Nomar Mazara

RF/DH

Contract Status: Arbitration eligible (earliest free agent in 2022)

2019 review

2019 marked Mazara’s 4th year as an outfielder for the Texas Rangers as he continued to rotate playing time with Shin-Soo Choo in right field. He hit .268 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI. For his career he has been a .250-.270 hitter and has averaged 20 home runs. 2019 also saw him marred with an oblique strain injury in August that kept him out for a couple of weeks. He had a bWAR of 0.7 but had a dWAR (defensive WAR) of -0.7 yet still had a .995 fielding percentage above the league average of .983 and he only committed one error. Despise those stats a lot of fans were calling him out for his defense.

2020 outlook

Mazara made $3.3 million in 2019 and faces his first year of arbitration. The Rangers currently face a log jam in the outfield. Hunter Pence, who won the Sporting News comeback player of the year award, is gone but could possibly re-sign with the team. Then there’s Joey Gallo, Choo, Nick Solack, Willie Calhoun and Delino DeShields. On top of that the Rangers were mentioned in rumors last week as suitors for Pirates’ outfielder Starling Marte. If Texas were to acquire Marte then they could possibly trade Mazara for a good bullpen piece or a solid fifth starting pitcher. On Monday there were reports that the Rangers were interested in the Red Sox starting pitchers as it seems Boston is moving towards a fire sale. Then you could could package Nomar with a couple of mid-level prospects.

Now this doesn’t mean that Mazara would necessarily be the outfielder that is moved.  Shin-Soo Choo had a solid season last year but only has one year left on his contract which is $21 million. Would another team eat up that contract? DeShields had a nice year considering its start but his career has always been up and down. Who would bite on that? I can’t see the Rangers moving Willie Calhoun. He’s still young and proved last season that he is the real deal. And I don’t see Texas getting rid of Joey Gallo or Nick Solack.

That’s why I believe the odd man out will be Mazara. But all we can do is wait and see. That’s why MLB’s hot stove season is so great. You never know what’s going to happen.

Until next time, I’ll see you in the cheap seats!