In May, when fan interest had gone into a nosedive, the Rangers issued a statement to The Dallas Morning News in which the club said another decline in attendance would not impact the long-term payroll and baseball-operations budget.

That resolve is about to be tested.

The final numbers have been posted. For the Rangers, it was a bloodbath that will put a strain on finances and raise a question as to whether a disenchanted segment of the fan base can be retrieved.

The Rangers finished 19th in the majors for tickets sold at 2,107,107, a drop of 400,653. By a very conservative estimate, each ticket sold generates about $40 in revenue. That means a decrease in revenue of at least $16 million off this season for the Rangers.

The attendance was to some extent a response to a team that had a losing record in 2017, made no major moves to improve in the offseason and had a high-water mark of 1-1 this year.

It is also more than a knee-jerk reaction. The Rangers have squandered much of the goodwill they generated with strong showings in 2010-13. That decline has been startling.

In 2012, coming off a second consecutive World Series appearance, the Rangers set a club record with 3,460,280 tickets sold. They followed that with 3,178,273 tickets sold in 2013.

The drop from 2012 to this season is 1,353,173. That is the 10th-largest decrease within a seven-season window in baseball history.

Using the $40-per-ticket estimate, that also translates to a revenue shortfall of $54 million.

The New York Mets had the biggest decline: 1,906,358. They went from an attendance of 4,042,045 in 2008, their farewell to Shea Stadium, to 2,135,687 in 2013, their fifth consecutive losing season.

The Mets serve as a cautionary tale for the Rangers. A new ballpark does not always bring back the full houses.

The Mets have not made it back to three million tickets sold since moving into high-priced Citi Field in 2009. The Mets reached the World Series in 2015.

The Rangers believe they can win back the block of ticket-buying customers who have at least temporarily turned their back on the team.

Rob Matwick, executive vice president for business operations and point man on the under-construction ballpark, said the club is encouraged that it has maintained a season-ticket-equivalent base that ranks among the top 10 in the majors. That base was about 16,000 this season.

"The core Rangers fans are very passionate about the team and support us through thick and thin,'' Matwick said. "We're very appreciative of that group of fans.''

The decline primarily came from single-game ticket sales, Matwick said. The casual fan who attends six games a year might have cut that to three games. There was some drop in group individual-game sales, which happens during losing seasons.

Television ratings also showed decreased interest in the club.

According to Forbes.com, the Rangers ranked 25th in ratings for prime-telecasts on Fox Sports Southwest at 1.82, attracting about 48,000 households per game.

The Rangers hope the final season of Globe Life Park in 2019 and the opening of Globe Life Field in 2020 spurs attendance. Everyone in the organization recognizes a better team, a winning team, is the best promotion of all.

General manager Jon Daniels said the drop in attendance will not affect how he operates in the offseason. Daniels has a payroll "range'' for next year but did not indicate what impact, if any, the attendance decline will have on it.

According to baseballprospectus.com, the Rangers went from ninth in the majors for payroll at about $165 million in 2017 to 16th at $133 million this season.

Daniels will not make any huckster-like moves designed more to attract ticket-buyers than help the club.

"Ownership wants a long-term winner,'' Daniels said. "We know and they know there aren't any real shortcuts to that. Typically, short cuts just set you back."

The Rangers were among 17 teams that reported an attendance decline from 2017. Toronto, which finished fourth in the American League East at 73-89, had the biggest decrease at 878,605. Reigning World Series champion Houston, which won the AL West at 103-59, had the largest increase at 500,878.

Twitter: @gfraley

A look at the Rangers' annual attendance for the last seven seasons: