Acquired in a July trade that sent righty Peter Fairbanks to the Rays, Rangers infield prospect Nick Solak impressed upon being promoted to the show late in 2019, hitting .293/.393/.491 with five home runs, six doubles, a triple and two steals in 135 plate appearances. Pair that with his .289/.362/.532 slash in Triple-A last year, and it’s easy to see why Rangers president of baseball ops Jon Daniels, manager Chris Woodward and the rest of the organization’s decision-makers are so intrigued by Solak’s potential.
However, while there’s room for flexibility in the infield, the Texas organization is more focused on having Solak learn a position that is largely new to him this spring; Woodward tells Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that learning the ropes in center field is Solak’s “top priority” in Spring Training. Danny Santana is currently the team’s top option in center, but playing Solak there would free Santana to bounce around the diamond.
It’s a semi-surprising development for the 25-year-old Solak, who has played just 165 professional innings in center — nearly all of which came with the Rays’ Double-A affiliate back in 2018. He’s played left field a bit more regularly (506 pro innings), but the overwhelming majority of Solak’s experience on defense has come at second base, where he’s logged 2951 innings.
The possibility of Solak suiting up as even a semi-regular option in center field is indeed intriguing. Playing Solak in the outfield and not at third base would free the Rangers to use Todd Frazier at the hot corner regularly, giving former top prospect Ronald Guzman and perhaps non-roster players like Greg Bird and Sam Travis a chance to impress at first base. It’d also allow Santana to shift into a super-utility role that probably better suits him; the Twins tried Santana as a regular center fielder early in his career without much success.
For much of the offseason, center field looked to be an area of need in Arlington. (Of course, it very arguably still does, even with the Solak wrinkle now in play.) Delino DeShields has been the Rangers’ most regular option in recent years, but he’s now in Cleveland. Joey Gallo logged significant innings there in 2019 and graded out surprisingly well in the estimation of many defensive metrics, but the Rangers seem to prefer him in right field. Prospects Leody Taveras and Julio Pablo Martinez need more time to develop. And the Rangers clearly weren’t enamored of the options on the free-agent and trade markets — at least not at their respective asking prices.
Can Solak successfully make the move? FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen pegs his speed and arm at average on the 20-80 scale but grades him as a well below-average defender overall (though he nevertheless checked in as the game’s No. 109 overall prospect on Longenhagen’s rankings). Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo offer similar opinions at MLB.com, calling him a “fringy” defender all over the infield and outfield despite his athleticism and ability to run. Of course, if Solak hits like he did in Triple-A and in his big league debut, the Rangers might very well be able to live with some defensive growing pains as he adjusts to increased outfield reps. Santana will remain on hand as an option, should the experiment prove unsuccessful, but the manner in which Solak takes to his new position will be an fascinating scenario to watch as the Cactus League progresses.
Play him at 2b and bench Odor. What a waste having Odor in the lineup everyday.
I agree, Odors contract is just a tough ego pill for JD to swallow.
Release him. Just take an L. Daniels job isn’t in-jeopardy and getting rid of Odor could be a benefit just to get him out of the locker room.
Following that Nick Senzel treatment I see. Hope this works out as MLB lacks CF talent overall, they need to be giving guys chances to play multiple positions even more so than before.
Do they really? The guy is a subpar infielder, what in the world makes you think he can succeed at a tough position like CF
Absolutely have to find a spot for Solak somewhere. His potential upside is enormous.
A rare L in a trade by TBR, Fairbanks is really terrible at pitching, and never showed anything, wasn’t a high draft pick, no big stats nothing. Solak is a 2nd rounder who has put up numbers at every level. Why did TB make this deal.
Probably because Fairbanks throws 100 and Solak can’t play defense to save his life so it doesn’t matter if he “can hit good”
Solak can’t play defense? That’s news to me. He’s an average defender and hitting holds more value in the AL. He will have a place in the league if he can hit.
Solak is a below average defender. He’s negative value in the field, both metrics and traditional scouting agree. Good luck playing him in center. The story says the rays tried that. They probably didn’t like what they saw, so I wouldn’t cross my fingers for some vast improvement
Let’s not act like Fairbanks is some ace.
Fairbanks has elite reliever stuff and is 1 year removed from TJS, whereas Solak is and will always be a trash bag in the field. Rays took a chance Fairbanks will put it together instead of wasting a 40 man spot on a defensive blackhole when they pride themselves in defense and positional versatility
tampa bay got robbed blind in this deal
Rays have capable prospects in their minor league system already-
Franco, Braun, Fox, Edwards, Prado & factor in their current MLB roster they decided to get a upside relief pitcher that throws 100mph (that you might not like but obviously the Rays do).
Because TB had the free world supply of decent hitting but poor defensive infielders; actually they still do. So they probably saw it as a strength, and Fairbanks wasn’t a bad gamble, as relievers go.
Solak as an everyday CF? It’s a stretch. But we KNOW he can’t play in the infield, so why not; Mike Trout they ain’t got.
You KNOW nothing.. he’s a perfectly fine fielder.
He’s not a perfectly fine fielder, he’s well below average. I followed Solak when he was a Yankees prospect and even back then the scouting reports on him were high on his bat and incredibly low on his glove
He’s a second baseman. Why not take a risk on Ellsbury. HAHA
I would be giving him more reps at 3B, Frazier ain’t the guy he was; which in turn, could have Frazier suit up at 1B w/ him and Guzman securing most of the 1B reps respectively
He doesn’t have the arm strength for third base
Solak is going to be a great hitter, but where will he play? I loved the Fairbanks trade, because Texas had way to many relief prospects, and TB had too many infielders. It just worked. Now if Texas can utilize him in CF, then Santana all the sudden becomes an infield plug. Whether that be 2b, or 3b we’ll see (but he’s terrible at 3b so probably not). I still look at the Texas lineup, and it reminds me of of the 2019 national’s lineup. Gallo and Calhoun are our Rendon and Soto in the heart (ours is slower though), Choo is our Eaton, and hopefully with Elvis losing 30 pounds he can be close to his 2017 form (he’s our slower Trea Turner), Chirinos is our Kurt Suzuki, and Odor is our version of Brian Dozier (they both suck now). People never understand when I say that, but what I mean is this, both teams have a really strong middle of the order, and the rest of the lineup is productive but not bad. I will say the Nats 2019 middle of the order is stronger than the Rangers, but I think Texas has a stronger “not middle of the order”. With our pitching and lineup as is, I have high hopes going into 2020.
Texas is a darkhorse WC team in 2020. Hard to see Minor and Lynn duplicating their 2019 but if a 3rd starter emerges that takes care of what you hope is a minimal step back from the top two arms. Bullpen needs to step up.
The rotation is what won the nationals the World Series Scherzer Strasburg Corbin and Sanchez are so much better than the rangers staff because let’s face it the rangers don’t have an ace unless Kluber bounces back. Minor is a 2nd starter at best and Lynn is a 3rd
So you want them to try Solak on the mound. Ok
Minor and Lynn were seriously aided by none other than Mr. Jeff Mathis last year, Mathis made Minor and Lynn revive their career, and I think that as long as Mathis is a Ranger, Minor and Lynn will be Aces. Kluber is going to be terrific nonetheless, i’ve seen him throwing in spring training, and all of his pitches are just beautiful. Our rotation is looking good, and even though the Nats rotation is clearly better, Kluber, Minor, and Lynn could definitely stay competitive against Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin.
Minor and Lynn were both top 10 in the AL Cy Young last year. If that’s your idea of a #2 and #3 starter your misinformed..
Lol Lance Lynn finished 5th in Cy Young voting and Mike Minor finished 8th. Yeah, I think any team in baseball would be absolutely 100% fine with those two being their 1 & 2. And now you add Kluber. He could very easily be the #1 out of the 3. You think anyone is complaining about that possibility? Maybe he is never vintage Corey Kluber again. Fine. He’s their #3 at worst? Again, I’m 100% fine with Corey Kluber being my #3. People love to hate Jon Daniels, but what he has done to overhaul this rotation (especially given Minor & Lynn contracts) from even 2 years ago is nothing short of brilliant.
Worth a shot!
I love my rangers, but there bargain basement, bottom of barrel shopping is about to catch up with them. U can do it for a little while to rebuild or patch a hole or 2. But uve skimped for 4 yrs, now ur going into a new stadium with a team that u dont know who’s playing 1st, 3rd, center. A 2nd baseman thats a lost cause. And ur 1,4, 5 pitchers and right fielder are question marks. U might hit gold in basement every once in awhile like pence, santana, minor, and lynn. But ur also gonna get more asdrubal Cabrera’s, matt Moores, drew smylys, volquez’s, mathis, Forsythe, and millers
Just stop..
Frazier’s at 3rd, and I’m not sure how Gallo in right field is a question mark.
The idea of Solak playing CF can’t be any worse than the idea of Santana playing CF. Rangers probably could use an actual Center Fielder since they traded the one option they actually had until the kids develop (though if you can get Kluber for Delino DeShields you do it every single time).
Danny Santana could DH if his bat is good enough…
It’s pretty bad when you cant stick with the low budget Rays with all those years of control. My guess is DH platoon at best when it’s all said and done.
Dumbass comment..
Cockhard you’re so informative with your 2 word bombing of the entire thread. Good luck with everyone else’s cast offs and another 65 win season.
Oh, thanks for letting me know that Solak is nothing more than a DH because the Rays traded him.. you’re a definitely way more informative…
Someone once tried to argue with me that Santana was a good fielder….anywhere.
Someone once tried to argue with me that Santana was a good fielder….anywhere.
Someone once tried to argue with me that Santana was a good fielder….anywhere.
Your comment posted bud
He’s actually above average at 2nd, 3rd and LF..check the metrics..
Solak, Heineman and Santana, with the Cuban kid waiting in wings.
Chris and J.D. have some time to work CF out… they’ll find the right answer.
As much as Odor grates on my baseball nerves, it’s hard to replace 93 RBI.
30 HR’s ain’t cheese either…. but with two strikes he’s a lost kid. Last year Kiddo.
Hope the “plate work”, with Nelson Cruz pays off…. it’s a must.
“the Cuban kid?” do you mean JP Martinez? he’s not quite that close yet.
I know I am in the minority, but i believe Odor will bounce back. 60 – 70 xbh, 130k, 90-100rbi, ops .800.