Who would we trade to get Lee? Because of the age of Michael Young, it still makes some sense for the Phillies to want Mike Olt. He would be their third base guy of the (near) future.  But I don’t know that this wouldn’t be the place to ship Elvis Andrus.  Jimmy Rollins has been oft-injured and has just turned 34 and no matter their insistence on keeping him this winter, the front office is crazy if they think there is any chance they will want to meet the Scott Boras asking price when Tiny E’s contract is up. Especially if he puts up similar or better numbers in 2013.

Bring Cliff Lee Back
(photo credit: Zimbio.com)

Based on our off-season, the window everyone spoke of being open for the Rangers for years, appears to be only slightly open this year. While the Angels signing Hamilton was a painful blow to us, it didn’t necessarily hand the AL West title to them, but yesterday’s Morales-Vargas trade with the Mariners makes them better for sure. Then there are the A’s. Nobody has any idea if those guys can play over their heads again for another 162 games. A trade for Lee signals the rest of the division that we are not going to let the window close.  Lee has two more years left on his contract (the most expensive ones) with a damning vesting option in 2016. But Lee is a pitcher and uses his brain as much as his arm which means barring some catastrophic injury, should be solid for duration of his contract.  At worst he moves from our #2 starter to our #4 over the course of his stay here. We are looking for some clubhouse stability right now and Lee can provide some of that. Not to mention how he helped our younger pitchers in his short stay here.

I know that Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan wanted to send a message in the off-season that we were far from done. The clear opportunities to do that eluded us. So why don’t we make our own opportunity. We had already set aside some cash for the off-season that doesn’t look like it’s going to be spent anyway.

There were many things we saw in August and September and while I couldn’t bring myself to say it at the time, when gathered with the lack of success in the off-season, I wonder if we are having a problem with hubris. Pride goeth before the fall you know.  Every step of the way, I have been very proud myself of the way we have done business. Going all the way back to that courtroom where the Nolan Ryan led group won the Rangers taking on some pretty impressive bidders.

Nolan Ryan brings an old school approach to business that I truly respect. It’s so rare in today’s cut throat world. The notion that a man is as good as his word is lost these days. I am sure that is exactly what happened with Josh Hamilton. We had his word that he would touch base with us one last time before he signed elsewhere. The end result was Hamilton breaking his word and signing with the Angels.  We didn’t low ball Zack Greinke, but we didn’t overwhelm him either. I think the front office is putting a dollar value on “your chance to play for the Texas Rangers”. After 2011, that was the pitch, after 2012, we’re the team that folded down the stretch.

Scott Boras client Elvis Andrus
(photo credit WDTN)

But while I am not an advocate in moving Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar, it became apparent very early on that every single team we wanted to do business with us would only take one of those players to get anything done.  The case for moving Andrus comes down to one thing. Scott Boras. Hey Nolan, Boras does not do business the way you do. Never has. So while we see Elvis coming into his own and becoming a superstar, down in the bottom right of the screen there is a money clock, running about as fast as the one we see that tracks the national debt. We could probably meet that price, but I don’t imagine we ever will because of our business model.  Profar is the keeper, Elvis is the next A-Rod. Not in makeup, but because of the massive number Boras the rat will be after.

What we have viewed from the bleachers this winter has been an extension of what we saw with every stride to the plate in September.  We got this. It’s ours. An attitude that led us right into an early exit from the post-season. All of the pundits say now is not the time to panic and I agree. But to disguise this as anything other as a step backwards in our window of opportunity is incorrect. If the guys would have taken a moment and said “we need to bear down” I am not so sure they couldn’t have righted the ship last season. To make a deal that includes Andrus for a front of the rotation starter or big production outfielder would yield the same effect.

I don’t think our whiteboard plans included a mini-youth movement in 2013. If we don’t get this done, that’s what we’ll get.

While we won’t know exactly what happened at the Winter Meetings (we know what didn’t), to see the Diamondbacks pull off a trade whose framework we laid was the height of frustration. As a fan we can’t get mad for several reasons. Reason number one and far above the others?  Would you like to be the guy to trade Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar? The rest of the league’s insistence on one of those two players made it impossible to land Justin Upton or James Shields.

Now we move on to Josh Hamilton. While some of us have reservations about having him back, there is no doubt that he makes everyone better when they are at the plate. I only hope if we do, whatever caused his head to disappear for most of the second half of the season, will not be a factor again. Yesterday I heard a report that Josh was asking one team for seven years, so it doesn’t sound like his mental problems have changed.

Can Olt net the player we need?
(photo credit: Dallas Morning News)

Here is the problem for the Rangers as a result of this chain of events. Barring someone taking Mike Olt as the main piece of a trade, we are looking at a mini-youth movement this season. That’s not to say we can’t compete, but these youngsters will have to step up in a big way.  Yes there are a couple of pieces out there that can help, but we have proven again and again (and I approve), we will not overpay for a free agent.

The term that I have used a lot is hard to stay behind but I will. Trust in Nolan and J.D.  But while they were waiting for the dominos to fall, they fell on us.