A few days before the 2017 MLB season started, the Texas Rangers signed Rougned Odor to a contract extension. Both sides reached an agreement on a six-year extension worth $49.5 million, and several experts believed it was a steep price for the 23-year-old infielder.
However, Odor emerged as one of the best hitting infielders in baseball last season. The Venezuelan had a monster season with Texas, hitting .271 with 33 home runs, 88 RBIs, 89 runs and a .798 OPS. He also had 14 stolen bases. Those are star numbers, and the Rangers decided to lock him up before it was too late. And before he became more expensive, too. Another season like last year’s, and we would be discussing around $70M or $80M.
The Rangers took a gamble with Odor’s extension, and even though the season started this week, it’s already paying dividends. He hit two monster homers on Opening Day, proving he’s ready to take another step in his development.
Sure, Odor has to improve on a number of aspects. He’s prone to strikeouts, and his defense at second needs a lot of work. He could eventually move to left field, or even assume a DH role in the future if his defense doesn’t improve. But so far his bat has been carrying him, and that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change any time soon. He’s going to make mistakes on defense, but Texas has the infield to support him.
Another thing Odor needs to watch is his behavior. Even though he had an impressive season in 2016, no one really talked about it because people remembered his brawl with Jose Bautista. And once you punch someone in the face during a baseball game, people are going to talk. So it’s going to be hard for him to remove that label off his name. He needs to leave his bat – and not his fists – do the talking.
One final stat? Since his call-up in 2014, Odor has hit 58 home runs with 197 RBIs. So yes, the bat is going to play anywhere. And since the Rangers play in the American League, they can use him as a DH to mitigate the defensive impact. The one thing we know is that his offense was eventually going to land him, so the Rangers were smart to lock him up.
Was it a good decision? Judging by the start of the season, I would say it was. His bat is definitively worth the risk.