Rangers Sign Dominican Teenage Prospect

The Rangers have made a habit of making some pretty big signings on July 2, which is the day the international signing period begins every year.

In recent years, they've signed guys like Leonys Martin, Jorge Alfaro and Nomar Mazara, and on Thursday they made another significant signing by inking 16-year-old Dominican prospect Leodys Taveras to a $2.1 million deal.

Taveras, a switch-hitting center fielder, is ranked as the No. 3 international prospect for this year's J2 period.

At 6-1, 165 pounds, Taveras is lean but obviously still has some filling out to do as a 16-year-old. Scouts say he has a chance to be a guy with five tools, some of which could eventually be plus-tools with a good combination of speed, arm strength and power, according to Baseball America.

Taveras is the younger cousin of former big leaguer Willy Taveras, who spent seven years in the big and last played for the Washington Nationals in 2010.

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