Per Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Texas Rangers have signed 2009 second-round pick Tommy Mendonca (reportedly paying out a signing bonus in the general vicinity of $590,000) and have assigned him to short-season Spokane, where he will begin his professional career on Tuesday.

From Baseball Time in Arlington's Day One amateur draft recap:

No. 62: 3B Tommy Mendonca | DoB: 04/12/88 | 6' 1", 200 lb.
School: Fresno State University (California) | Estimated Slot: $605,000
Best No. 62 Picks: Manny Delcarmen (2000), Andre Ethier (2003)

Deemed the 86th-best draft prospect by Baseball America, Mendonca is most famous for his heroic exploits in the 2008 College World Series -- which earned the power-hitting third baseman Most Outstanding Player honors, predicated in large part on the four home runs which he walloped during the course of the series that helped lift Fresno State to the Division I baseball championship -- and most recognizable for his immense power potential, undoubtedly his best tool. Mendonca was selected to Baseball America's 2009 Preseason All-American First Team alongside first-round talent in the vein of Dustin Ackley, Grant Green and Mike Leake.

Described as a "streaky" player in both offensive and defensive respects, Mendonca generates immense lift with a reportedly distinctive swing which involves initiating his swing with his hands high, then dropping them into an "angled launch position"; this particular element evokes concern in some scouts, as does his vulnerability to off-speed pitches and propensity for swinging and missing often, and gives rise to the notion that certain components of his swing might require rebuilding.

Mendonca set a new Division I record for strikeouts with 99 in 2008, followed by 64 strikeouts in 233 at-bats with Fresno State in 2009 (although he concurrently hit .339/.447/.721 with 27 home runs), and given the considerable frustration among the Rangers' fan base with regard to profuse strikeouts -- Chris Davis, anyone? -- and the perception that this pick might have been more about signability than true upside, I don't suspect Mendonca will become an immediate favorite of Rangers minor league observers upon his date of signing.

Reports admittedly vary on the quality and consistency of his defense; the Turlock, California native -- a former two-sport standout in high school -- drew criticism from Baseball America as a result of his purportedly questionable range on balls hit to his right and the inconsistency of his throwing arm, but has fared enviably both statistically and anecdotally from a defensive standpoint (with the latter being evidenced by the plurality of glowing media reports on his fielding prowess), and I suspect that Mendonca may not have been tabbed quite this high if the Rangers did not possess some degree of confidence that he would be able to stick at third base long term.

Was this an instance of over-drafting by scouting director Ron Hopkins and company? Perhaps, but after the Purke and Scheppers picks anything resembling an average selection was going to trigger some disappointment. It's an intriguing choice, albeit one with some questions attached, and one which could may prove underwhelming if the translation from a hitter-friendly home venue and aluminum bats doesn't go as smoothly as the Rangers apparently hope it will.

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