To start this off, we should get a couple of things out of the way.
Twenty-year-old second baseman Rougned Odor was rushed to the big leagues back in May. He should've likely played the entire year at Double-A Frisco, but circumstance and under-performance by veterans led to another outcome.
He's also a below average baserunner considering his good speed, he hasn't displayed much in the way of plate discipline and his play in the field at second base leaves room for improvement.
Now that that's all out of the way, let's get something else out there: How in the hell are you going to tell Odor "so long, see ya in the minors in 2015," when spring training breaks in March?
The biggest positive on Odor's side is the fact that while he was rushed to the bigs, he hasn't let it ruin him like so many 20-year-olds would. Odor has even played better as of late after a long skid through August. And most importantly, the game has never looked too big for him, not even when he was struggling. He's had several big hits in key situations.
That same stuff can't be said for Jurickson Profar in 2013. That might not be fair to say considering the circumstances — Profar was a utility player when he shouldn't have been while Odor is a full-time second baseman — but the proof is in the pudding.
Profar, at times last season, looked scared and overwhelmed at 20 years old. Odor has never given off that impression.
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It's impossible to say right now who the Rangers' starting second baseman will be when the Rangers open the season next year in Oakland. But the fact Profar has already missed a full season of development and now being set up to miss Arizona Fall League play and possibly Dominican Winter League play isn't a good thing for him.
Odor has shown the development Profar has yet to show, and if I'm a betting man, I'd say Odor is trotting out to second base at O.Co Coliseum on April 6.
