The Rangers lock up Rougned Odor long term

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The Texas Rangers have long been rumored to be pursuing extension talks with Rougned Odor, and as of yesterday, they've finally hammered out the terms. The second baseman is now under team control through at least 2022, with a six-year deal for $49.5 million and a team option for a season beyond that. On its face, that might sound like more of an extended commitment than it actually is — Odor just wrapped up his third major league season, meaning that the homegrown player wasn't yet eligible for arbitration and would have already been under the Rangers' control through the 2020 season.

Extending him for two years past his current situation isn't quite as striking of a commitment as a six-year deal may sound, but it's a clear commitment and a big payday for Odor regardless. The 23-year-old has made demonstrable progress in each of his three major league seasons, with an appreciable bump in his OPS each year and his home runs nearly doubling from season to season before hitting 33 last year. (For another testimonial about his power, albeit in a different form, you can always turn to Jose Bautista.)

So in the short term, the extension appears to be a win for both sides. But these sorts of deals almost always do at the outset — it's only what happens down the line that shows if it's really a steal or an anchor.

Meanwhile, Odor isn't the only player that the Rangers have been trying to lock down. Extension talks with Jonathan Lucroy were reportedly tabled this week, less than a year after the team traded for the catcher. And they're reportedly still talking to outfielder Nomar Mazara, which is an even more forward-thinking move than the Odor extension — Mazara is just 22 years old and made his major league debut last year when he was called up early due to big league injuries. While he still has plenty of room to grow, the erstwhile top prospect has a high ceiling, and the Rangers seem clearly interested in making moves to keep their young talent in town for as long as possible.

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