There's no question that Mike Olt is one of the Texas Rangers' top prospects, arguably right behind Jurickson Profar, who we all know is one of the top prospects in all of baseball. And there's also no question the Rangers would like Olt to be a part of their future.
But that might not be realistic as he's been discussed as a major piece in several possible trades this offseason.
If the Rangers do indeed hold on to Olt, he shouldn't start the season in Arlington after he hit .152 in 40 plate appearances in 2012 while seeing time at first base, third base and right field.
Do the names Chris Davis and Justin Smoak mean anything to you?
Both were giant prospects, both came up had some success and more failure and were traded away after probably being rushed to Arlington.
Davis burst onto the scene in 2008, hitting 17 home runs and 55 RBIs in 80 games with the Rangers with a .285 batting average. It was all downhill after that as he bounced up and down between Arlington and the minors and struggled to make contact, much less hit the ball.
He was traded to Baltimore for Koji Uehara in 2011 and immediately saw more success, hitting 33 homers and driving in 85 runs with a .270 average in 2012 for the Orioles.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Smoak was also rushed to the bigs with the Rangers and struggled mightily before being traded to Seattle for Cliff Lee in 2010. Since that time, Smoak has struggled in Seattle as well and might just be a case of a guy that lost all his confidence at a young age.
The Rangers needn't make the same mistake with Olt.
