The Texas Rangers are an interesting team. On paper, they seem like the perfect balance of young talent and established veterans, and have enough all-around skills as a team to contend for a playoff spot at an absolute minimum. That was not last year's case as the Rangers went 78-84 and finished third in the AL West, but the team cannot be written off as one in rebuild mode just yet and still has a shot at making the playoffs in 2018.
This is because last year's performance can be attributed to multiple factors. On top of key players underachieving, Texas also dealt with a multitude of injuries and had major bullpen woes. The Houston Astros practically running away with the division from Opening Day didn't help matters either.
Team management hopes this season will be different. The Rangers made small yet significant moves this offseason and while there may not be clear reasons for excitement headed into the new season, don't be surprised if Texas becomes a surprise team.
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