Rangers emerge as favorites to land Cuban star outfielder

Having lost out on Shohei Otani, the Texas Rangers now have money to burn on international players.

On Wednesday, they added $250,000 in potential money when they traded minor league right-handed pitcher Domingo Pena to the Kansas City Royals for international slot compensation.

The Rangers are gathering potential funds to sign Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez.

The 21-year-old left-handed outfielder was recently granted free agency status, and will be eligible to sign with a major league club on March 6.

According to a report by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the Rangers are in the lead to sign the star from the Cuban national team. The Yankees and Marlins are reportedly pursuing Martinez, too.

He would likely begin the season in low-level A ball.

The Rangers have done the Cuban outfielder thing before. With ish results.

In March of 2011, the team signed Leonys Martin to a five-year, major league contract that included a $5 million signing bonus. He was considered a top-tier prospect.

He was talented, and had a strong throwing arm, but the basics of the game and the fundamentals were areas of major concern to his coaches. He never got it.

Martin spent five seasons with the Rangers, and batted .255 with an on base percentage of .305.

He played the last two years with the Mariners and White Sox. Martin signed a major league deal with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason.

Pena, 19, appeared in 10 low-level minor league games with the Rangers' organization. He was signed by the club when he was 19, in the summer of 2014.

This story was originally published February 28, 2018 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Rangers emerge as favorites to land Cuban star outfielder."