Deja vu for Elvis Andrus as Texas Rangers make way for new shortstop

The Texas Rangers have relieved Elvis Andrus of his shortstop duties. It’s his turn to step aside, just as someone did for him 11 years ago.

The Texas Rangers don’t have many headlines in them this offseason, but they made one Tuesday when announcing that their 12-year starting shortstop, Elvis Andrus, will be supplanted in 2021. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a fourth-year player and the club’s starting third baseman in 2020, will take over Andrus’s famed position.

This isn’t the first time that Elvis Andrus has been part of a Rangers’ decision to uproot a franchise hero. He debuted as Texas’ shortstop in 2009, pushing a guy named Michael Young to third base. At the time, Young was the team captain, the best player on the team, and the reigning American League Gold Glove winner – at shortstop!

Only a budding star could influence a position change for the current star. Ranking as a top 50 prospect in baseball heading into 2009, Andrus was a budding star that the Texas Rangers believed would catalyze their timeline to contend.

In near-perfect fashion, he and Michael Young made up part of an infield for a squad that reached the World Series in 2010 and 2011. Texas had not reached the playoffs in 10 years before making it all the way in 2010. Thus, the decision to implement Andrus and relocate Young paid off.

Unfortunately, the emergence of Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop is no sign of an impending championship run. The Rangers concluded the 2020 season with the second-worst record in MLB. They are now neck-deep in a rebuild, and the Kiner-Falefa/Andrus transition is part of it.

While the 2009 Rangers viewed Andrus as a future face of the franchise, the 2020 Rangers view Kiner-Falefa as a “let’s see if he can keep improving”-type player. The 25-year-old raised eyebrows over 58 games this year, as Texas couldn’t keep his bat or glove out of the lineup. He was the team’s most consistent hitter, and he had MLB fans across the country exclaiming, “Who?!” when announced as the American League Gold Glove winner at third base.

Kiner-Falefa earned shortstop honors for 2021 as much as Andrus lost them. Andrus had a lackluster showing in 2020, proven by his .192 batting average and .582 OPS across only 29 games. His poor performance was an outlier to his career; however, the Rangers are prepared for a youth movement, and Andrus has not done enough in recent years to impede it.

He is not in his prime like Michael Young was when forfeiting his position to Andrus. Coincidentally, Andrus is the same age as Young was – 32 – when moving from shortstop. M-Y played 13 seasons for the Texas Rangers; Andrus is approaching his 12th. Andrus ranks third in franchise history with 1,743 hits, while Young ranks #1 with 2,230. Young is one of the greatest Rangers of all time, while Andrus falls to the third or fourth tier of franchise superiors.

The purpose of this article is not to compare the tenures of two former teammates. Though, the connections between the two regarding age, status, and moment of position vacation are fascinating.

Adding Kiner-Falefa to the mix, many liken him to Young, fixating on his style of play, work ethic, and underdog upbringing. Texas Rangers fans have their fingers crossed that Kiner-Falefa develops into a player and a leader in the same ballpark – figuratively speaking – as Michael Young. Kiner-Falefa’s stats are actually better through age 25 than Young’s were. But let’s temper the expectations for now. Fans would likely settle for another Elvis Andrus as a consolation.