ARLINGTON, Texas - The Texas Rangers needed Wyatt Langford back. Optioning Alejandro Osuna to make room was the choice. But why?
Osuna has put together fine numbers for the Rangers since he was promoted from Triple-A Round Rock when Langford got hurt in April. He's fit into the team's "small ball" mantra at the bottom of the order. He can play all three outfield positions. He also gives the Rangers a left-handed bat.
Yet, on Friday, he was playing for Round Rock. Actually, he was optioned on Thursday, even though the transaction was formally announced on Friday. According to Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young, there was a reason for that.
Texas Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
"Part of it is looking at the next 10 days," Young said. "We did the option yesterday so we could start the clock. Looking at the next 10 days, and really the personnel, the matchups, there's not going to be a whole lot of pinch-hitting. So as a younger player that needs to play to develop, we don't want to stick him on the bench and let him get cold."
The Rangers open a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. After an off-day on Monday, Texas takes a six-game road trip to Kansas City and Boston . The Rangers return home on June 15. That three-game series will take four days to play as Texas gets an off day on June 17 to avoid conflicting with a World Cup match at AT&T Stadium.
Young said there would be some "re-evaluating" after 10 days, theoretically after the road trip, saying the young outfielder may be a better fit at that point.
The move was more to keep Osuna on track than an indictment on performance. Osuna slashed .253/.376/.275 with nine RBI.
Young mentioned the Rangers kept Michael Helman , and infielder and outfielder, on the 26-man roster for defensive purposes. He was starting in center field on Friday. Helman may end up losing his spot when the Rangers activate infielder Josh Smith . Or Texas could flip Helman for Osuna when the road trip ends.
While Osuna is at Round Rock he'll get some game reps at first base, a position he started workout out at during the last homestand to get some pre-game reps.
Young and manager Skip Schumaker see Osuna as a future piece. Young said that Osuna is the type of player the Rangers want both now and in the future. Schumaker said there are things they need from Osuna to take him from being an everyday option to being optioned. Schumaker said he isn't a "finished product."
"Is there a hitter with more slug in there? Absolutely," Schumaker said. "Can he get better against velo? Absolutely. There are more things he can work on to get better, to be that everyday player that we think he can be."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers/onsi as Why Rangers Optioned Alejandro Osuna Back to Minors in Latest Transactions .
