Right hooks notwithstanding, Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor has had a fantastic year. With 16 home runs and 46 RBIs on a .275/.296/.491 slash line in the first half of the season, Odor has flashed tremendous power for a middle infielder and has helped Texas to a comfortable lead atop the AL West. The 22-year-old has done well to boost his value, and he knows it.
According to a report by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports on Thursday, Odor recently rejected an extension offered by the Rangers worth approximately $35 million over six years, including two team option years. Extension talks had been ongoing throughout the season, and the offer Odor turned down was the same deal Odor’s agent, Rick Thurman of Beverly Hills Sports Council, got from the Pirates for Gregory Polanco, another one of his clients.
Heyman also notes that Thurman only did the Pirates deal because Polanco insisted on it, while Odor is (predictably) “a feisty type who wants to fight hard for the best deal.” Odor is said to have made a counteroffer to the Rangers, but talks are now on hold for the time being.
The Venezuela native signed with Texas in 2011 as an international free agent. He is due to be eligible for arbitration in 2018 but is under team control until 2021, so it’s not exactly the most pressing situation to get an extension immediately hammered out.
The feisty type indeed, Odor is smart to hold for the best deal possible, as he will only get better and become worth more as he develops further.
Image Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
H/T Rotoworld
