Rangers need extra innings to sign Lora. But when will he play his first inning for them?
The Texas Rangers needed an extra seven weeks and, apparently, some extra international bonus money, but they finally have executed an agreement with Dominican teenager Bayron Lora.
The deal with the 16-year-old outfielder is worth $3.9 million, according to a source, and is pending a physical, which should be completed in September in Arlington.
Lora was considered the top power-hitting prospect in the current July 2 signing period and is another big get for the Rangers, who in March 2018 reached agreement with Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez.
Lora is 6-foot-4 and anywhere between 200 and 235 pounds, depending on the report. It’s a muscular build, and he is still athletic enough to patrol left field.
The size contributes to his power, along with plus bat speed.
But don’t count on Lora for several seasons.
He won’t play in the Dominican Summer League this year, and the Rangers might be hesitant to bring him to the United States next season as well.
The Rangers signed Nomar Mazara as a 16-year-old in 2011, and he made his MLB debut in 2016 just shy of his 21st birthday.
It is believed that the Rangers’ trade with the Chicago White Sox on July 31, in which they acquired injured reliever Nate Jones and $1 million in international slot money helped the Rangers finalize the Lora deal.
Securing Lora gives the Rangers, on paper, a successful summer in amateur-talent acquisitions. They reached agreement with their first six picks, including No. 8 overall pick Josh Jung, and 13 of their first 14.
The lone exception was seventh-rounder Brandon Sproat, a prep right-hander who will honor his commitment to Florida.
The Rangers previously announced the signings for Maximo Acosta, a Venezuelan shortstop, and Zion Bannister, and outfielder from the Bahamas, for $1.65 million and $835,000.
This story was originally published August 25, 2019 at 1:07 PM.
