Texas Rangers: Willie Calhoun is key to an optimal outfield

Even though Willie Calhoun is still fighting for a roster spot, he may be key to optimizing this Teaxs Rangers outfield

As things stand today, the Texas Rangers expect Delino DeShields to play center, Nomar Mazara  to play right, Joey Gallo in left, and Shin-Soo Choo to be DH this season. But if they want to get maximum production, they may need to do some shuffling around.

And that shuffling involves getting Willie Calhoun into the lineup. Easier said than done, right?

Calhoun may still be a work-in-progress at the plate, but he has the type of special tools and high ceiling that make it worth it. Giving him regular work with the Texas Rangers is the idea way to develop his skills and help him realize his potential.

The problem is Shin-Soo Choo is permanently locked into the DH role, so the Texas Rangers are limited at what they can do with Calhoun. If Willie wants to get regular work, it’ll have to be as an outfielder.

And the weakest link in the outfield is Delino DeShields.

While DeShields is a fine defensive center fielder, he’s a liability at the plate. Calhoun has the potential to be `an elite hitter, but he’s never going to be the man in the field DeShields is. Simply swapping the two isn’t an option. But making Joey Gallo the primary center fielder and slipping Calhoun into left is.

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As we’ve heard through spring training, Joey Gallo is an excellent center fielder capable of playing it day in and day out. Moving him to center would make him one of the top OPS at his position (a massive upgrade over DeShields) and it would free up room for Calhoun in the field. Gallo wasn’t a good left fielder anyway. As Jeff Wilson at the Star Telegram pointed out, Gallo was 92nd in defensive runs saved and 33rd in ultimate zone rating.

Willie Calhoun may not be a plus outfielder, but it’s reasonable to believe he can play to the level of Gallo. But for any of this to work, Willie Calhoun needs to play good enough to warrant the shake-up. If he’s just “meh” these next few weeks, there’s no reason to leave him on the 40-man roster, let alone make room in the outfield

What is optimal isn’t always likely, or even realistic for that matter. Right now, Willie is probably on the outside looking in. If he can’t get regular work, The Texas Rangers will probably want to send him down where he get more action.

For the Texas Rangers to get the ultimate bang for their buck, a slight reorder in the outfield will be needed. And the only way for that to happen is for Willie Calhoun to be too good to keep off the field.

• Published on 03/04/2019 at 14:00 PM
• Last updated at 03/04/2019 at 13:41 PM