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The Texas Rangers informed longtime starting second baseman Rougned Odor that he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said Monday.
The 27-year-old Odor had been Texas’ starting second baseman since 2014 but was told prior to spring training that he would be used in a utility role this spring. The Rangers didn’t immediately designate Odor for assignment, as they will explore trade possibilities between now and Thursday’s season opener against the Kansas City Royals.
Nick Solak will be Texas’ starting second baseman while Charlie Culberson and Brock Holt are slated to be the infield reserves.
Odor was slated to make $12 million in base salary this season and in 2022 as part of a six-year, $49.5 million extension he signed in 2017. There is a $13 million team option for 2023 that can be bought out for $3 million.
Odor has slugged 30-plus homers three times during his Texas tenure.
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“I think really what it came down to was we’ve made a decision, obviously a pretty clear direction looking towards the future, and playing him every day was not in our plans this year,” Daniels said. “As we look forward, we think we’re going to have some younger players coming up. And we didn’t think it was in his best interest or our best interest to kind of force the issue into a bench role.”
Odor had 10 homers and 30 RBIs in 38 games during the shortened 2020 season but batted just .167 and struck out 47 times.
That continued a downward trend from 2019 when Odor batted just .205 and struck out an American League-worst 178 times. He hit 30 homers and drove in a career-best 93 runs despite the struggles.
Odor also had issues in the field as he led all major league second basemen in errors in 2016 and 2017 and was the AL leader in errors in 2015 and 2019. He tied for the AL lead last season.
Odor has a .237 career average with 146 homers, 146 doubles and 458 RBIs in 858 games with the Rangers.
Texas also moved on from longtime shortstop Elvis Andrus in the offseason, trading him to the Oakland Athletics to end his 12-season stint with the team.
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