Texas Rangers Trade Feature: Profar goes only for the right price

Jurickson Profar is a player that the Texas Rangers certainly want to keep around. That’s why they should only trade him if receiving an offer they can’t refuse.

With just over a week to go until the trade deadline, the Texas Rangers should be quite active. They’ve already made a couple of minor moves, but at least one or two major moves should be on the way. Cole Hamels is a popular rumored name, as is Shin-Soo Choo, Keone Kela, Jake Diekman and Jurickson Profar. Let’s spotlight Profar for this specific trade feature.

The case to keep Profar

Jurickson Profar has had a very nice season. He’s hitting .246 with a .330 OBP and 23 doubles. He’s also walked 30 times and struck out only 47 times in 313 at-bats. Profar has played well enough to force himself in the lineup on an almost nightly basis. He has thrived in the super utility role, playing left field, second base, first base, shortstop and third base throughout the year.

It took just six years, but Profar is finally tapping into that “top MLB prospect” potential that surrounded him as he was coming up. He’s only 25 years old and he would be a great guy to have around for the upcoming rebuild and for the hopeful rebirth of contention in three years or so.

If the Texas Rangers are serious about keeping Jurickson Profar then they will have to find a permanent position for him. It’s more likely the organization will wait until the offseason to make a decision regarding him. They will need to see if Elvis Andrus opts out of his contract or if Adrian Beltre will re-sign. A full-time position will open up if one or both do not return.

As for this very moment, the Rangers want Profar to be a part of their future. They just need to find him a permanent position by the start of 2019.

The case to trade Profar

If the Rangers are weighing towards keeping Profar through the deadline, they then have the freedom to sell high on him. In other words, only trade him if they can steal a nice return.

Profar will be looked at in two ways on the trade market. Some teams will want to acquire him as an everyday player in order to upgrade a specific position. Other teams will want to acquire him as a utility player, in a similar role as he’s played with Texas. A weapon off the bench can factor in immensely once the postseason comes around.

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Plus, a Profar trade offers team control through 2020. He remains arbitration eligible through that time; therefore, any new team will have control over a young, valuable player well beyond the 2018 season.

There are definitely curious teams out there that would love to see what Profar could become. Frankly, the Rangers are curious in the same way. They like what Profar is displaying and they intend to keep him around to see what he could become. That’s why there is no reason to force a trade. The Rangers should only trade Profar if they get an offer they can’t refuse.

What will the trade deadline outcome be for Profar?

If you would like my opinion, I deem a 75% chance that the Texas Rangers KEEP Jurickson Profar through the trade deadline. I expect to revisit the topic come the offseason, though, for now, the Rangers need to buy some more time to determine how their infield will play out for 2019 and beyond.

Next: Trade Feature: Is Shin-Soo Choo gone by July 31st?

GM Jon Daniels is probably getting a good amount of interest in the versatile switch hitter; however, the only way a deal will get done is if Daniels is blown away by the return package. Frankly, Profar is likely worth more to the Rangers than he is to teams of interest. Expect him to be wearing a Texas Rangers uniform on August 1st.