Red Sox to sign international free agent infielder Yoeilin Cespedes
The international free agent signing period officially kicked off for Major League Baseball on Sunday. The Red Sox have been linked to two of the top 50 prospects, including 17-year-old infielder Yoeilin Cespedes.
According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB Pipeline, the Red Sox will sign Cespedes for $1.4 million.
The 5-foot-9 infielder is considered to be one of the best pure hitters coming out of Latin America, per Baseball America.
“Cespedes is on the smaller end of the scale relative to most big bonus prospects, but scouts highest on him love his hitting ability. Some scouts consider him one of the best pure hitters in Latin America for this year, with excellent hand-eye coordination that leads to a high contact rate. He has an aggressive approach that he will have to rein in to become a more selective hitter, but he still has the bat-to-ball skills to make contact with pitches in the zone or off the plate. There's some surprising power for his size, too, with home run power in games. He's an offensive-minded shortstop who could fit at second or third base.”
The Red Sox have only have $4.6 million in pool money to spend. Boston forfeited $500K due to going over the Luxury Tax last season.
The club is expected to also add outfielder Tony Ruiz in addition to Cespedes. Ruiz has been drawing comps to Mariners phenom outfielder Julio Rodriguez.
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