Texas Rangers Discussing Extension with Rougned Odor
By Tj Porreca
In the past, the Texas Rangers and Rougned Odor hadn’t made notable progress on a contract extension. Recently, however, the two sides are trying to change that.
The Texas Rangers and currently-suspended second baseman Rougned Odor have opened contract talks on an extension, reports Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.
Ironically, the two sides began talks of an extension as Odor serves a seven-game suspension for punching Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista. The suspension, Heyman reports, provided a chance for Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and Odor’s agent, Rick Thurman, to meet in person. Thurman and Daniels reignited talks of an extension for Odor, which Heyman says was a “dormant” situation previously.
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With just over one year of MLB service time, Odor wouldn’t currently be set to hit the free agent market until 2021. However, if the Rangers would extend Odor, they would not only be showing good faith in one of their key players, but they’d also buy out his arbitration years.
It seems like quite a long time ago that Odor came to the major leagues when Jurickson Profar was first injured, but in reality it wasn’t that long ago. Profar last played a prominent role in 2013, and in the time since, Odor seized his opportunity and established himself in the major leagues.
The Rangers clearly like Odor and think very highly of him. Heyman reports not only did general manager Jon Daniels speak at Odor’s hearing — in which his original eight-game suspension was reduced to seven games — but so too did team owner Ray Davis. That should show the kind of priority the Rangers place on Odor.
Whether or not these initial talks yield an extension being reached remains to be seen, but the two sides are trying, and that shows that the Rangers want Odor there long-term, and indicates that he’d like to stay there as well.
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In 46 games this season, Odor is hitting .262/.287/.444. While Odor’s overall average is in the .260s, his BABIP — Batting Average on Balls in Play — is better, at .282 on the season.