Tom Hicks has made a decision about which route to take the Texas Rangers in the future, and he chose to take them not very far from where they are now.  There were three groups interested in buying the Rangers, one was a local businessman from Houston, one an ex-sports agent who had the support of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and finally one who was in business with the current President of the team and the most famous ex-Ranger Nolan Ryan.

Needless to say,  Hicks chose the later.  The team will stay under Ryan’s stewardship with the new group, and it seems Hicks will also still be involved, though in a much smaller role.  At NYU, we are fond of saying having a minority stake in a sports team is like having the most expensive season ticket around.  You get little say, but you can show up anytime you like.  It seems Hicks likes the idea of still being able to show up.

If the groups move quickly, they might be able to get the deal in place an finalized by owners meetings in mid-January, which is the earliest that the deal could be approved by MLB.  Most likely, it won’t happen until April. Evan Grant has the details. January would give the team a sense of the budget, and perhaps make it possible to add some pieces for 2010.  An April approval might also be helpful, since adding payroll during the season might give the team a better sense of what they really need.

The Seattle Mariners improved their club greatly yesterday with the acquisition of Cliff Lee.  They are now certainly in the conversation as the best team in the West.  The Rangers had a very good year last year, the question is will they be able to again, and will they be able to fill holes now that this ownership situation is headed forward.  The team does not need a lot of pieces, but they do need a few- and they need depth in their pitching, both starting and relieving.  No doubt, the team can hit.

The nice thing is that there will be organizational consistency if this sale moves forward.  Nolan Ryan has been running the operation long enough, that little will change besides the budget.  He is a baseball man, unlike any of the other possible buyers, and so knows how to work with a GM to build a team.  There will be automatic trust there, which will make it easier to use any added payroll efficiently as soon as the group is approved.

The AL West might end up being one of the most interesting divisions to watch next year. Its an exciting time if you are in that pacific timezone.