Rangers may part ways with manager Jeff Banister after another tough year
It’s been another difficult year for the Texas Rangers. At 64-88, the team sits in last place in the American League West. That performance has them thinking about parting ways with manager Jeff Banister after the season, according to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram.
The team has reportedly considered making a change, though no final decision has been made regarding Banister just yet. The Rangers’ reasoning for moving on from Banister isn’t totally related to the team’s performance the past two years. Instead, the Rangers are concerned that Banister may not be the right person to lead the team through a potentially lengthy rebuild.
One of the concerns with Banister is communication. Banister reportedly doesn’t do a great job informing position players about giving them off days or telling pitchers when they will start again, according to the Star-Telegram. Players have reportedly brought up those issues to Banister, but that hasn’t led to things changing.
Banister got off to a strong start with the Rangers in his first two seasons with the club. He won the American League Manager of the Year award after leading the Rangers to an 88-74 record in his first season at the helm. In his second year, the team went 95-67. The team was bounced from the playoffs in the American League Division Series in both seasons.
The team has struggled since then. The Rangers dropped to 78-84 in 2017, finishing third in the AL West. They’ve bottomed out in 2018, dropping to dead last in the division.
With a rebuild on tap, the Rangers need to decide whether Banister is the best choice to lead the team back to relevance. Given the volatile nature of rebuilds, the team needs to make sure it has someone it can depend on to weather that storm.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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