The first big splash of the MLB offseason was made Wednesday night when the Texas Rangers sent Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Prince Fielder and $30 million in cash. The deal is a superb one because it benefits both teams in ways that were needed, but it also means the future of the Rangers has now changed dramatically and that most likely has to do with infielding phenom Jurickson Profar.
For the past two seasons, the Rangers have tried to play Profar as much as possible with their infield logjam of Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Kinsler making that difficult. Now with Kinsler gone, Profar will start at second base, meaning the roster and lineup movements by Rangers general manager Jon Daniels will likely continue as he tries to get Texas back to the World Series.
Fielder will probably play first base or just DH if the Rangers elect to keep Mitch Moreland on the diamond. But now speculation among baseball media members is Texas is gearing up for another big trade and/or free agent signing with Robinson Cano as its likely target. Take that with a grain of salt, but rest assured Profar will be under a microscope this year as his time to shine has finally come.
Related:
Tigers’ Trade of Prince Fielder Opens Door for Nick Castellanos
Rangers Will Regret Trading for Prince Fielder
Tigers Trade Prince Fielder, Make Room for Max Scherzer Deal
