Texas Rangers Sign Brother of Ronald Acuña, Top 25 International Prospect

The Texas Rangers made a couple of big additions to their farm system this week when they signed two international prospects.

The Texas Rangers made a quick entrance into the international prospect market on Monday when the signing period opened. The Rangers added one of the most talented players in the class, catcher Jose Rodriguez from Venezuela. They also reached an agreement with the young brother of Braves phenom, Ronald Acuña. Jesse Sanchez on MLB.com mentions that the Rangers have not confirmed either deal yet.

Even though the name Acuña jumps off the page, Jose Rodriguez is the real impact player that Texas picked up. The Rangers agreed to a $2 million deal with the catcher who is ranked 21st on the MLB.com Top 30 International list. The 16-year old is considered maybe the most developed hitter from Venezuela this year which is a huge boost to the Rangers future behind the dish.

Luisangel Acuña was the other pickup on day one of the international free agency signing period. Acuña as mentioned above, is the younger brother of Atlanta Braves young star, Ronald Acuña. Unfortunately, he isn’t on the same level as his brother. However, he is still a talented youngster. An infielder, Jesse Sanchez notes that he likely could become a second baseman because of his size. His top quality though is his bat which is thought to possibly translate to an above-average hitter. Texas reportedly agreed to a $425,000 deal for Luisangel.

These deals combined for $2,450,000 which is a pretty good chunk of the Rangers international pool. Texas started out with $4,983,500 so they have about $2,500,000 left. This could be used to chase some more international prospects or traded away as part of some deadline moves. Texas has made a lot of use with their international designations in years past. Notable international signings of the Rangers over the past couple of years include Nomar Mazara (2011), Leody Taveras (2015) and Julio Pablo Martinez (2018) among a slew of others.