Rangers Sign Son of Former MLB Star With Red Sox Legend David Ortiz in Attendance
The international signing period began on Jan. 15, and with teams now officially able to ink players to deals, the Texas Rangers took full advantage by locking up some of their top prospects.
One of them for the Rangers was Hansel Ramirez.
The third baseman out of the Dominican Republic is the son of former Major League Baseball star Hanley Ramirez, who had a decorated career with a Rookie of the Year Award, three All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers and a batting title across his 15 seasons.
If Texas gets anywhere close to that from the younger Ramirez, the $200,000 bonus deal they signed him to will be a massive steal.
But, the elder Ramirez wasn't the only star who was in attendance for this signing.
Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was also in the room when this contract was officially inked.
Ortiz is known to be close with just about every Dominican Republic player, so the fact he has this connection with the Ramirez family isn't too surprising, but it's still cool to see him attend what is undoubtedly one of the biggest days the Ramirez's have had.
When it comes to what the Rangers are getting, there's reason for fans to be excited.
"The younger Ramirez has an uppercut right-handed swing reminiscent of his father's. Using his back leg for leverage, he features a slight front-foot toe tap that allows him to get to his extra-base pop. Despite his young age, Hansel has an advanced approach at the dish, rarely chasing pitches outside the zone and showing a keen eye during in-game reps," write Jesse Borek and Kennedi Landry of MLB.com as his scouting report.
Reaching his ceiling will be the next step.
Texas certainly hopes that happens, and with former big league stars Ramirez and Ortiz in his camp, that is a good sign going forward.