Reading comments around different sites, it seems Rangers fans are just as bewildered about the demotion of Willie Calhoun as Willie Calhoun was. In a number of comments in The Athletic, for instance, a number of fans who admitted that they had been Jon Daniels apologists for a long time, said that this was the last straw.

It seems this angered a lot of people.

Of course, Calhoun’s most recent performance had something to do with it. But if one was to go on performance alone, three other Rangers would have leapt to the front of that line.

We all know Odor couldn’t be sent down without his approval. 

Guzman could have. The reasoning given was that the Rangers had too many outfielders. But the Rangers have three other first baseman in Danny Santana, Logan Forsythe and Joey Gallo. Yet Guzman stayed.

That leaves Nomar Mazara. With the choice between Mazara and Calhoun, why was Mazara kept? 

The only explanation that makes sense is that they are dead set on trading Nomar Mazara. So, they are keeping his trade value as high as possible.

With Mazara in the major leagues, the club that trades for him is getting a major league outfielder who just two years ago drove in 100 runs and simply needs a change of scenery to kick start his career. The new team thinks they are just the ones to do it. The Rangers get fair value for him.

But with Mazara in the minor leagues, the club that trades for him would be getting a minor league outfielder with some former major league experience. Shake a tree and you find dozens of those. The Rangers get much less for that.

Perception equals value. 

That is the only way this makes sense, other than accountability isn’t important to the Rangers.

Which is the topic of a whole other day.

*****

TODAY’S GAME:

Ariel Jurado (5-5, 4.63) vs. Jose Urquidy (0-0, 10.50)

Game time: 6:10