Three elite international free agents add Rangers to their roster
Notable foreign free agents Yolfran Castillo, Curley Martha, and Paulino Santana have all signed with the Texas Rangers.
The Texas Rangers have inked three of the best amateur free agents—outfielder Paulino Santana, shortstops Curley Martha and Yolfran Castillo—during the opening of the international free agency signing session today.
The Dominican national Santana is the number two international free agent according to MLB Pipeline. The right-handed batter’s spin detection and strike zone judgment have earned him high praise from Baseball America, who regard him as a possible five-tool man. The scouting report from MLB.com highlights his strike zone feel and adaptability.
On the MLB Pipeline board, Martha is ranked #29. He was a standout for the Curacoa squad at the 2019 Little League World Series; he hails from Curacao. Similar to another Curacaoan who the Rangers signed, Jurickson Profar, he is described in the Pipeline scouting report as a “pure hitter” with advanced intuition. His bat-first style and probable eventual shift away from shortstop are both highlighted by Pipeline and BA.
Castillo, who is from Venezuela, is ranked #46 on the Pipeline board. He, like Santana and Martha, gets excellent ratings for his “feel for hitting and [understanding of] the strike zone,” per MLB Pipeline. He’s tall and rangy, and is viewed as more likely than Martha to stick at shortstop.
The Rangers have a pool of $4,652,200 available to them, having lost $1 million as a result of signing Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom as free agents last offseason. There will be further signings now that the J-2 window has started, though these three appear to be the big dollar individuals who will get the most of the pool money. Players that sign for $10,000 or less do not count against the bonus pool.
I would expect all three of these guys to spend the 2024 season in the Dominican Summer League, however as we saw last year with Sebastian Walcott, it is possible that a player who is exceeding expectations could end up playing in the U.S. before the season is finished. Santana, in particular, had MLB Pipeline conjuring comparisons to San Diego’s Ethan Salas, who signed this time last year with the Padres and concluded the year at AA. The Pipeline story cited above adds that “Santana could be a similarly fast riser through the ranks.”
UPDATE — Here is a list of 23 international free agents that the Rangers have announced they have signed:
