Rangers sign red-hot former Pirates infielder who hit .528 in Mexico

Rangers sign red-hot former Pirates infielder who hit .528 in Mexico originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Texas Rangers made an under-the-radar roster move on Tuesday.

The AL West club is taking a chance on a former big leaguer who was absolutely raking in the Mexican League.

"The Texas Rangers have signed utility player Diego A. Castillo to a minor league contract," the New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote on X on Tuesday. "Castillo hit .528 for Union Laguna in the MX League prior to signing with Texas. He is represented by The MAS Agency."

Castillo, 28, made his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, playing 96 games and hitting 11 home runs with a .633 OPS. He spent most of the next handful of seasons in the minors at Triple-A with six different organizations.

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The former New York Yankees farmhand was tearing the cover off the ball in Mexico, hitting .528 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 40 trips to the plate with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna.

Obviously, the Rangers are taking a chance that Castillo's hot stretch at the plate will translate to affiliated baseball.

The worst-case scenario is that he provides quality infield depth in case of an injury in the Majors.