MLB.com: Admission to U.S. likely for Texas prospects

Pitching prospects Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando could be joining the Rangers for Spring Training in Arizona after a five-year banishment from the United States because of their roles in human trafficking and visa fraud scandals in the Dominican Republic.

...Beltre and Ogando were denied admission after admitting to marrying women for money and helping them get to the United States. According to the Dallas Morning News, about 30 or so young Dominican players were offered around $3,000 by filling out paperwork and pretending to have married certain women.

The State Department, in heightened security following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, uncovered the plot and denied all players entry into the United States. The Rangers were told it would be just a one-year penalty for the 2005 season, which is why Texas selected Ogando in the Rule 5 Draft the following December.

Instead it has stretched to five years, and the Rangers were close to giving up on both players. Right now they are the only two players from the scandal who are still on their respective teams’ 40-man rosters.

I must admit, I never thought they’d be reinstated…

As mentioned in the quote above, both are on Texas’ 40-man roster and Jim Callis says they would rank in the middle of BA’s Top 30 prospects for the organization, already ranked the 2nd strongest in baseball by that publication.