot of money tied up in one bat. Add in the pitching contracts and we're pushing close to luxury tax territory without a championship-caliber roster to show for it.
The front office keeps saying they want to compete but the moves don't match the words. We need bullpen help badly and there's maybe $15M to play with. That's one decent reliever and a bench bat if we're lucky.
I keep going back and forth on whether they should just blow past the tax or try to develop from within. What's the point of being a big market team if you're going to penny-pinch when it matters?
Anyone else feel like we're stuck in the middle? Not bad enough to rebuild, not good enough to win it all.
Ownership spending in bursts rather than sustained high payroll is concerning. Championships require sustained investment. One spending spree every 5 years is not enough.