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Miami Marlins Officially Sign Top Cuban Prospect Luis Manuel León

Luis Manuel León, the younger brother of Houston Astros outfielder Pedro León, is set to join the Miami Marlins after scoring the largest signing bonus of their international free agent class.
Sam Connon|
Apr 24, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Miami Marlins hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
Apr 24, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Miami Marlins hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have officially signed 18-year-old shortstop Luis Manuel León, Biesbol FR's Francys Romero reported Saturday.

Reports that León and the Marlins had reached an agreement first surfaced back in September. He was once in line to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2023, but that deal fell apart and he wound up scoring a far larger payday in Miami.

León is receiving a $1.5 million signing bonus, beating out Venezuelan outfielder Luis Cova to become the highest-paid member of the Marlins' 2023-2024 international free agent class.

León is the younger brother of Houston Astros outfielder Pedro León, who made his MLB debut in 2024. Entering the 2021 season, the elder León was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Astros' farm system.

As for Luis Manuel León, the teenager measures in at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. He can play both shortstop and center field, on top of boasting five-tool potential.

Per Romero, León's hit and arm tools have been graded at a 60, while his run tool has earned a 55. His power and field tools both come in at 50.

León is the 31st international prospect the Marlins have signed during this current period. He is the only one of that group to come from Cuba, though.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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