Winter Meetings 2012: Texas Rangers Shopping Mike Olt

The MLB Winter Meetings have become less about the annual baseball trade show than the owners and general managers in baseball discussing big time deals with agents of free agents and big time deals with other teams trying to get a competitive advantage for the following season. The Texas Rangers are in the market to make a big move this offseason and are ready to move top prospect Mike Olt to do so.

Olt’s name has been brought up a lot during the Winter Meetings and the Rangers are seeking to trade him. Olt is a talented prospect that is ready for the major leagues. However, he is blocked by third baseman Adrian Beltre and designated hitter Michael Young. The Rangers see Olt has a future of their lineup but cannot use him they way the team wants to right now.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been in the market to trade outfielder Justin Upton. The Rangers would be move than willing to move Olt in a deal for Upton. However, the Diamondbacks prefer one of the Rangers’ shortstops to Olt in Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar.

Olt is rated No. 4 by Baseball America and No. 3 by Baseball Prospectus in Rangers’ farm system. At the Double-A level, Olt batted .288/.398/.579 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI. Olt did make the September roster but was 5-for-33 with five RBI. There still is a long way to go for a possible deal to get done, but the team has made it known that the 24-year-old is available.

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