Report: Rays sign 16-year-old prospect to $2.9 million deal
The Tampa Bay Rays on Monday signed 16-year-old shortstop Adrian Rondon to a $2.9 million deal, Ben Badler of BaseballAmerica.com reported.
The Rays didn't waste any time, signing the No. 1 international prospect on his first day of eligibility—his 16th birthday was on Monday.
The deal will effectively put Tampa Bay well beyond 15 percent of their $1.998 million bonus pool and, as Badler writes, the deal will come with a 100 percent tax on their pool overage. Additionally, it means the Rays are limited to $300,000 contracts for other players during the next two signing periods.
Badler wrote in his scouting report of the 6'2", 180 pound kid from the Dominican Republic:
"He has good bat speed and a quick, compact stroke, showing a knack for barreling the ball with good plate coverage to make plenty of contact in games...Scouts highest on Rondon think he could make a rapid rise, along the lines of Starlin Castro."
--Marc Weinreich
