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

Jurickson Profar. This is not a guess. According to T.R. Sullivan, Jon Daniels has deemed Profar the likely candidate.

This was to be expected. The Rangers have been waiting a long time for a full-time position to open up for their once top prospect. Is he the perfect fit for third base? No, but he’ll certainly make due.

Profar led the team in errors in 2018 with 25. That’s 14 more than the next man up, which was Elvis Andrus. 11 of Profar’s errors occurred at third base and 13 at shortstop. Those were the positions he played most frequently.

The issue with him was not the glove but rather the arm. All season long, he seemed to have issues throwing the ball, which is of course a cause for concern as he takes over as the full-time third baseman. The Rangers hope he can work that out with increased reps.

From an offensive perspective, Profar has earned everyday playing time. He was the squad’s most consistent hitter in 2018. He finished the season ranking top five on the team in home runs, RBI, doubles, triples, hits, runs, OBP, SLG, and OPS. In fact, most of those statistical categories saw him finish in the top two.

Who would’ve thought Jurickson Profar would finally come into his own with routine playing time? Yeah, me too.