Texas Rangers talk about change, then hire new manager hours later

The Texas Rangers have not make the playoffs since winning the 2023 World Series, and team president of baseball operations Chris Young acknowledged Friday that the team as a whole had failed and needed to change.

A few hours later, change came when the team announced the promotion of senior adviser Skip Schumaker to manager, replacing Bruce Bochy, who parted ways with the Rangers on Monday.

Schumaker agreed to a four-year contract, the team said.

“We are thrilled to announce this promotion and have Skip leading this club in the dugout,” Young said in a statement late Friday. “Over his past year as a senior advisor to our baseball operations group, Skip has proven to be driven, passionate and thorough in everything he does. He has a winning spirit and energy, and we are fortunate that someone so highly regarded in the industry has agreed to become our manager.”

Schumaker, 45, is the 21st manager in team history. He previously managed the Miami Marlins for two seasons and was named NL Manager of the Year in 2023.

New Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year with the Miami Marlins.

Schumaker played 11 seasons in the majors as an outfielder and second baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. For his career, he hit .278 with 28 home runs and 284 RBIs.

“I am honored and excited for this opportunity to manage the Rangers,” Schumaker said in a statement. “While I attained a good understanding of the organization through my front office role this past season, the conversations with Chris Young, [general manager] Ross Fenstermaker, and others this week have only intensified my interest in this opportunity. I can’t wait to begin the work for 2026.”

Chris Young talks about missing playoffs

At his news conference earlier Friday, Young likened the process of change to baking a cake.

“When you don’t meet expectations, collectively, we all have to change,” he said. “We have to evolve as a front office; the staff, the manager, the staff, has to change. The players have to change. And ultimately, I view this as, it’s a recipe. We’re baking a cake. … Each ingredient matters, and if you have too much of one and not enough of the other, or vice versa, you know, the cake doesn’t taste as well as it should, and the results aren’t what they should be.”

Texas finished 81-81, six games out of the final AL wild-card playoff spot, and missed the playoffs for the second straight season after their World Series victory.

Young explained what he saw as the two main reasons for the failure to make the playoffs.

“The injuries are a part of the game, we understand that. The offensive underperformance is something that we have to correct moving forward,” he said. “It’s really two years in a row where we haven’t performed expectations offensively.”

The Rangers ranked in the bottom half of the league in runs, batting average and on-base percentage in each of the past two seasons after having one of the majors’ best offenses during the 2023 championship season.

Despite missing the playoffs, Young still wanted to focus on some of the positives from the season, including a pitching staff that led the majors in ERA (3.47).

He said the Rangers’ future is bright.

“We believe that we have a core group of players in place that we can build around that will continue to win,” Young said. “The health of the organization is strong. I really feel good about where we are, and I’m very optimistic that we’re going to get back to winning baseball next year. And at this point, hopefully we’re playing playoff games instead of having end-of-the-season press conferences.”

Fenstermaker explained Schumaker’s adviser role with the team hours before his promotion.

“He lives on the West Coast, but he’d come in quite frequently and attend games with us, and he’d also visit some of our affiliates in the minor leagues, and interact with different players and staff there,” Fenstermaker said. “So just having him around, and, you know, he’d spend time with us and many different folks in the front office, you know, add his perspective, his wisdom. He was around and available a lot.”

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young, shown in 2023, said the team has “a core group of players in place that we can build around.”

Young explained what he was looking for in his next manager.

“With a younger team, we’re probably going to need a voice that’s full of energy, that’s hands-on, that’s really working and coaching during the day, out on the field, and establishing relationships throughout the team,” he said. “The internal management, being able to communicate with front office, with his coaches, and setting a clear expectation, standards, and again, I just think that with the youth of next year’s team, it’s going to be really important.”

Thanks to Bruce Bochy

Young thanked Bochy for everything he gave to the franchise.

“He came here to win a World Series, and he accomplished that year one, and he will forever be a legend in Texas Rangers history, and really, really grateful for all he’s given and meant to this organization to our fan base,” Young said. “It’s been a joy for me to work with him, and we are hopeful he’ll remain in the organization. However, I’m guessing he’s going to have good options.”

Despite the lack of playoff success since winning the World Series, Young was clear when asked what type of organization the Rangers are.

“We’re measured by the results of the major league team, but throughout the entire organization, the culture, the coaches, the staff members, strength conditioning, medical scouting departments, international, I just am very proud of where we are and how we’re functioning,” Young said. “Do we need to improve in areas? No doubt about it. But every organization can say the same. And so while we’re not winning a championship this year, I 100% believe we are a championship organization.”

Texas Rangers talk about change, then hire new manager hours later

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