Beras will work exclusively as a relief pitcher going forward, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Highly regarded when he signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, Beras hasn't reached his potential at the plate during his time in the minors. He was suffering through a second straight underwhelming campaign at High-A Down East, hitting .227 while striking out in 34.4 percent of his plate appearances. Conversely, the outfielder has always been lauded for his strong throwing arm, and he turned heads with an upper-90s fastball when the Rangers gave him an opportunity to pitch an inning of relief during a game in May. He's since spent the last month receiving further coaching on the mound while continuing to play the outfield regularly, but the Rangers now seem committed to developing him as a pitcher. Beras' conversion isn't likely to yield fruitful results immediately due to the nuances of the craft, but his raw tools certainly make him an intriguing project for the Rangers to mold over the next few seasons.
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Rangers' Jairo Beras: Could transition to pitching
Rotowire
Beras, 22, could permanently move from outfield to pitcher after impressing in his debut on the mound for High-A Down East on Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Rangers shelled out $4.5 million to bring in Beras as an international signing in 2012, but the Dominican-born prospect has yet to meet expectations at the plate over four-plus seasons in the minors. He was slashing just .236/.288/.407 over 132 plate appearances with Down East this season before the team experimented with him in a relief role Tuesday. The lefty tossed a 1-2-3 inning and flashed a fastball that touched the upper 90s, leaving the Rangers salivating over what he might be able to do once he receives some more coaching as a pitcher.
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