Texas Rangers Sign Two Top International Prospects

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Jun 28, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (73) hits a single against Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Blue Jays beat Rangers 3 – 2. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

One area in which the Texas Rangers have had success in over the years is signing top international players. This list includes several top current and former prospects, such as Nomar Mazara (Dominican Republic), Jorge Alfaro (Colombia), Rougned Odor (Venezuela), and Jurickson Profar (Curacao).

This year’s group has started to take form as the 2015-2016 international signing period opened yesterday with many moves being made quickly. Although teams are not allowed to sign players until after July 2nd, teams often have deals in place with their top targets to ensure they will be signing with them as soon as possible. The Rangers continued their trend of signing top talent and have rounded out their top talent this year after taking Dillon Tate, Eric Jenkins, and Michael Matuella in the MLB Draft. They have been able to keep the team competitive this year and are setting up their farm system to remain in the top 10 heading into the 2016 season. They are also building up their assets if they are looking to make a move at this trade deadline or in the years to come. Let’s take a look at the two major signing the Rangers made yesterday.

The top international prospect available was a name that many Rangers fans will be familiar with. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of Vladimir Guerrero, was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Next: Taveras

The top player the Rangers signed yesterday was outfielder Leodys Taveras from the Dominican Republic for $2.1 million. The 16-year-old is the cousin of Willy Taveras who signed as an international free agent with the Cleveland Indians in 1999. He is 6’1″ and 165 pounds and is a switch hitter who trained with Beyrru.

Taveras was the third ranked international prospect according to Baseball America and the seventh ranked prospect according to FanGraphs. FanGraphs notes that he has “above average to plus speed to profile in center field, a smooth cut from both sides of the plate that shows up in games and the chance for at least average power.”

This skill set reminds me a lot of Leonys Martin who started with the Rangers when he was 17-years-old. If Taveras can develop into Martin with a better bat than the Rangers will be fortunate. Taveras will likely spend the next three to four years making his way through the low minor league levels before he starts moving up. If he follows a career path similar to Martin, he could make the mayors by the age of 23 which would be in 2022.

Next: Aparicio

The second top player the Rangers signed was another outfielder, Miguel Aparicio from Venezuela for $500,000. Aparicio is also just 16 years old but is smaller than Taveras, standing at just 5’11” and 170 pounds. Aparicio trained with O.L. Beisbol Group and is a left-handed batter and thrower.

Baseball America was much higher on Aparicio than FanGraphs, having ranked him as the 14th best international prospect and the sixth best outfield prospect. FanGraphs has Aparicio ranked as the 27th best prospect and the seventh best centerfielder.

Aparicio is also the youngest outfield prospect available, meaning that he will likely take a similar path to the Rangers that will take several years. He has a small frame but as you can see from the video below has a smooth swing, above average speed, and what looks to be a chance for decent raw power. Aparicio and Taveras will likely be spending a lot of time together as teammates which will be good for their development as they grow and work to push each other.

With the $2.1 million given to Taveras and $500,000 for Aparicio, the Rangers are left with just under $2 million left of their signing bonus pool, according to the original figure reported by Baseball America. FanGraphs predicts that the Rangers will also sign second baseman Cristian Inoa, a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic.

Next: Texas Rangers Minor League Top Performances of June

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