The Rangers decided to do with
Jurickson Profar at second base in 2014 what they did with Elvis
Andrus at short stop in 2010. Profar, shown here on card 275 of the 2013 Prizm set, got a look at
the end of the 2013 season and was named the starting second baseman
for 2014 before Spring Training even started. The decision, even though not yet announced, freed up Ian Kinsler to be traded to Detroit.
Middle infield
prospects Rougned Odor and Luis Sardinas got a look early in Spring
Training but both got cut and sent to the minors for more seasoning.
Then Profar came up injured shortly before the start of the season.
He was supposed to be out for several weeks and the team started the
year with a tandem of Donnie Murphy and Josh Wilson at second and
backup middle infield. That tandem kind of worked until Murphy got
hurt and Profar re-injured himself, ending any chance he might have to
come back before the end of the season. Sardinas got the call in late
April and Wilson went down shortly after with an injury. Odor came up
in early May and Texas found their answer. Murphy was released in
June and Wilson was assigned to the minors. Odor and Sardinas
platooned for awhile but Odor eventually got the starting job nailed
down. Sardinas got another stint in the minors for regular playing
time when Adam Rosales was called up to handle the backup duties for
Odor. Sardinas came back up when the rosters expanded and ended the
season with the team. Guilder Rodriguez got a few innings in as a
September call-up towards the end of the season.
Murphy's no longer with the team and
won't be a factor in 2015. I doubt that Guilder Rodriguez will
either. He was called up mainly because there was room and the club
wanted to reward his long minor league service. Primarily a utility
player, he put in 18 innings at second over two games without an
error. His .167 batting average and being 30 years old will likely
remove him from the equation.
As mentioned previously, Adam Rosales
finished the 2014 season at first base. He'll probably get a shot at
making the team in 2015 as a utility player.
In the time he was with the team, Josh
Wilson played 19 games and 132.2 innings at second. He also played a
smattering of games at shortstop and third base. Josh's play at
second was flawless. He hit .239 with an on-base percentage of .271.
Neither is very impressive and he had no power to go with it. Unless
he can get something worked out with his bat I doubt he makes the
team in 2015.
Rougned Odor was not supposed to see
Major League action in 2014 outside a possible September call-up.
Instead, the player Ron Washington referred to as “rough” in
Spring Training became the everyday second baseman for the club. He
hit some bumps in the road but made dramatic improvements almost
daily. “Rougie” played 110 games and 933 innings at second and
only one game anywhere else - DH. He ended the season with a .981
fielding percentage. That's about three points below the league
average but acceptable for a 20 year old who started the season in
the minors with the assignment of working on his defense. Odor hit
.259 in 417 trips to the plate and put together a .297 on-base
percentage. He needs to raise both those numbers but his .402
slugging percentage was nice to see. That came from his 14 doubles,
seven triples, and nine home runs. The kid's got some power and his
offense improved greatly throughout the season. As the youngest
player in the majors, he's got some time to improve.
Luis Sardinas used his time in the
Majors to show that Odor and Profar aren't the only prospects Texas
has in the middle infield. Primarily used as a backup, he played 19
games and 141.1 innings at second base. He committed no errors there.
Luis compiled a .261 batting average and .303 on-base percentage in
his 125 plate appearances. Both are slightly better than Odor but
Sardinas didn't display quite the power Odor did. His six doubles had
to work alone to bring his slugging percentage up to .313. When the
Rangers sent him back to the minors they were quick to state he was
being sent back only for the increased playing time.
So, what about second base in 2015?
Well, Rougned Odor put forward a convincing case in 2014 that he
should be the Rangers starting second baseman in 2015. Luis Sardinas
seems to have earned a look as well but he's facing an uphill battle
at this point and may well be facing another season in the minors to
get some seasoning. He's about ready though. If anything happens to
Odor or Andrus, look for Sardinas to get some serious consideration.
Profar? Well, things have certainly changed for him in one season.
From one of the top prospects in baseball he's now in danger of being
“Wally Pipped” as a friend of mine says. He's probably expendable
at this point but his injuries have dimmed his trade value. The
Rangers will have him in Spring Training but he's going to have to
blow the doors off to unseat Odor. If he can't unseat Odor look for him to be used as a utility player or sent to the minors to rebuild his trade value.
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