The Texas Rangers could be in the market for a trade now that Jurickson Profar has gone down with a shoulder injury and names like Brandon Phillips, Pete Kozma, Daniel Descalso, Didi Gregorius, Nick Franklin and Jimmy Rollins could be in the mix to take over for the second baseman, as he will be out for a few months leading into the season after being injured in spring training.
The Rangers are in a tough spot now after making the big Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler deal, as Profar was expected to step up and take over at second base after the trade went down. The team has some in-house options, but they are nothing special and now Jon Daniels could look to make a deal to get the team through the first stretch of the season without one of their best young players. According to ESPN.com, Profar will be out for up 10 weeks and possibly longer with a shoulder injury and while he will not need surgery, he still has to rehab and that will keep him out of action for quite some time. Phillips has had his issues with the Reds and if the Rangers feel that his salary isn't too much to handle, they could make a deal.
Profar was originally hurt in a game against the Kansas City Royals and it came after he made a relay throw in the game and while he was able to play after making the move, afterwards he felt pain and that was when an MRI found the partial tear in his shoulder. SI.com wrote about the injury and how this was a risk after making the Kinsler deal and they proposed that names like Pete Kozma, Daniel Descalso and Nick Franklin could be options for the team if they want to make a trade. Profar was expected to be in line for a breakout year this season and now he will be on the shelf to start things off for the Rangers.
Kozma has been put on the trading block this offseason after the Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta and while he is a shortstop, Kozma can play second base and that could be an option for the Rangers. Jimmy Rollins is unlikely since he wouldn't be playing his natural position, while the Mariners have an interesting player in Nick Franklin, as he is a natural shortstop but he played second base for the team last year when he was called up. Brad Miller looks to have the starting SS job for the Mariners and Franklin is now a man without a position after the team signed Robinson Cano to a huge deal in the offseason.
The Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles all reportedly have been interested in making a deal for Franklin, but the Mariners do not want to give him up without getting a solid player in return. The Rangers have a deep farm system and they could try to make a move, as Franklin showed some good power after getting called up last season and he could take over at second base. The Tigers made a deal for Alex Gonzalez so they are out of the running and now that Profar has gone down, the Rangers may feel that making a deal is the best shot at keeping things in line at the position until he can return.
