After failing to live up to his lofty expectations with the Rangers, outfielder Nomar Mazara believes his best seasons are still ahead of him. And that’s exactly what White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was banking on when he traded minor-league outfielder Steele Walker to the Rangers for Mazara on Dec. 11.
Mazara said the Rangers were a part of his life since his early teens, so leaving them was hard. But he believes he can benefit from a change in scenery.
“Change is always good for everybody,” Mazara said Wednesday on a conference call. “You never know where you’re going to become a star. If it wasn’t in Texas, it can be with the White Sox. I’m working really hard right now. I’m ready to take the next step.”
Since breaking into the majors at 21, Mazara has hit .261 with 79 home runs and 308 RBI in 537 games over four seasons with the Rangers.
Mazara had his best start to a season in 2018, hitting 15 homers in 91 games. But then he missed a month with a sprained thumb.
“I came back and played like a month, and I don’t know,” Mazara said. “That wasn’t the right thing to do because I was playing hurt and I think I just made it worse. It wasn’t fully healed. I was 50 or 60 percent playing through that.”
Mazara struggled with injuries last season, too. He hit .268 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI in 116 games.
“I know I’ve got a lot in me still,” Mazara said. “You’ve got to keep praying that I’m going to stay healthy the whole season next year and a lot of good things are going to happen.”
Hahn believes Mazara, who’s expected to be the Sox’ primary right fielder, has “untapped potential and incredible upside.” Mazara also believes he can grow, especially on defense.
“I’m getting better every day with my routes and getting more confident out there,” he said. “I’m just working really hard out there. I’m never going to stop working. I’m always going to put myself in a good position to give the team everything I’ve got.”
NOTE: Left-hander Ross Detwiler agreed to a minor-league deal with the Sox. He posted a 6.59 ERA in 18 games, including 12 starts, with the Sox last season.
Contributing: Daryl Van Schouwen