MLB Trade Rumors: Nomar Mazara, Jurickson Profar in play, per report

MLB Trade Rumors: Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara are players the Texas Rangers are willing to talk about, per Evan Grant, citing a “rival club official,” who, per Grant, thinks the Rangers are more motivated to deal Mazara than Profar.

Mazara, of course, is part of a glut of lefthanded hitting corner outfield/first base/DH types the Rangers have, and with three seasons remaining before he is free agent eligible, he has the least amount of team control remaining (save for Shin-Soo Choo, whose contract and 10/5 rights means that you’d be paying someone to take him). A Mazara deal would allow you to put Joey Gallo in right field and either Willie Calhoun or Choo in left field, with the other at DH, and leave Ronald Guzman at first base. Mazara’s results haven’t matched his potential to date, but a team that believes that his power can be unlocked with some adjustments may be willing to part with significant talent to land him.

As for Profar, on the one hand, you would think that the Rangers would be more willing to move him, given that he’s two years away from free agency, and his best position is second base, currently manned by Rougned Odor. On the other hand, the Rangers have waited all this time for Profar to blossom, and in 2018 he finally did. He’s slated to play third base for the Rangers in 2019, and the team could view him as a long-term (or at least medium-term) option at the position, and be more inclined to try to extend him than deal him.