While it seems no such move is imminent, the Rangers are at least contemplating cutting into the playing time of second baseman Rougned Odor, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The 25 year-old is amidst his second dreadful season in three years.
Among qualified hitters, only Orlando Arcia has been less productive in the batters’ box than Odor, whose .197/.273/.406 slash (67 wRC+) is a far cry from the passable production he logged just last season. As the slash line indicates, Odor hasn’t had trouble hitting for power, as he’s bopped 21 home runs and posted a strong .209 ISO. Rather, he’s just given away way too many plate appearances, whether via strikeout (31.6%) or pop-up (15.6% IFFB). Odor ranks in the top ten leaguewide in both categories, with only Domingo Santana more strikeout-prone among qualifiers.
Given that lackluster performance and Odor’s similarly abysmal 2017 numbers, the organization’s patience is wearing thin. General manager Jon Daniels candidly acknowledged to Grant that “big ups and downs don’t work from a team standpoint, not when you are in the lineup every day,” and pointed out the organization has “some guys who overlap from a positional standpoint.”
Daniels clarified that his comments weren’t meant to be punitive or to put extra pressure on Odor, who both GM and manager Chris Woodward stressed has remained extremely diligent in trying to work out of the rut. That said, it’s impossible to continue to run out a player who makes as many outs as Odor has been making, and Texas does indeed have other interesting, if flawed, options.
As Grant notes, the Rangers swung a July deal with the Rays to acquire rookie second baseman Nick Solak. Amazingly, Solak’s only less than a year younger than Odor, who has been a big league mainstay for half a decade, but the rookie projects as a better hitter moving forward. Texas also has veteran Danny Santana, who has seen quite a bit of action at first base this year but profiles better at the keystone.
Whether either of those players is good enough to unseat Odor remains to be seen. Solak is a well-regarded hitting prospect but comes with a spotty at best defensive reputation, while Santana’s already 28, has a mediocre track record and has been quite BABIP-reliant in 2019. Utility prospect Eli White, meanwhile, is expected to be out for the season after suffering a shoulder injury in Triple-A.
All things considered, it seems Odor will get a little more run in Arlington. He’s starting again today, for one, and Texas’ brass continued to express optimism in his nascent ability, presumably referring to his raw power. Odor does still sport an 85th percentile hard contact rate and has 127 home runs (and counting) through his age-25 season. There are clearly still things to like about him as a player.
Nevertheless, Odor’s through over 3,000 career plate appearances with a subpar .241/.292/.435 slash (87 wRC+). He’s due another $36MM guaranteed through 2022 (with a 2023 club option) on the six-year extension he inked in March 2017, a deal that looks questionable for the team in hindsight. That price tag, while not crippling, could make an offseason trade difficult, so Texas has little recourse but to keep him on the roster. If they’re to keep running him out onto the field, though, he’ll need to tighten up his plate approach sooner rather than later.
Bopped!
2018 was no prize season either.
It was better than what you could have done
Wow! What a burn…
Rougned, is that you?
Better than Anthony could have done, I’m sure, and yet he called his 2017 & 2019 “dreadful.” You gonna say he’s wrong because he’s not a MLB player?
Why don’t they send him to AAA to learn how to:
-take a walk
-play better defense
-find out how to steal a base, or if he’s still getting thrown out, finally instruct him never to attempt a steal
-just generally shake him up that his career is at stake if he doesn’t improve
He’s a good athlete and looks like the kind of player who will put it together around 28-31, but the Rangers are not helping him or themselves out here by keeping him an everyday MLB player, especially since Calhoun is hitting and 2B is his natural position.
You want to send him to little league again?
Calhoun can’t play 2B in the big leagues. He can barely get by in LF.
Odor is np defensive wiz either, so what’s the difference?
True but Calhoun wouldn’t move to 2B anyways. Solak would take over. Rangers need to drop Odor and Mazara this winter so Solak and Calhoun can both have every day AB’s
Little early in Calhoun’s career to be trading to keep him. He has hit and that’s pretty much it. we’ll see how he does hitting when MLB pitchers adjust.
He can’t be optioned. He’s been up for too long.
But if you tried to pass him through waivers, I bet he passes no problem.
But he can reject that and still get all his money and then another team can sign him for the minimum.
He doesn’t have the necessary service time. He can be outrighted off the 40 man roster – it would be the first time so he can’t reject it at all. A team could claim him but that would be for his total salary.
he does have the service time.
came into 2019 at 4 years, 121 days, so he’s now over the 5 year mark, and as such, can reject being sent down, with the rangers on the hook for all of his salary if they try.
hell, the minor league season is pretty much over anyways, so it’s a moot point
It was all down hill after the punch
Just think if Odor had punched somebody at a real job. He would’ve been fired.
someone might want to tell Yasiel Puig that.
Um, nope. Punches happen in the military. But you’ll only get away with it if you punch a peer. Officer enlisted fights are a no go. Just as a player management physical fight is a no go.
Phillies should contemplate the same for Rhys Hoskins.
Why?
Cuz pax only looks at batting average, clearly
It was a mistake to pay him all that money, don’t continue to highlight that mistake by playing him to justify. He’s never really been that good anyway. Especially, since there has been no adjustment on his end. He holds the bat off the knob like a power hitting. Try choking up a bit and hitting the gap or just the baseball.
He’s getting rougned up all right.
The Jose Bautista curse.
He is too busy pimping home rims when his team is down 17-2 to worry about the rest of that crap.
“pimping home rims,” so he’s the one that sent that “masseuse” to Correa’s room earlier in the season?”
He referred to the Blue Jays game from a couple weeks ago. Not sure how or why Correa’s name comes up. Odor’s younger brother once played a “masseuse” in a dumb prank. Sounds like stupid and ignorant run through the veins of the Odor family.
Clearly you missed the typo
Or you missed the mark on everything.
Was worth 48 million just to punch Joey bats in the face
But priceless seeing Odor and the Rangers getting embarrassed by the jays in two straight postseasons.
Keep relishing on a meaningless punch!
I absolutely love that his last play was the play that knocked his own team out of the 2016 playoffs.
You mean when Odor’s lack of footwork and fear of runners aided in a bad throw to first allowing JD to score? Poetic justice. It was an excellent play.
you mean the punch that didn’t leave a single mark on Jose Bautista? It was without a doubt the weakest right cross in the history of man.
if I were to accidentally bump into Jose Bautista’s face it would have caused more damage
You think?
Would love to see the Brewers sign Iglesias to compete against Arcia next year
About two years too late. Then again Texas needed to salvage a bad investment. Odor needs a dose of humility to go along with his much-needed game improvement. He has talent. Needs help above the neck.
If the Rangers aren’t contending, just let him play. Enough fans still like him.
Maybe he can learn 3B and become a utility man.
By definition, a utility player should be able to play multiple positions with one position at average or better defense. Odor is bat first player who plays below average defense. Players like him are usually relegated to DH/bench bat. The only saving grace for Odor is that he’s still just 25 years old, so the Rangers should just hope that he can adjust his game.
shouldnt have taken this long. just because you paid hom doesnt mean you need to play him. he gets the money either way.
Hits 5 homeruns one week and looks like an allstar, then slumps for a month. Talents there, hes just a head case. And after that crap his brother was involved in cpl yrs ago, guessing it runs in the family.
Odor is stinky
Texas should call up his brother, Rougned Odor.
Well done.
… only “considering”???
Eli White is no Eli Whiteside.
How about trying an outside hitting coach for him and Mazara. Bring ’em in until they find the one that unlocks their talent
The swing whisperer?
The Rangers’ build from within plan was working out well. Now, the players are all under performing. I’m not sure trades will change that.
Its time for Odor to be traded, Rangers need a better second baseman. Solack hasn’t had enough playing time to know his future yet, promising so far. Don’t forget Kiner-Kalifa and the Condor are in Minors for playing time. Both have MLB playing time and can, and should have a position.