The international signing period kicked off recently, and although the majority of the Chicago Cubs’ focus has been on the Pacific Rim – where they have a veritable stranglehold on the prospect market – they have not forgotten the importance of Latin America.
To that end, Baseball America reports that the Cubs have made a relatively big signing out of the Dominican Republic.
The Cubs kicked off their international signing period by agreeing to terms with 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Daniel Sanchez for what is believed to be a mid six-figure bonus, according to an international source.
Sanchez, who is from Bani, is a righthanded hitter with a projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame with above-average raw power. He’s an average runner with a solid-average arm.
A mid-six-figure bonus, for what it’s worth, is pretty healthy for an international prospect signing, particularly for a 16-year-old. It suggests that he’s not a top international prospect, but is a kid that the Cubs like very much, and wanted to get him into the fold quickly before another team could swoop in.