Texas Rangers: Playing the "what if" game with the 2021 season

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AMARILLO, TEXAS – JULY 23: Infielder Josh Jung #18 of the Frisco RoughRiders stands on deck during the game against the Amarillo Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

You know what they say about hindsight, right? It’s 20/20. So why not leverage this incredible ability we have and apply it to the 2021 Texas Rangers?

We can always ask ourselves “what if” when it comes to so many scenarios that could’ve been for the Texas Rangers this season. We’re not saying that if every one of these played out another way, the season would be dramatically different. 2021 was always going to be a tough year for this team due to, well… undergoing a full-scale rebuild.

It’s fair to wonder, though, what other narratives might we have been talking about with this team if things differently than they did. Let’s look at a few examples.

Texas Rangers “What If” 1: What if Josh Jung had stayed healthy?

Would he be a big leaguer by now? It’s a real possibility.

Jung, the organization’s second-ranked prospect, was slated for a 2021 MLB debut. Unfortunately, that’s not how things have worked out.

The 23-year-old suffered a foot injury in the spring that sidelined him for a good portion of the season, limiting him to a couple months of game action. That included a ramp up at AA Frisco before settling in at AAA Round Rock.

Now, even if Jung had stayed healthy in spring, he wouldn’t have won a big league job outright. He still would’ve started the year in the minors, but a mid-season or at minimum, second half promotion would not have been out of the question.

The 2019 first round selection has a 1.000 OPS at Round Rock, so he’s clearly ready for the big leagues. But the Rangers want to take it slow, and rightly so, with their prized prospects.

It’s fun to wonder what a healthy Josh Jung would’ve done with his first big league opportunity, though. Guess we’ll just have to find out in 2022!

(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers “What if” 2: What if Ronald Guzman didn’t injure his knee?

This one is two-fold.

First, Guzman was having an incredible spring, pushing Nathaniel Lowe to the brink of competition at the first base position. It was a valiant effort coming off a Dominican Winter League MVP.

So losing Guzy to a brutal knee injury in April against the Rays in Tampa was a massive blow from that standpoint. It sucked to see him go down in the fashion he did, and especially after the work he had put in to make the team.

But the 26-year-old’s injury had a silver lining: the emergence of Adolis Garcia as a rookie sensation.

Garcia, known as “El Bombi”, was a lightning rod in May, winning AL Rookie of the Month. He made the All-Star team this past July and is on pace to become the most prolific first-year player in Texas Rangers history. Talk about making the most of an opportunity.

Granted, this chance had to come at the expense of Ronald Guzman‘s injury, and we hate to see that. But perhaps we never would’ve known the legend of “El Bombi” had Guzy stayed healthy.

Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers “What if” 3: What if Joey Gallo wasn’t traded to the Yankees?

Of course we’re thinking about this.

In reality, we know the Rangers did in fact trade Joey Gallo to the Yankees for four prospects, all of whom greatly improved the farm system and are setting a nice foundation for Texas to build on.

One of the prospects, Glenn Otto, is already making an impact at the big league level. Overall, while the trade stung initially, I believe the package was solid and the Rangers got good value. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the future betterment of the team.

It also doesn’t help that the Rangers and Gallo were pretty far apart on a contract extension, with Gallo believing he was worthy of a huge payday, while the team saw him more as a Nick Castellanos-type.

Ultimately, if an extension wasn’t in the cards, it was right to trade him. And he can return to Arlington as a free agent in 2023.

Next. Texas Rangers 3-point checklist to conclude the season. dark

Maybe the Rangers didn’t have to trade Gallo to the Yankees per se, but keeping him wouldn’t have added much value to an already lost season. Better to get the prospects. You’ll thank Texas later.

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Texas Rangers: Playing the “what if” game with the 2021 season

Texas Rangers “What If” 1: What if Josh Jung had stayed healthy?

Texas Rangers “What if” 2: What if Ronald Guzman didn’t injure his knee?

Texas Rangers “What if” 3: What if Joey Gallo wasn’t traded to the Yankees?

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