Texas Rangers need to look really hard at the future of Rougned Odor
With the 2017 MLB non-waiver trade deadline approaching, the Texas Rangers need to consider all offers. They should listen really hard to any asking for second baseman Rougned Odor.
Look, I have no problem admitting that I really like Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor. If I ever cross paths with the dude out and about the D/FW Metroplex, his next beer is on me. He’s an outstanding ballplayer, he works hard and he hustles 110% every single time he’s on the field. And of course, he has his teammates’ backs and will take on all comers.
But it might be time to start thinking of what’s best for the Texas team that sits just three games out of the wild card race. Perhaps they’ll get more out of him by trading him.
Potential
Rougie hasn’t even turned 24, yet. In the grand scheme of baseball, he’s a mere “pup” compared to many other middle infielders. He’s strong, quick and full of potential. But that’s all it is — potential. There are no guarantees with potential. All it really means is that he “could” be amazing.
He showed us last season that a little discipline could turn him into a high-level player. The problem is, he also showed us that he’s not very disciplined at all.
His 33 home runs made us all cheerful and giddy, and his career high .271 batting average was alright. But despite the nice average and good chunk of homers, he had an OBP of just .296 for the year. He also struck out 135 times, which doesn’t help his case, either.
Punch outs (not the Bautista kind)
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Many high-strikeout hitters balance their numbers out with walks. Sometimes the high K counts come simply from working the count and taking gambles late in the count that don’t pay off. But Odor rarely works counts and he rarely walks.
He swung at the first pitch last season 34.9% of the time, and he’s raised that this year to 37.9%. In fact, he took a swing at 54.7% of all the pitches he saw last season and he’s on a similar pace this year at 54.2%. By comparison, the league has swung at an average of 46.9% of pitches over the last four years. He could stand to lay off here and there.
Pitching
There’s a market out there for a second baseman with a powerful bat and potential. The return could bring in some good pitchers in return. It’s no secret that the Texas Rangers lack the strong bullpen they’ve had in the past two years.
Sending off Rougie to a team like Detroit would be ironic, but beneficial for both teams. They’re looking to make a deal for Ian Kinsler, who has a ten team no-trade clause in his contract. More importantly for the Rangers, reliever Justin Wilson has been rumored as a trade candidate this summer.
He’s had a great year with a 2.36 ERA in 34 1/3 innings with 10 saves. While he hasn’t been the closer all season for the Tigers, he’s proven that he can do the job by blowing just one of his 11 save chances.
A team like Pittsburgh could also use him as a middle infield piece. They have 30-year-old reliever Juan Nicasio entering free agency this offseason and might want to get some young controllable talent for him. Nicasio has been excellent in 2017 with 2.50 ERA, 2.21 FIP and a 1.109 WHIP in 39 2/3 innings. Getting him for Odor and then trying to lock him down long-term would be a huge grab for Jon Daniels and company.
Prospects
Although the farm system for the Rangers looks a little slim, they do have some good middle infielders waiting in the wings. Second baseman Andy Ibanez is projected by some to be MLB-ready as early as this spring. I’m 50-50 on the guy, however.
His defense is adequate and he takes good swings. He’s not a high strikeout guy, which would benefit the Rangers immensely. However, he’s doesn’t offer much in terms of power. He’ll grab some extra base hits with his speed, but won’t hit too many long balls. Of course, this could still be a plus for Texas because they should welcome anyone that excels at small ball.
There’s also Drew Robinson, who’s already shown us this season what he’s capable of. While he might not turn into a high-profile player, that’s not necessarily what the Rangers need in the middle infield. They mainly just need a guy that gets on base, scores and plays solid defense. Robinson offers all of this. At the very least, he could bridge the gap for a while until Ibanez or even Anderson Tejada become ready.
Next: Rangers should cautiously shop at trade deadline
Again, there is great value in Odor. But when pitching is the issue, the Texas front office needs to listen to any serious offer. If an opposing team with a solid bullpen arm wants Rougie, they need to listen. Besides, what better way to turn the team around than to cash in on the offense’s strikeouts for pitching strikeouts in return? That would be a huge move.