Leody Taveras may be starting in CF, but how secure is his status with Rangers?

As the Rangers prepare for the heart of the offseason shopping season and the bazaar known as the Winter Meetings in early December, we take a look around the roster at where they are and where they might be going.

Center field

Likely starter: Leody Taveras

On the bench: Bubba Thompson, Eli White

What happened in 2022: After a pair of premature callups the previous two years, Leody Taveras arrived in June, the Rangers hope for good. The good news: He was still flirting with an .800 OPS in mid-August. The bad news: He fell off dramatically over the final six weeks of the season, slashing .209/.260/.266/.526 over his final 151 plate appearances. He had just four extra-base hits in that period and two of them came on the season’s penultimate day. Though he was one of the youngest position players on the roster, the Rangers didn’t start him three times in the last 10 games to try to freshen him up. Taveras has Gold Glove ability in center, but the wear and tear of the season also seemed to take a toll on him there. He made some poor defensive decisions in the final month. His security as a starter seemed secure for most of the season. But the finish may have created some more questions that can’t be answered until 2023.

By the numbers: .260 – Taveras’ batting average against right-handed pitching in 2022. Though he didn’t really drive the ball much, the switch-hitter at least made himself a viable option against righties, a necessity to be a full-time player. Over the first two seasons in which he appeared in the majors, he was a .170 hitter against right-handers. That just doesn’t play.

Surveying the market: Free agent Brandon Nimmo is a legitimate center fielder. If the Rangers were to sign him, they could certainly slide Taveras or Thompson to left and still wind up with a wonderfully athletic outfield. But given the team’s primary need is starting pitching, it just may be more cost effective and simpler to address left field. It just seems simpler and easier.

On the farm: Evan Carter, who turned 20 in September, is probably now the Rangers’ top prospect. And he can do everything. The 2020 second rounder posted an .885 OPS for the year, spending most of it at advanced Class A Hickory before a final-week promotion to Double-A Frisco. He had double figures in doubles (21), triples (10), homers (12) and stolen bases (28). And he was named a minor league Gold Glove winner. He is the real deal and is zipping up prospect rankings. He’s a rare combination of tools and instincts. And the 2021 second rounder, Aaron Zavala, is no slouch either. Zavala, 22, posted an .863 between Hickory and Frisco and joined the Arizona Fall League before suffering a torn UCL. His status for 2023 remains uncertain, pending his recovery.

The outlook: It’s good to have options at center field, a prime position on the field. And the Rangers have a trio of them in Taveras, Thompson and White. They are all elite athletes and defenders. The question is: Will they hit enough? On the other hand, the Rangers could be a year away from Carter patrolling center. With pressure all around, it seems like 2023 will be a make-it-or-break-it year for Taveras. He should go to spring training as the starter. But nothing after that will be guaranteed.

Rangers’ position series

C/DH: Jonah Heim/Mitch Garver

1B: Nathaniel Lowe

2B: Marcus Semien

SS: Corey Seager

3B: Josh Jung

LF: Bubba Thompson

CF: Leody Taveras

RF: Adolis García

More coming soon...

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