Staff, Wire Reports

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers have signed first-round pick Malcolm Moore and 15 other players they selected in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft during the All-Star festivities they hosted last week.

Moore, a catcher out of Stanford who was the 30th overall pick, took pregame batting practice with the Rangers after they announced the signings Wednesday. The bonus slot value for that pick was $2,971,300. He signed for $3 million.

Texas signed its top eight picks, and all but one of its top 17. The Rangers also signed four undrafted free agents.

Moore is just the fourth first-round catcher ever selected by the Rangers, joining Kellin Deglan (22nd overall, 2010), Scott Heard (25th, 2000), and Bill Haselman (23rd, 1987). Haselman is the only one to have made it to the big leagues.

A left-handed hitter, Moore batted .288 with 31 home runs and 99 RBIs in 118 games over two seasons with Stanford. He led the Cardinal as a sophomore this year with 16 homers in 54 games, and had more walks (44) than strikeouts (35).

He is also the third player from Stanford University to be selected in the first round by Texas: OF John Mayberry (2005) and Rick Helling (1992).

Tennessee outfielder Dylan Dreiling, the second-round pick, got a $1,287,600 bonus.

“We didn’t know what was going to be available at the back of the Draft. It was a little bit different than the last few years,” said general manager Chris Young. “But Malcolm was at the top of the list in terms of the players that we had identified that fit what we’re looking for in Texas Rangers, not just from a talent standpoint, but most importantly from a personal standpoint, the personal characteristics that he displays, especially in a position that’s so essential to have leadership qualities.”