The wait is almost over. When will Rangers open their new home in the Dominican Republic?
The planning for a new Texas Rangers complex in the Dominican Republic has been in the works for years. The work on their new facility is only a few months from being done.
The Rangers expect to begin moving their Latin America operation to their new home in June and will be playing Dominican Summer League games there when the season opens July 1, assistant general manager Mike Daly said.
The final touches to the construction should be completed no later than the end of July, and players should be relocated into a dormitory-style rooms and have access to a 100-player locker room.
“Our goal, and what we laid out to ownership, is we wanted to make sure we did it right and we weren’t going to be held to a time frame,” Daly said. “We wanted to make sure it was well thought out, efficient, smart and something we’d be proud of five years from now, 10 years from now and 15 years from now.”
The new complex, which covers more than a million square feet, is adjacent to the facility the Rangers have been leasing for nearly a decade in Boca Chica. The biggest compliment it receives is that it’s functional, but it clearly is below the new standard set by other MLB teams.
Daly said that the Rangers haven’t been at a disadvantage in the competitive scouting realm, but having a new facility should give them more of an advantage when trying to sign young prospects.
In addition to the dorms and new clubhouse, the complex will have three full fields, a half-field and four batting cages.
“The reason I’d say we weren’t at a disadvantage is because we have outstanding people and staff,” Daly said. “They understood it wasn’t the best facility on the island, but they have been so passionate and working with what we’ve given them. Now we have the best of both, the best complex in the Dominican and the best people.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 2:06 PM.
