Did the Texas Rangers Buy a World Series?

On December 1, 2021, the Texas Rangers spent half a billion dollars on two players. Two years later they were world champions. This series of events prompts the inquiry: Did the Rangers buy a World Series?

Well, what does it mean to “buy” a World Series? Every team pays all of their players whether they finish as world champions or as the first team eliminated from playoff contention. This article will analyze the contributions of the ten most influential players (based on Wins Above Replacement) on a roster to answer that question in a sensible way.

While the definition of “buying” a championship is foggy, within this article I will go with a rule of thumb: If a player was acquired at the MLB level within the last three years, they were a piece that was “bought.” If they came up through the minors, they are a part of the team’s farm system. Finally, if a player has been on the team for the previous three seasons, no matter how they entered the organization, we can classify them as pre-existing. To categorize a team as a whole, we take whichever category—Bought, Farm, or Existing—the majority of the top ten contributors to the team’s success (based on WAR) fall under and apply that label. To fully understand the financial process that led to the creation of the 2023 championship team, we will break the Rangers’ recent history in eras, weighing the positives and negatives of each period.

 

THE A-ROD YEARS (2001-03)

For most of the twenty-first century, the Rangers had fewer wins the more they spent, when compared to league average spending (LAS). This is mostly due to the A-Rod Years, where the team spent the highest for the franchise in all of the 2000s, at over 130% LAS each of those three years. During this time the team went through three managers in as many seasons. Despite having one of the best batters in the league (top five in league WAR each year), they never had more than 73 wins in a season. These teams lacked consistent pitching, with none having more than two pitchers with a WAR above 2.0.1 These Rangers teams each finished in the top ten in runs scored, but bottom four in runs allowed in the league each year.

• Notable Bought Players: Alex Rodriguez, Frank Catalanotto
• Notable Farm Players: Hank Blalock, Michael Young
• Notable Existing Players: Ivan Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro

POST A-ROD ERA (2004-06)

In spring 2004, the team traded Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. That season the team jumped up to 89 wins, while reducing payroll by nearly $50 million from the year prior.2 The lowered payroll was partly due to having a young, arbitration eligible infield, all four of whom would be All-Stars by 2005: Hank Blalock 3B, Michael Young SS, Soriano 2B, and Mark Teixeira 1B. However, the biggest factor to this single-season turnaround was the pitching. The Rangers stayed at the same level of runs scored, but lowered their runs allowed. They still did not make the playoffs, because both the Angels and Athletics won more than 90 games. The following two seasons were both let-downs compared to the 2004 campaign, with the pitching to blame in 2005, and the batting to blame in 2006.

• Notable Bought Players: Alfonso Soriano, Gary Matthews
• Notable Farm Players: Mark Teixeira, Chris Young
• Notable Existing Players: Michael Young, Kenny Rogers

RON WASHINGTON HIRING (2007-09)

The Rangers decided they needed new management, which led to the hiring of Ron Washington. With a young, talented team, they felt they were poised for a big breakthrough in the next few seasons. After finishing in the bottom three in farm systems in 2007,3 the Rangers flipped the script and climbed into the top five farm systems 2008 through 2010. The acquisitions of young outfielders David Murphy, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz, along with farm players Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus, created one of the best young cores the Rangers have had. The 2008 and 2009 seasons both improved on the previous year, getting them 79 and 87 wins respectively. The 2009 season would be the first time since 2004 they finished with a winning record. The team did not make the playoffs, but they were heading in the right direction. During this span the team spent in the bottom third of the league, staying between $65 and $70 million in payroll for each of these three years.

• Notable Bought Players: Marlon Byrd, Josh Hamilton
• Notable Farm Players: Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus
• Notable Existing Players: Michael Young, Scott Feldman

WORLD SERIES RUNS (2010-11)

In 2010, after having the fifth-most runs scored and 11th in fewest runs allowed—the Rangers reached the World Series for the first time in club history. The improvement mostly came from players on the roster reaching new heights. CJ Wilson finished second in WAR for the team, with six pitchers in the top ten. Of these top ten players, six were existing on the Rangers, two were farm players, and only two were bought— and bought as bargains. One was Colby Lewis, a player who had been with the Rangers for several years in the past, but had injuries and spent time overseas, and the other was Darren O’Day, a player the Rangers got off waivers a year before. The team had the fifth-lowest payroll in MLB due to the majority of their players being so young.

Going into the 2011 season, the Rangers signed two players who immediately made an impact: Catcher Mike Napoli and future Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltre were signed for a combined $19 million. They were the only players that were bought and made the top ten that year. The team also relied heavily on their pitching, with the entire starting rotation finishing in the top 11 players. The team again made it to the World Series and again fell short, finishing with the third most runs scored and 13th fewest runs allowed. With the new signings and the young stars starting to grow older, the team ended up paying roughly $30 million more this season than the year before. This ended up making the overall payroll roughly $90 million, the highest since A-Rod’s last year (2003) and the first time since then that the team spent over $70 million in a single year.

• Notable Bought Players: Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli
• Notable Farm Players: Alexi Ogando, Neftali Feliz
• Notable Existing Players: CJ Wilson, Josh Hamilton

DISAPPOINTMENTS (2012-14)

After back-to-back World Series trips, the 2012 season gave hope the team could go one step further and nail down a championship. The farm system made the top five and they won the bid for Japanese star Yu Darvish, putting the payroll at $120 million (seventh in MLB). But the team ended up losing in the wildcard round, and faced a tough offseason financially.

That winter the team traded Michael Young and did not re-sign Josh Hamilton. After finishing first in runs scored but 18th in runs allowed in 2012, they improved pitching to get tenth in runs allowed, but fell to eighth in runs scored in 2013. This team ended up spending $125 million (ninth in MLB) and missing the playoffs. Because of the poor performance and high payroll, the Rangers traded Ian Kinsler and decided to let Nelson Cruz leave as well.

The 2014 season ended with the team finishing last in the division with only 67 wins and manager Ron Washington resigning with 22 games left. The team spent over $130 million (tenth in MLB) and had their worst record in 29 years. This season was the biggest disappointment, and it fully closed the window that the team had opened only five years prior.

• Notable Bought Players: Yu Darvish, Adrian Beltre
• Notable Farm Players: Leonys Martin, Robinson Chirinos
• Notable Existing Players: Elvis Andrus, Craig Gentry

BANNISTER ERA (2015-18)

The next two years bounced back nicely in the win columns, while the Rangers continued to spend more each year. New manager Jeff Bannister was able to take his team to 88 and 95 wins while payroll stood at $140 and $150 million in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Both of these teams made the playoffs, losing in the divisional round both times. These teams, like many previous Rangers teams, had top-tier run-producing teams, but were bottom tier when it came to giving up runs.

The 2017 and 2018 years failed to hit the previous mark with only 78 and 67 wins, while spending $165 and $133 million each. These teams both missed the playoffs, finishing third and fifth in the division. During this time several players finished their time with the Rangers, including Adrian Beltre, who retired after the 2018 season, and Yu Darvish, who was traded to the Dodgers in 2017. These years also saw the farm system fall from hovering around the top ten to bottom ten in the league.

• Notable Bought Players: Cole Hamels, Shin-Soo Choo
• Notable Farm Players: Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor
• Notable Existing Players: Yu Darvish, Adrian Beltre

WOODWARD ERA (2019-22)

After frustrating seasons of overspending and not producing, the team moved on to new manager Chris Woodward in 2019. The team lowered their total budget, and did nothing to improve their farm system, which also stayed in the bottom-third of the league. Despite glimpses of above-average play, these teams could not reach a winning record. The 2021 season ended with 60 wins, the lowest in a full length season since 1973.

After three abysmal years, the team decided to spend in free agency, and in a single night signed two players to huge long-term contracts: 2021 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger second baseman Marcus Semien to a seven-year, $175 million deal, and two-time Silver Slugger Corey Seager to a ten-year $325 million deal. These signings, as well as a farm system in the top ten for the first time since 2016, helped kickstart the upward trajectory for this franchise. Despite both of the big free agents performing at the level the team was hoping for in their first year, the team performed poorly overall, as 2022 finished with only 68 wins, despite a $140 million payroll.

• Notable Bought Players: Mike Minor, Lance Lynn
• Notable Farm Players: Adolis Garcia, Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• Notable Existing Players: Joey Gallo, Jose Leclerc

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS (2023)

The Rangers started the push for a title by hiring Bruce Bochy to be their manager in October 2022. Looking to improve from 12th in runs scored and 23rd in runs allowed, the team spent more—120% of LAS—to add a few key players. With a farm system now in the top half of the league, and these new additions, the team took a huge leap forward. This team went on to finish with the 13th fewest runs allowed, the highest ranking since 2013, and the third most runs scored. Semien and Seager ended up combining for 14.9 WAR. The Rangers made their third World Series, and won their first title in franchise history.

Looking at the top ten contributors to the team’s success in 2023, only one was from their farm, with two already existing. The other seven in the top ten were Bought. Of these players, only one joined in 2023, while three were on the team for the first time in 2022, including both Semien and Seager, and three more joined the team for the 2021 season. Compared to the previous trips in 2010 and 2011 (two Farm, six Existing, and two Bought players), this is almost the opposite makeup for a team.

• Notable Bought Players: Marcus Semien, Corey Seager
• Notable Farm Players: Josh Jung, Evan Carter
• Notable Existing Players: Adolis Garcia, Leody Taveras

 

CONCLUSION

When asking the question “Did the Rangers buy a World Series?” the answer must be Yes. With the biggest contributions coming from players that were mostly brought in through trades and free agency less than three full years before the team won it all, this Championship was bought, not grown.

Examining how the Rangers constructed their three World Series rosters shows how teams should prioritize player acquisition based on spending. A team can spend less by building through their farm system and acquiring players early in their career. However, if a team can afford to go all out and spend, adding multiple high-level players with proven talent can get results. The Rangers going through different philosophies over the last 25 years proves that there is not one singular way to win, but the team must be well rounded and firing on all cylinders no matter whether the players were bought or not.

JOSH WEST has loved baseball since he was born. He is currently attending the University of North Texas, pursuing his bachelors degree and certifications in both Data Analytics and Actuarial Science. After graduation, he plans on working within the world of sports data, trying to find ways to innovate teams from a statistical standpoint. This is his first time writing for SABR.

 

Notes

1. “Texas Rangers Team History & Encyclopedia.” Baseball Reference. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TEX/.

2. “Cot’s Baseball Contracts.” Cots Baseball Contracts. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-west/texas-rangers/.

3. J.J. Cooper “MLB Farm System Rankings for Every Team in the 21st Century.” Baseball America, March 5, 2024. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-farm-system-rankings-for-every-team-in-the-21st-century/.