Dodgers sign 19-year-old Cuban pitching phenom Yadier Alvarez
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed 19-year-old Cuban pitcher Yadier Alvarez, Dodgers director of international relations Joseph Reaves announced Thursday.
He will receive a $16 million signing bonus, CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports.
Alvarez, listed at 6'3" and 175 pounds, has a fastball that reaches 99 mph.
“Alvarez is raw and could use some polish, particularly with his command, but he's young and has time on his side,” MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez wrote in February. One anonymous National League official told MLB.com Alvarez was the best 18-year-old pitcher he'd ever seen.
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The Dodgers have signed several Cuban prospects in recent years, most notably Yasiel Puig. Cuban third baseman/outfielder Alex Guerrero has played 61 games for the team this season. They also signed infielder Hector Olivera and Pablo Fernandez in May.
- Dan Gartland
