Rangers Move on From Former Top 30 Prospect in Favor of New Utilityman Acquisition

The Texas Rangers have changed around their roster quite a bit recently, and will continue to do so by moving on from one of their former top 30 prospects.

Jul 2, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Jonathan Ornelas (21) hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have found themselves in a somewhat odd situation, as they have quite a significant amount of talent on the roster, but it has only so far led to a 25-23 record. This ultimately resulted in the team firing offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and instead hiring hitting coach Bret Boone in his place. Since then, the team has found some offensive momentum and may be on the upswing a bit.

Unfortunately, they will be moving on from some players in the process, and the most recent transaction is their decision to designate former top 30 prospect in their system, Jonathan Ornelas, for assignment, as was reported in a press release by the team. In a corresponding move, the team claimed utilityman Michael Helman off waivers.

This was no doubt a tough decision, as Ornelas had all the potential in the world at one point, and ranked up to No. 18 in their farm system back in 2023 on MLB Pipeline. He did not end up tapping into this potential, though, and his 30 games played across three seasons at the MLB level were disappointing.

As for Helman, he proved himself a few times with the Minnesota Twins over the years, but did not end up sticking to the roster at the MLB level for more than a few series. Last season in Triple-A he slashed .271/.350/.487 with 49 runs, 47 RBI, 14 home runs, and 76 strikeouts to 29 walks. In that span he played second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots at one point or another, so his versatility should bring some positive traits to the Rangers.

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