The Texas Rangers protected top prospects David Davalillo, Leandro Lopez, and Abimelec Ortiz from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster ahead of the 5 p.m. CT deadline.
The Texas Rangers selected the contracts of right-handed pitchers David Davalillo and Leandro Lopez and first baseman Abimelic Ortiz on Tuesday, adding the three top prospects to the 40-man roster. The moves protect the players from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft on December 10th.
Abimelic Ortiz, 1B/OF (Age 23, Round Rock Express)
Ortiz, who was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock, was instantly productive. In his first week at the Triple-A level, he slashed an incredible .444/.583/1.111/1.694 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.
The 23-year-old finished the season with the Express, playing in 41 games where he slashed .283/.388/.565/.953 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs.
David Davalillo, RHP (Age 23, Frisco RoughRiders)
Davalillo was named the Texas Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Season. The Venezuelan native, who signed as an international free agent in 2022, went 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA (23 earned runs in 84.2 innings pitched), a 0.93 WHIP, a .184 opponent batting average, and 126 strikeouts. These numbers were compiled over 23 games (22 starts) between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco.
Leandro Lopez, RHP (Age 23, Round Rock Express)
Lopez posted a 2.40 ERA with 41 walks and 116 strikeouts while logging 101.1 innings between High-A and Double-A. The 101.1 innings pitched marked a career-high for the right-hander.
With the addition of these three players, the Texas Rangers roster currently sits at 38.
In addition to the 40-man roster additions, the Rangers also signed four players to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training:
One notable omission from the 40-man roster was shortstop Cameron Cauley. The 22-year-old played the entire season with Double-A Frisco, where he slashed .253/.325/.448/.773 with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs.
His 15 home runs tied his career high, and he also stole 28 bases. Cauley's combination of speed and increased power presents a potential risk for the Rangers, as another club could select him in the Rule 5 Draft and be required to keep him on their active 26-man roster for the entire 2024 season.
