ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -While Texas negotiated with its first-round pick, the Rangers and second-round selection Robbie Ross agreed Friday night to a minor league contract with a $1,575,000 signing bonus.
With the signing of the 19-year-old Ross, a left-handed pitcher from Lexington Christian Academy in Kentucky, the Rangers had signed eight of their top nine picks. The only unsigned player in that group was first-round pick Justin Smoak, the 11th overall pick in June.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said negotiations were still ongoing with Smoak with an 11 p.m. CDT deadline approaching.
“We are still talking,” Daniels said as the Rangers began their game against Tampa Bay. “I’m not sure which direction it will go.”
Smoak, a switch-hitting first baseman from the University of South Carolina, and Ross are represented by the same agent, Dustin Bledsoe. Smoak hit .383 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs as a junior last season.
The Rangers announced the signing of Ross and introduced him midway through the game.
Ross, the 57th overall pick, was one of Kentucky’s best high school players. We went 5-2 with a 1.51 ERA, with 75 strikeouts and only six walks in 51 innings.
“All our scouts raved about his competitiveness and demeanor on the mound,” Daniels said. “To add that type of young pitcher to our system is consistent to what we’re trying to do.”
Ross, who underwent a six-hour physical Wednesday after arriving in Texas, is excited about pitching in the same organization for which Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan is the president.
“Nolan Ryan was such a great competitor. He was always a bulldog when he pitched. I want to be just like him,” Ross said. “It’s funny to get drafted by the Rangers and him being the president of the team. I like to get in there and compete.”
The Rangers are sending Ross to Surprise, where their spring training complex is, to pitch in the Arizona Fall League.
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