Earlier on Saturday, the Texas Rangers reportedly agreed to a six-year extension with second baseman Rougned Odor. Turns out, the Rangers may be interested in a long-term deal with another one of their talented young players.
That’s because Texas has reportedly engaged outfielder Nomar Mazara about an extension, per Ken Rosenthal:
Rangers, per sources, also have talked about an extension with Mazara. No indication deal is close. Mazara has only one year of service. https://t.co/ctpkhCF999
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 25, 2017
Mazara, who will turn 22 in a month’s time, appeared in 145 games last season after being rushed to the majors due to injury. He hit .266/.320/.419 with 20 home runs in that action, good for a 93 OPS+. It’s worth noting his overall numbers were anchored by his struggles (.548 OPS) against left-handed pitchers; he had a .791 OPS versus righties.
Considered a top prospect around this time last year, Mazara’s youth and feel for hitting make him an obvious candidate for improvement. The Rangers’ interest in retaining him for the long haul makes sense then.
As it stands, Mazara has a year of major league service time, per Cot’s Contracts. A player must accrue six years before he can become a free agent.
