The Texas Rangers have found a free agent market in which they can be aggressive.
The only problem: Everyone else is just as aggressive and with just about the same resources.
Welcome to the International Free Agent Signing period, which begins Thursday morning. The Rangers have an allotment of $6,679,200, as determined by Major League Baseball, to spread across Latin America, and they intend to spend every penny of it in hopes of finding the next Sebastian Walcott. The Rangers bonus pool is tied with seven other clubs for the 16th largest pool. All the bonus pools for the 30 clubs fall between $5.4 million and $8 million.
The class is expected to be topped by infielder/outfielder Elian Rosario, who turned 17 in October. Rosario, a right-handed hitter, is listed at 6-2, 195 pounds and, according to Baseball America, already has significant raw power and could project to have “plus or plus-plus raw power.” He does have some swing-and-miss issues, typical of a power hitter, but also is willing to take a walk, suggesting good strike-zone knowledge. According to BA, which lists him as committed to the Rangers, he is the No. 9 prospect in the current Latin American signing class; MLB Pipeline ranks him 10th.
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The Rangers are also expected to invest significantly in an area of great need in the system: Catching. They will likely sign Venezuelan catchers Santiago Ramirez and Frainker Benitez. But the biggest twist is that, for the first time in a long time, the Rangers will make a significant bet on a pitcher in the international market.
The Rangers are expected to land right-hander Frandel Pineda of the Dominican Republic with a significant bonus. Then again, anything over $100,000 would qualify as “significant,” based on the Rangers recent pitching signings in the international period. They have primarily focused resources on hitters. A year ago, they signed six pitchers in their 21-player class, nobody for more than $80,000 and a total investment of $180,000. Pineda, a hard-thrower like his uncle, former Yankees starter Michael Pineda, is expected to get more than $180,000 alone. Pineda is ranked No. 47 in the signing class, according to MLB Pipeline, but is unranked by Baseball America.
“We feel we will have a very balanced class,” Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said of the class without confirming any names.
In recent years, the Rangers have not invested heavily in international pitchers, though dollars spent do not equal success. The Rangers do have four pitchers from their international program in their season-ending Top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Each of them — Winston Santos, Emiliano Teodo, David Davalillo and Leandro Lopez — signed for $10,000 apiece. The Rangers did not, however, get a single major league inning in 2025 from a pitcher they signed using international bonus money.
Jose Corniell, who made his major league debut with 1⅔ innings on the final day of the season, has only pitched professionally in the Rangers’ organization, but was originally signed by Seattle ahead of the COVID-canceled 2020 season and subsequently traded to the Rangers.
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