Texas Rangers: Should Elvis Andrus Be Trade Bait This Off-Season?

The off-season is closer than many think, and the Rangers should strongly consider what assets they have available this winter. Should the team trade veteran Elvis Andrus this off-season?

It’s an understatement to say the Texas Rangers have plenty to fix this upcoming off-season. General manager Jon Daniels doesn’t believe a rebuild is needed, but he might consider moving veteran Elvis Andrus if the offer is right.

This season Andrus has once again overachieved and exceeded expectations. Through 107 games Andrus is hitting .298 with a career high 15 home runs and 59 RBI with 20 stolen bases. The power has seemingly come out of no where, but the Rangers are glad it has finally arrived.

The 28-year-old shortstop has put together back-to-back borderline All-Star campaigns. The Rangers have Andrus signed through 2020 with a vesting option for 2023. Why would the Rangers trade such a productive player?

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His value has skyrocketed and realistically Andrus won’t get any better than what he is doing this season. The Rangers could move Andrus for a huge package of prospects and speed up their “rebuilding” process.

The two-time All-Star can opt out of his contract after 2018. There is a chance the Rangers keep Andrus and the team struggles again in 2018. Which then in return Andrus decides to opt out and the team gets nothing for him.

The direction of the organization is in question, and if it’s rebuild time then Andrus must be traded. The Rangers have plenty of pending veteran free agents and moving Andrus could bring in some young talent to take over at the MLB level.

If the Rangers decide they want to compete in 2018 then keep Andrus. The other option is rebuild and then moving Andrus is a must especially after the season he’s putting together. It’s unlikely Andrus ever has this much value again during his career.

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The Rangers should at least see what kind of offers they can get for Andrus. If a team isn’t willing to overpay then keep Andrus for 2018. The Rangers can always move him mid-season, but Jon Daniels would be insane if he didn’t listen to offers for Andrus this off-season.