Texas Rangers: Predicting who gets dealt at the MLB Trade Deadline

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SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 23: Danny Santana #38 of the Texas Rangers walks off the field after an at-bat during a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 23, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 4-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Have Gloves, Will Travel: Danny Santana

Danny Santana emerged as the Rangers latest super-utility wonder during the 2019 season where he broke out in his first season with the organization. Showing home run power from both sides of the plate, Santana also played every defensive position for Texas besides pitching and catching. He finished last year with a .289 average and 28 home runs while taking home the Texas Rangers’ Player of the Year award.

The 2020 campaign has been a different story for Santana who has struggled to reclaim the success he had in his inaugural run with the Rangers. An injury surely hampered his start as he missed some game time but as a whole his offensive production has been poor much like the rest of the Rangers’ lineup. Hitting just .154 through 14 games, Santana has seen less utility game time but due to other injuries, his role as the Opening Day center fielder has now shifted to a predominantly first base role.

Still, despite his slow start, there could be some teams willing to gamble on Santana as a valuable bench piece in a postseason run. He can slot in just about anywhere and be fairly effective defensively while his switch-hitting allows clubs to deploy him against lefties or righties. That flexibility is a trait few players have across the league and a few teams might feel Santana can shore up their depth by returning to that super utility role that made him so effective last season.

Verdict: Keep

While Santana is certainly a marketable asset, the time to trade him would’ve been this past offseason when his value was at an all-time high. Now Santana looks more like part-time role player he was early in his career than the versatile, everyday player Texas hoped he’d become. Teams will be interested but not at the price Texas will need to consider moving him. Under team control for another season, the Rangers would be better served holding onto him and hoping he can regain some his 2019 production before potentially moving him at next year’s deadline or signing him long-term.

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