Texas Rangers: Beltre’s gone, now who takes over his roles on the team?

Now that Adrian Beltre has retired, the Texas Rangers will need to assign players to his previously held roles. Who plays third? Who hits fourth? Who leads?

Adrian Beltre‘s decision to retire came as a disappointment Tuesday morning. He was such an integral part to the Texas Rangers’ success over the past eight years and he was of course a fan favorite. Though the organization is sad to see him go, it’s safe to say Beltre’s decision didn’t come as a shock.

The Rangers were prepared. Even if he decided to return for another season, Texas knew there was a chance he would go elsewhere as a free agent. Thus, they had a replacement in line for him at third base and they had already adapted leadership expectations within the clubhouse. The only thing that was up in the air was who would take Beltre’s place as the offense’s clean up hitter.

Legends like Adrian Beltre are not replaceable by any means. With that said, losing him at the age of 39 will not be any major setback for the team. Spots now open up to allow young players to gain reps and grow as major leaguers. Beltre’s decision falls perfectly in line with the ongoing rebuild.

Let’s reveal the replacements for the roles previously held by Beltre…

The Texas Rangers new clean up hitter is….

Not sure yet, but that’s not a decision that needs to be made anytime soon. Texas used a number of clean up hitters last season. While it’s a spot in the lineup that thrives on consistency, it’s unrealistic to expect the same player to hold the spot from opening day on.

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Considering the current roster, Nomar Mazara stands out as the likely number four hitter. He would protect either Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor, or Jurickson Profar in the three hole. Odor has the proven power to hit third; however, he’ll need to be more consistent in his productivity. But that’s a conversation for another time.

Ideally, Joey Gallo would hit clean up. He is the club’s most profound power hitter, and the clean up role has long been granted to the most powerful player on a given team. Though, he shares the same issue as Odor. Hitting fourth means heating often with runners on base. As such, it would be a great waste if Gallo struck out half the time in those situations.

Chris Woodward and his staff will solidify the role as spring training proceeds. 2019 is a moving year for a number of young Texas Rangers players. It sure would be nice if Gallo moved into a vital role in the lineup, such as the clean up one.

The Texas Rangers new leader is…

Elvis Andrus. It has to be. Elvis has spent his entire professional career with the Rangers, he plays a key position and he had been Adrian Beltre’s wing man all throughout the duo’s existence on the left side of the infield.

He’s been around many great leaders while with Texas. Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, and Mike Napoli are a few that stand out. Andrus has been a leader in the clubhouse for quite a while now, but 2019 marks the first year he will be THE leader.

The 30-year-old has quite the fun, but challenging task ahead of him, as he’ll help lead one of the youngest teams in all of Major League Baseball. Luckily, he won’t have many new faces to worry about.

As the club’s new manager, Woodward will of course hold a strong voice. Veterans Shin-Soo Choo and Jeff Mathis will have strong voices as well. But, it’s the player who has been a part of the organization for the longest, who plays everyday, and who young players look up to the most that will be the most important leader.

Elvis Andrus is also the only player left on the roster that played in both of the Rangers’ World Series appearances. In fact, he’s the only player on the current roster that has been to a World Series.