Texas Rangers sign top international prospect Bayron Lora

The Texas Rangers have made a splash in the international free agent market, signing outfielder Bayron Lora.

The Texas Rangers had been linked to Bayron Lora, a young outfielder from the Dominican Republic, since before the 2019-20 international signing period had begun. In fact, there were reports that Lora had agreed to a deal with the Rangers on July 2, along with two other notable international prospects in Maximo Acosta and Zion Banister.

However, while Acosta and Banister had signed, Lora had not officially put the pen to the paper. That changed on Sunday, when Lora officially became a part of the Rangers organization, signing for a reported $3.9 million bonus.

There were some machinations needed to be able to sign Lora. After inking Acosta and Banister, the Rangers had just under $3 million left in their international signing bonus pool. A trade with the White Sox, which also brought back reliever Nate Jones, resulted in Texas getting another $1 million to add to their pool, allowing for Lora to sign.

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At 6’4″ and 200 pounds at 16 years old, Lora is obviously expected to have tremendous power potential. He is already considered to have a great deal of raw power already, and excellent bat speed. Lora is also considered to have strong swing mechanics and a solid understanding of the strike zone.

Despite his size, Lora is also considered to be useful in other aspects of the game. He is considered a fast runner with solid instincts on the bases. That decent speed makes Lora useful in the outfield as well, as he is able to get a good jump on the ball coming off the bat.

Obviously, there is a great deal of projection for Lora as well. As he continues to grow, his already remarkable raw power should improve, making him an even more intriguing prospect. Lora also gives the Rangers another top international prospect in the outfield, as they signed Julio Pablo Martinez in 2018.

The Texas Rangers have added another intriguing bat to their farm system, as Bayron Lora is officially a part of the organization.