There was little in Chris Young’s words that would tell any Texas Rangers fan that the team would be aggressive this offseason.

Young wants a team that is younger, faster, more athletic and more versatile. That is not in abundant supply right now. Three years of mediocrity is clearly getting to him after winning a World Series title. A taste of that kind of success will do that to someone.

But aggressiveness can take many forms. In baseball, spending usually means aggressive. That means spending money in free agency. The Rangers are unlikely to do that. But it doesn’t mean the Rangers can’t be aggressive this offseason. It just means it must take a different form.

But this isn’t about the how. This is about the case. Should the Rangers be aggressive this offseason? If they are, this is the reason why.

Why Rangers Should be Aggressive

In three seasons the Rangers have never won fewer than 78 games. So, this isn’t a bad team — just mediocre. That means that it doesn’t take much to get the Rangers back into a position to make the playoffs. So in honor of three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, here are three reasons to be aggressive.

First, the AL West is there for the taking. The Houston Astros finished .500 and won the division. The dynasty appears to be on life support. Houston’s rotation looks like it’s in disarray. The best pieces of that team — like the Rangers — are older, aside from Yordan Alvarez. Jeremy Pena is likely to leave in free agency when he comes up. Same with Isaac Paredes.

Who’s gonna fill those shoes? Maybe the Seattle Mariners, who were a massive disappointment. The Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels look miles away from contending. Some aggressive moves this offseason would position the Rangers to take control.

Second, it’s the right time to trade MLB assets. Young said in his end-of-season press conference that the franchise resisted trading MLB players because it was in win-now mode. While he wants to win, it’s time to shed the players that won’t fit into the new style.

For instance, Ezequiel Duran and Josh Jung showed great improvement. So keep them. Wyatt Langford battled injuries all season. Evan Carter fell far short of progress. Jake Burger’s power returned but he had a career-high in strikeouts and had a low on-base percentage.

This does not mean the Rangers should trade all these players. But if Young wants to remake the team this is the right time to be aggressive and make moves to accomplish that — even if it costs MLB talent.

Third, a new collective bargaining agreement is likely to yield roster adjustments. Young doesn’t know where those discussions will land but he at least has the ear of team owner Ray Davis, so he knows where they could land. He can use that intel to his advantage and move the pieces he needs to better fit the financial system to come — whatever that may be.

Making the aggressive moves to get younger and more athletic now helps in 2027 when the trade deadlines comes and he can target what he truly needs, with the hope that the needs are not as widespread as they have been the last three deadlines.

So that’s the case. The division is in flux. The team needs youth and athleticism and a roster makeover at the MLB level. It sets up the future. Will Young go that way? Well, that’s the rub. And that’s the question he’ll have to answer.