The Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox were involved in a Major League Baseball trade on Wednesday. The Rangers traded outfielder Nomar Mazara of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to the Chicago White Sox for minor league outfielder Steele Walker.
The White Sox become Mazara’s second Major League Baseball team. Mazara had played the previous four seasons in Arlington for Texas.
In 2019, Mazara batted .268 with 19 home runs and 66 runs batted in. During 429 at bats, Mazara scored 69 runs, had 115 hits, 27 doubles, one triple, 28 walks, a .318 on base percentage, .469 slugging percentage, 201 total bases and six sacrifice flies.
Mazara is expected to be the starting right fielder in Chicago for the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season. Mazara is ahead of Leury Garcia on the White Sox depth chart, but expect Garcia to get plenty of action in a utility role, either in center field, right third, second base or designated hitter.
At 24 years of age, Mazara joins a White Sox team that is rather fortunate to be playing in the American League Central at the moment. The Minnesota Twins seem to be the best team in the division at the moment, but are not the clear favorite—unlike the New York Yankees in the American League East and the Houston Astros in the American League West. The most notable offseason acquisition for the White Sox happened on November 21, when they signed catcher Yasmani Grandal from the Milwaukee Brewers.
On paper, the White Sox would seem to be better in 2020 than the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, but behind the Twins and Cleveland Indians. Chicago had a record of 72 wins and 89 losses in 2019. They were 13.5 games ahead of the fourth place Royals, but 20.5 games back of the second place Cleveland Indians. A third place finish is again likely for the White Sox in 2020.
Walker is a native of Prosper, TX. After being traded to the Rangers, Walker was assigned to Frisco of the Texas League.
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