Everyone wants to trade for Jurickson Profar

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Jurickson Profar is just a utility player on the Rangers. They have Elvis Andrus at shortstop, Rougned Odor at second, Adrian Beltre at third, and an outfield with rookie Nomar Mazara, Ian Desmond, and Shin-Soo Choo. Profar has been getting playing time, but not nearly enough for his ability: he’s played in 41 games and logged 143 plate appearances while batting .316/.364/.451. Unsurprisingly, other teams would like to relieve the Rangers of the pressure of finding at-bats for Profar, with a “ton of calls” coming Texas’ way in regards to the 23-year-old.

It’s not a surprise for a number of reasons. It’s known the Rangers want pitching help, for one, and as the A’s price tag for Rich Hill and the cost for Drew Pomeranz have already shown us, that kind of assist isn’t coming cheap this trade deadline. Plus, Profar is healthy now after multiple seasons with shoulder problems: remember, he debuted in the majors at 19, and was the universal top prospect in baseball heading into 2013 before rookie struggles and said shoulder problems derailed him. This is a huge talent finally coming into his own, but doing so at a time when there might not be space for him in Texas anymore: at least, not when they also need a starter to bolster their playoff hopes.

The Rangers’ decision to move — or not move — Profar might come down to how much faith they have in Elvis Andrus’ bat. Andrus is hitting .296/.348/.421, easily his best campaign in the majors and well above-average for a shortstop. He was signed for his glove (and is still owed at least six years and $88 million after 2016 because of that glove), so if he’s also hitting, then he’s more than earning his contract and spot. Even if they think this is a blip, though, the Rangers have been so close enough times that dealing Profar to help their chances at winning it all might be too tempting to pass up. We could see a huge deal, we could see nothing — either way, we’ll know in less than two weeks how desperately the Rangers think they need a starter.