Texas Rangers: Trading Jurickson Profar was smart, but the move still stings

After 10 years in the Texas Rangers’ organization, Jurickson Profar has been traded away. It was a wise move, but he will be missed.

Despite the rumors, I wasn’t expecting Jurickson Profar to be traded. Though, anything can happen in baseball, and the reality is he has been traded to the Oakland A’s. Jon Daniels’ long-term plan now comes into clear focus… the Texas Rangers are prepping for 2021 and beyond.

I looked forward to watching Profar play every day at third base next season. I even included him as one of four players on the verge of having a breakthrough season in 2019. With his speed, slugging (Profar had the second most extra base hits for the Rangers last season), and versatility, I felt like he could become the perfect lead-off hitter for this roster. Kind of like Ian Kinsler was a few years ago, but with less infield pop outs.

But business got in the way. The Rangers’ plans exceeded Profar’s contract, and the stalled talks on an extension between the two parties may have been the final straw. Now, I’ll only get to see Profar play nineteen times a year, and he’ll be wearing an Oakland A’s uniform. No matter the return on the trade (and I’m very happy with what Daniels got back), it’ll still sting to see him succeed while wearing green and white.

Baseball is different from other sports; players seem to come and go more often. Profar only played 352 games for the Rangers, 146 of which came last season. But he’s been in my sports life for seven or eight years. I saw him play in Frisco for the Roughriders, and in Round Rock for the Express.

You get to know these players if you follow the Texas Rangers closely enough, especially those who come up through the farm system. When one of them leaves, through trade or free agency or retirement, it’s a real bummer.

I understand why the trade happened. It was a smart baseball move. Still, I wanted to see Jurickson Profar be a major contributor to the Texas Rangers for a long time to come. I wanted to see him succeed here, and to have big playoff moments in Arlington. Now, it’s unlikely that will happen. So I wish him well, and hope his career finally takes off the way I always wanted it to here in Texas.