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Rangers sign Cuban OF Alexei Bell to minors deal

KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP / Getty

The Texas Rangers have signed veteran Cuban outfielder Alexei Bell to a minor-league contract, the team announced Friday.

Bell, 32, left his home country in 2014. He held a showcase for major-league teams in February, but was only declared a free agent in May.

He spent the 2015 season playing with the independent Quebec Capitales of the Canadian-American Association, where he hit .317/.363/.424 over 241 plate appearances. His most recent professional stint was in the Mexican League, where he posted a .171/.310/.314 line with a homer for Quintana Roo.

One of the most decorated players in the history of Cuba's Serie Nacional, Bell spent 14 seasons with Santiago de Cuba. In 2008 he became the first player in the league's history to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 RBIs in the same season, as well as the first player with a 20-homer, 20-stolen base campaign.

As a member of the Cuban national team, he's represented his country at a multitude of events, including the World Baseball Classic and 2008 Summer Olympics.

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