Houston Astros Announce Nine International Signings
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that they signed nine players to international prospect contracts on the first day of the signing window.
Not listed among the nine prospects was outfielder Anderson Paula from the Dominican Republic. MLB Pipeline reported earlier on Monday that Paula and the Astros had agreed to a deal.
Most prominent among the nine announced signings was Cuban outfielder Cesar Yanquiel Hernandez, who reportedly signed a $1.7 million bonus. The Astros did not disclose financial terms.
In a release, Astros senior scouting advisor Charlie Gonzalez called Hernandez a “strong, twitchy and muscular center fielder with a rare combination of hitability, power and speed.”
The Astros have $5.925 million to spend internationally this calendar year.
Luis Rives, another outfielder from Cuba, also signed with the Astros.
“Luis Rives is a strong, well-proportioned, switch-hitting outfielder that can generate power from both sides of the plate,” Astros assistant scouting director Raymon Sanchez said.
The Astros also pointed to Dominican Republic shortstop Francheli Silverio as a prospect to watch, saying that his “strong build and advanced bat impressed the scouting staff.
“Silverio shows good hand-eye coordination and contact skills, and we expect his growing power to continue to develop as he adds strength to his projectable frame,” Astros Dominican Republic scouting supervisor Alferdo Ulloa said.
The remainder of the announced class by the Astros includes catcher Alexi Quiroz (Venezuela), outfielder Amauri Ramirez (Dominican Republic), pitcher Angel Peralta (Dominican Republic), pitcher Cristian Navarro (Panama), infielder Eduardito Lopez (Dominican Republic) and pitcher Kevin Santana (Dominican Republic).
If the Astros and Paula complete their deal, the Astros will have the No. 49-ranked international prospect under contract.
Scouts at MLB Pipeline see Paula “has tons of power potential, and that tool makes him one of the most intriguing international prospects on the market. He shows power to all fields, and his approach will get better once he begins to train with the Astros.”
