The Chicago White Sox have acquired OF Nomar Mazara in exchange for CF Steele Walker.
This could be an absolute steal for the White Sox. Mazara is 24, and is already a four year veteran. He is very consistent. He hit exactly 20 home runs in his first three seasons, but hit 19 in 2019. His .268 batting average and .786 OPS were both career highs, but not by much. One of his 19 home runs went 505 feet, the furthest hit ball in 2019. He is a below average defender, with -4 defensive runs saved and a -2.7 UZR. The numbers do not look pretty, but keep in mind his age. If Mazara can take his game to the next level, it could be scary. But his extremely mediocre numbers through four seasons are not showing much signs of improvement, potentially prompting the Rangers to trade him.
Even though Mazara is mediocre, I still thought the Rangers could have received more in return. They get one decent prospect in Walker. Walker is 23, so he is just a year younger than Mazara and won\’t be making the big leagues in this upcoming season. A second round pick in 2018, Walker signed for $2 million. In 2019, Walker reached as high as High-A Winston-Salem. He hit .284 with 10 home runs, 13 stolen bases (but he was caught seven times) and an .811 OPS. In the Rangers system, MLB Pipeline ranks Walker as their 12th best prospect.
CarterHud 