But It's a Good Problem to Have
The Profar problem: Texas Rangers may have too much of a good thing
What do you do when you have too many good middle infielders? This is a “problem” the Texas Rangers may soon face.
Currently, the Rangers have arguably the best middle infield in baseball, with Elvis Andrus at shortstop and Ian Kinsler at second base. Both players are signed through the next several years.
The problem arrives in the form of a 6-foot-tall teenager who happens to be ranked as one of the top young prospects in baseball. The Rangers signed Jurickson Profar at the tender age of 16 in 2009. Though he’s only 19 now, Profar has dominated every level of minor league ball. Texas brought him up to the big leagues in September, and Profar promptly announced his arrival with a bang.
Now the Rangers have three potential All Star players for only two positions. Obviously, no players will be happy sitting on the bench for long, so how will the Rangers solve this three-headed issue? Here are some of the possibilities:
Trade Elvis Andrus for pitching. Andrus’ value is extremely high right now, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s we can always use more pitching. Offering an All Star-caliber shortstop who is under contract for several more seasons would be enticing enough for a team to part with a pretty big pitcher.
The downside would be getting rid of a proven player for an inexperienced — albeit talented — prospect. The Rangers are in World Series mode right now. They can’t afford silly mistakes from a key defensive position.
Trade Elvis Andrus for a slugger. We all know that Josh Hamilton may not be back after this season. That leaves a serious hole in the Rangers lineup. Hot prospect Leonys Martín has yet to prove himself at the major league level, and the Rangers will feel the loss if he can’t fill Hamilton’s considerable shoes.
Move Ian Kinsler from second. Andrus is a defensive whiz at shortstop, so maybe the Rangers don’t want to mess with him. They could move Profar to second base and send Kinsler either to the outfield or to the designated hitter slot because Michael Young has struggled so much.
That, of course, might cause some issues with Young, because he’s been the face of the franchise for a decade. Kinsler also does not possess the traits (crushing power and the ability to put up huge RBI numbers) you usually see in designated hitters.
Send Profar back to the minor leagues and hope the picture becomes clearer next season. This seems to be the most likely choice right now. By moving Profar back to the minors for one more season, the Rangers not only keep him from becoming a free agent one year longer, but they also don’t risk upsetting the current chemistry that has helped this team win back-to-back American League titles.
Michael Young’s contract is up after next season, and it’s unlikely the Rangers will bring him back, so a slot naturally will open up. Then the issue becomes whether the Rangers want to move Andrus or Kinsler to a different position or trade someone for help where it’s needed.
It will be interesting to see how the Rangers handle the Profar problem, but these are the kinds of problems a model franchise and World Series contender encounters. Don’t expect too much sympathy from other major league teams.
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