Texas Rangers: One bold prediction for every position player

Choo finishes the season with the Rangers

Is this the year the Texas Rangers finally trade Shin-Soo Choo? I don’t think so.

He’s due $21 million this year and next year before becoming a free agent in 2021. That’s a lot of money. Too much money for any MLB team to take on for an aging DH.

If Texas is to move Choo, they would have to eat most, if not all of his remaining contract. In addition, they would need another solid year from him to engage any reasonable trade interest.

The way I see it… if they couldn’t move him prior to last year’s trade deadline, when he was hitting close to .300 with a remarkable .405 OBP and 18 home runs, they’ll never be able to move him.

The Rangers would have to be absolutely desperate, willing to trade him for next to nothing and willing to eat 100% of his contract. Otherwise, he’ll remain a Ranger.

That wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Choo is still a productive hitter. It’s not like Texas is playing him just because he’s a high dollar player. They’re playing him because he’s one of the top nine hitters on the team, and, to this point, no one has posed a real threat to his role.