Texas Rangers: What Should The Team Do with Jurickson Profar?
By Andrew Webb
The saying goes you can never have enough depth, and that is true for the Texas Rangers. They have both power hitting infielder Rougned Odor and versatile infielder Jurickson Profar. The problem is there’s only one starting position open, and who should get it?
Not every problem has a clear solution and this is one of those situations. The Texas Rangers are stuck in a pickle and need to make a decision. They have two young players that could be the future at second base, but can only start one of them.
The organization gave Rougned Odor an extension during the off-season. The means Odor is now signed to a six-year $49.5 deal with a team option for 2023. Those aren’t the kind of deals you give to backup players.
This season Odor has disappointed heavily, and have opened up the door for competition. He’s hitting .213 with 28 home runs and 64 RBI in 139 games. Odor is currently posting a -0.1 WAR which is by far the worst of his four-year Major League career.
The job is not given to you, it’s earned and that is especially true with the Rangers. The team is not going to just let Odor play because they signed him long-term. If another player outplays him then that guy will take over as starter.
The team still has Jurickson Profar waiting in the wings, but his time could be soon. He put together a strong season in Triple-A, but the organization decided to leave him off the September call up roster.
The reason Profar didn’t get recalled is because the organization felt he wouldn’t get enough at-bats in September. He’s done well enough in Triple-A to earn a promotion and the team knows it. This season Profar hit .287 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 87 games.
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The biggest difference between the two is obviously the power, but the plate discipline as well. Profar walked 43 time with 33 strikeouts this season in almost 90 games. It’s been the opposite for Odor who has 24 walks and 137 strikeouts.
The lack of defense from Odor is another problem that the Rangers are beginning to get concerned with now. He has 16 errors at second base this season, and sometimes just looks lost out there. Profar is a much better defender and can play just about every position on the diamond.
As of right now the team is going to pick Odor over Profar. The problem is Profar just hasn’t played enough to create much of a position battle. He’s never played over 90 games in a single season at the MLB level.
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The 2018 season could be much more interesting at second base as Profar will likely get his shot to earn the starting role. The Rangers are going to give him a fair opportunity, and now it’s up to him to grab the starting job at second base.