Shocking trade opens the door for this Rangers rookie to become a franchise star

With the unexpected news of the Texas Rangers trading World Series hero Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, there is now an immediate opening at second base.

There are two candidates currently on the roster who could potentially fill the void in veteran utility man Josh Smith and up-and-coming rookie Cody Freeman.

Smith has certainly earned a crack at the job after playing all over the diamond for the past several seasons. Still, it would be a mistake not to give Freeman a shot, as the organization is clearly looking to move on from the 2023 World Series roster.

Cody Freeman needs to be the Rangers new second baseman

Before Freeman earned a promotion from Triple-A Round Rock, the fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft showed that he was ready to take the next step in his career and give the Rangers a home-grown middle infielder.

As a member of the Express, Freeman mashed his way to a .336 average, 19 homers and 71 RBIs. He was far and away the most productive hitter in Rangers' minor league system before getting called up.

He has earned the nod ahead of Smith, who has more value as a jack-of-all-trades for when the inevitable injuries hit.

Freeman showed the 'clutch gene' in his two-month stint in Arlington

On a team that struggled all year to hit with runners in scoring position, Freeman made the most of his plate appearances coming up with several key its as the team made a run for the post season before faltering late.

He also flashed some power with three home runs, while also showing an ability to put the ball in play with two strikes as many of the other Rangers' hitters were content to swing from their heels and strike out. And he sprayed the baseball to all fields.

While Smith may seem like the easier option to fill Semien's Gold Glove shoes, Chris Young and Skip Schumaker need to give the Rangers a fresh look and that means giving Freeman first dibs as the everyday second baseman.