Rangers at pivotal crossroads, AL West roundup

There were no games on the AL West schedule yesterday, but two clubs still managed to make news as they look to reset after disappointing seasons.

Texas Rangers: offseason at a crossroads

The Texas Rangers, who wrapped up the year at 80-82, are staring at a pivotal offseason. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the club should be at a crossroads after failing to take advantage of what was described as a historically weak division. Texas ended up just two wins short of a playoff spot in a race where no team truly pulled away in the standings.

MLB Trade Rumors also notes that the Rangers have now missed the postseason for a third consecutive year and have been a league-average team overall since their 2023 World Series. In a context where the Houston Astros (81-81), Seattle Mariners (76-86) and other division rivals did not dominate, that inability to capitalize only heightens the pressure on the front office’s upcoming decisions.

Sacramento Athletics: new baseball operations boss

The Sacramento Athletics, who finished last in the division at 64-98, have started their reset at the very top. The team announced that Taylor Smith is taking over as president of baseball operations, per MLB Trade Rumors.

Smith most recently served as an assistant general manager with the Boston Red Sox. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the A’s conducted a wide-ranging search before settling on him as the replacement for their longtime general manager. After a 98-loss campaign, installing a new head of baseball operations is a clear first step toward a new cycle for the organization.

Quiet elsewhere in the AL West

There were no notable developments reported from the Houston Astros (81-81), Seattle Mariners (76-86) or Los Angeles Angels (62-100), as those clubs also begin their own reviews of a season that ended without a playoff berth and without any AL West team topping 81 wins.