Shortstop Elvis Andrus is one of multiple high-profile Rangers hitters to endure disappointing seasons. The low-value performances of Andrus, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Nomar Mazara have put forth at least partially explain why the Rangers are on their way to a third straight sub-.500 campaign. No member of the trio entered the year with more at stake financially than Andrus, who could have seriously considered opting out of his contract with a highly productive 2019. Now, though, it would be a major surprise to see Andrus vacate the remaining three years and $43MM on the eight-year, $120MM extension he signed with Texas in 2013.
With Andrus looking likely to stay put, Rangers brass is seeking bigger contributions from the 31-year-old moving forward. The club may even push Andrus to improve by making him compete for playing time, which GM Jon Daniels and manager Chris Woodward suggested to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News could happen.
“I think [competition] would be healthy,” Daniels said. “Elvis has got to perform at a higher level. He’s capable of more and we need more.”
Woodward echoed Daniels, noting, “He knows he has to be better,” and adding that no player “is immune from [reduced roles] if they are not producing.”
Andrus did produce during the first half of the season, but like his once-contending team, he has fallen off dramatically as 2019 has progressed. After slashing .303/.339/.453 before the All-Star break, Andrus’ line has dipped to .230/.271/.293 since mid-July. At the same time, his batting average on balls in play has plummeted from .338 to .261, while his isolated power mark has sunk from .150 to a punchless .063. He’s now on the verge of logging his second consecutive well-below-average offensive campaign (though last year’s was limited by injury), having hit .272/.310/.385 (74 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 28 steals on 36 attempts over 609 plate appearances. Meantime, per Defensive Runs Saved (minus-6) and Ultimate Zone Rating (plus-1.1), Andrus has been a mixed bag in the field.
If Andrus’ season ended now, he’d set a new career low with 1.1 fWAR. Ergo, even though Andrus is due $15MM next year, it’s understandable that the Rangers don’t want to hand him a No. 1 job then. The same applies to his double-play partner, Odor, another well-compensated Ranger who has frustrated the team’s higher-ups.
Utilityman Danny Santana could push Andrus and-or Odor for playing time next year (Grant specifically mentions him as potential competition for Andrus), though it’s difficult to forecast without first seeing how the Rangers’ offseason shakes out. The club’s infield figures to be one of its primary focuses over the winter, as Texas has received less-than-stellar overall production from all of those spots. Santana and late-season call-up Nick Solak are the only players in the bunch who have produced to acceptable levels at the plate.
I love Andrus but he is one of the laziest players I’ve ever seen. As soon as the Rangers were out of contention he always eases back on the effort. Lucky for him Jon gave him that ridiculous contract so he never has any incentive to try!
I’m not saying Texas fans should be happy about the contract that was given to Andrus but hey… At least you guys didn’t give up that much for him. I think the Rangers got Andrus, Neftali Feliz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia along with maybe some other prospects from the Braves in exchange for a season and a third of Texiera when the Rangers weren’t gonna win anyway. Try to look on the bright side? I mean they could have just let Tex walk and none of those players would have ever put on a Rangers uniform. At the same time it is kind of bad for both the Braves and the Rangers. The Braves made the idiotic decision to trade Texiera to the Rangers for about a year of Casey Kotchman. Then of course Texiera becomes the most highly ranked free agent on the market that year and the Angels receive top draft compensation from the Yanks when they sign him. I think the Yanks traded the Angels the 24th overall pick as compensatory. Who do the Angels draft with that pick? Mike friggin’ Trout. It was a given the Yanks were gonna sign Texiera before he ever hit the market so it was a guarantee that any team that had him before was going to get that pick. When you look at it that way the Rangers traded a season of Mark Texiera and an entire career of Mike Trout for Andrus, Feliz and Saltalamcchia. Even worse the Braves traded Mark Texiera and Mike Trout for a single season of Casey Kotchman. The Yanks traded Mike Trout and over $180 million for the last 7 years of Texiera. The Angels made out like bandits. The Angels traded one season of Casey Kotchman for half a season of Texiera (in his prime) and the entire career of Mike Trout. In this day and age in baseball that would never happen. How does anyone turn 1 year of Casey friggin Kotchman into Mark Texiera and the entire career of Mike Trout? At least the Rangers and the Yanks turned out better than the Braves did. I would much rather have Andrus, Felix and Saltalamacchia or 7 years of Mark Texiera than 1 single season of Casey Kotchman. It justs disgusts me every time I think about it. I would much rather Trout be with the Rangers or the Braves than the Angels. And then when you think about what each team gave up… The Angels gave up the least by far and they still ended up with the entire career of the best player in baseball on lock.
Atlanta traded him to the Angel’s in 2008 for Kotchman…..
I’m having difficulties understanding this post. What does Mike Trout have to do with Elvis and the deal the Braves made with Texas to get Teixiera? Atlanta was in a pennant fight and Texas was not. Rangers got Elvis, Harrison, Salty and Felix for him. All helped the Rangers to the world series two strait years. Braves didn’t win it with Mark and the next year, when they were out of it, sent him to the Angels before he became a FA. The Yanks had nothing to do with this and the Braves dumped some salary.. of course, NY signed Mark and he had some very good years in NY. Kotchman was a journeyman. but he didn’t make a lot of money. he filled a role for the Braves who traded him for Adam LaRoche, who did ok for Atlanta before leaving as a FA. Trout was drafted by the Angels and has been with them his entire career.
If the Rangers had kept Texiera for the next year and a half they would have gotten the 24th overall pick from the Yankees when he signed there. That was the pick the Angels for from the Yankees when he signed there. That was the pick the Angels used to draft Trout. The Rangers could have very easily ended up with Mike Trout instead of the Angels.
several points: 1. Texas got three key guys who were a huge reason the Rangers made it to the world series two strait years. Elvis at short, Harrison as a starter and Feliz was their closer. It’s one of the greatest trades in MLB history. Elvis has been a very good shortstop this last decade. Unfortunately, both Feliz and Harrison were injured . I would make the argument the Rangers would not have been in the WS without those three. 2. The Rangers HAD a chance to draft Trout but instead passed on him (as did 24 other teams) and felt Matt Purke was a better option. They couldn’t sign him and Purke pitched for the Sugarland Skeeters this year.. 3. you can’t assume Texas would have drafted Trout even if they had that pick from the Angels. Remember, this is a franchise that took Donald Harris instead of Frank Thomas. But you can look at virtually EVERY team and point out all the mistakes they made on draft day 401 players were picked before the Cards selected Albert Pujols.
I get your point. In my original post I wasn’t just referring to the Rangers though. I was kind of saying that Texas fans should feel better about it when compared to the Braves. The Braves could have just held in to Texiera and gotten that same pick as well. They basically traded the Trout pick and the only thing they got in return was one season of Casey Kotchman. I also kind of figure that if any of the 23 teams that passed on Trout had that pick as well it doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t have drafted him at 24. Just using Texas as an example, once they got who they thought was their guy in Purke, they could have decided that Trout was the 2nd get they wanted. It was more a statement about where baseball was back then. The Braves traded the 24th overall pick in the draft (which coincidentally ended up being Mike Trout) for 1 solitary season of Casey Kotchman. That trade would never happen today. Kotchman was never really even expected to be a great player.
Is lazy coded language for Latino?
Why do you need to bring ethnic background into the conversation?
Elvis has played like crap since the team fell out of contention. If you’d been watching him on the field, you’d know he stopped hustling in the second half too.
The Ranger’s brassarent thinking about benching him because his numbers suck, his playing time is in jeopardy because there days he obviously isn’t trying.
I didn’t see that coded language from the post and I’m Latino. I just looked at Elvis numbers in the second half…..
It’s almost like it’s been really hot and he’s a lot more worn down than he was the first half of the season… Fans will be more accepting of the AC stadium when they realize the players will be able to swing a bat still by the time August and September roll around.
I was referring to the “he’s lazy” comment. Saying he’s playing terribly based on stats is of course more than fair. But lazy isn’t a new remark in baseball and almost always is attached to Latino players.
It’s absolutely not and I’m disgusted by your insinuation.
Cool story – it was more than an insinuation. The language isn’t new to describe Latino players so maybe do better?
I agree. If he was white, he’d be “enigmatic” or some bull like that.
What are you talking about? 30+ career WAR says you’re wrong buddy.
“Well, he’s work’n. He’s work’n HARD.”.. as noted by Woody.
We’ve heard this “tired saying” multiple times through the long season.
Woody, it’s hardly work’n.
Your coaches are either lying to you or we have several airheads that ‘don’t get IT’.
Buy into IT? Just what is expected?
Rah Rah the players to wear emotions on their sleeves… full of adrenaline
It eventually tires out, setting up the ‘Crash & Burn’ during September.
we are now seeing. OMG!
Time for Boys to Men… welcome to the Real MLB, kiddo’s.
Stand-Up or leave the room. We have Baseball to PLAY.
AND, it’s a Real Honor to do so.
On Board?
All Men proceed to Gate 2020 please.
“Disappointing seasons” meaning what exactly? That it’s disappointing that their playing pretty much in line with how they typically play? Disappointing in that the hope was for all 3 to do better than they’ve shown? I don’t think them being “disappointing” is why the Rangers are under .500. Heck, this is Mazara’s best season so far!
Below average by which standards exactly? He’s pretty much exactly on par with his career averages, that’s just the type of player he is. His profile brings value, he’s not a power hitter, and he’s not a player whose calling card is prowess at the plate, nor is he at a position that demands it.
This is the correct take. Andrus has had 2 good years at the plate, maybe 3 depending how you view his early work in 2012ish. He’s always been an incredibly inefficient base stealer. Now his defense is falling off and it won’t get better from here
“Incredibly inefficient” is fairly significant hyperbole. Elvis’ career stolen base percentage is 74.2 percent, which puts him within a point of the 75 percent threshold commonly accepted as the break even mark for base-stealers. And it’s not as if he’s really declined much in that regard as he’s aged either.
He’s not elite base-stealer, but his stolen base percentage puts him in the top 250 all time — ahead of a number of guys most would consider better base-stealers without the data in front of them.
And since 2014 that number is 61%. And if you remove the 2 years he was any good at stealing bases(2 good years seems to be a pattern with Andrus), his 2009 rookie season and 2014, then his career mark is 60%.
Disappointing would have to be Daniels as GM. He is just horrible. Season after season of mediocrity. Don’t understand how he has a job
Daniels is coasting on past success. Don’t forget the hot weather in Texas.
Hopefully next year that won’t be a problem…..
He’s still coasting on two pennants from 8-9 years ago.
Texas will never be a winner under Jon Daniels. Can’t image the low morale he creates. Say’s he’s rebuilding? We’ll see.
Simple, he knows how to squeeze a profitable buck by not spending excessively.
This guy hasn’t been the same since the 3 errors in one inning in the playoffs
Well seeing as that happened in 2015, and he had by far his best season of his career in 2017, this doesn’t really make sense.
I’ll take Elvis any day over anything Daniels has shown us. Elvis is a proven everyday player who has accomplished a lot for the Rangers. Elvis was always a contact hitter, He spent many years driving the ball into the ground then several years ago started lifting the ball with great success. He has not been lifting the ball this year but remains a contact hitter. Elvis plays a solid defense considering the balls he sees and his ability to get to balls many other SS couldn’t. There is no one better at ss on this team today.
It’s almost like it’s been really hot and he’s a lot more worn down than he was the first half of the season… Fans will be more accepting of the AC stadium when they realize the players will be able to swing a bat still by the time August and September roll around.
Odor will always be beloved throughout the baseball community for his right cross into Jose Bautista’s mug…
The Rangers are trying to tell the team: “we’ve had a bad year and no one can be safe next year”. they have to improve. Elvis may want to opt out but from an economic standpoint, I doubt he could get a better deal. He’s had a bad second half, no question but he’s hitting 271 which is near his career average.
I find it curious that they’re expecting more when is season stats this year are pretty similar to his career 162 game average…
Andres may be in the initial phase of baseball decline now. Rangers are on the hook for another three years with him unless Andres opts out. Andres is smart enough to stick it through though his performance suffers. Daniels ought to encourage him to “opt out” and fill the slot with someone younger such as Solak.