It’s safe to say that when Rougned Odor was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers at the end of March, almost no one expected the Yankees to be interested. Fast-forward one week, and Odor is in the organization thanks to a trade that will keep all of the monetary burden on the Rangers.
At first glance, Odor is simultaneously a welcome addition and a strange fit. The Yankees had a clear lack of MLB-ready middle infielders on the depth chart below their starters, with Tyler Wade filling in as the backup on the 26-man roster and Thairo Estrada the immediate understudy.