Cleveland locked up two of the top shortstops in the international class.
The club announced on Friday afternoon that it inked shortstops Angel Genao, No. 23 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 International Prospects List, and Fran Alduey, No. 25, along with 13 other international amateur free agents. According to industry sources, Genao signed for $1.175 million, and Alduey signed for a bonus worth $1.2 million.
Of the 15 international free agents who signed with the Tribe, seven were from the Dominican Republic, seven were from Venezuela and one was from Panama. Eight of the 15 free agents are also listed as shortstops.
"Today’s signings are a recognition of an incredible amount of time, dedication and effort these players have put into their development," Indians vice president of international scouting Paul Gillispie said. "It's also a celebration of a collaborative and robust process our scouting staff led to build history and get to know the best young players across the globe. We're thrilled to be able to welcome these 15 players into our organization. This is an exciting time for these players, their families, their trainers, and our organization, all of whom should be exceedingly proud."
Tall and lean, Genao projects to stay at shortstop as he grows into his body because of his soft hands, solid footwork and an average arm now that projects to be above average. He already shows some polish on defense. Consistent, but not flashy, Genao makes all of the plays with good range. At the plate, the teen features a loose and smooth swing and has shown the ability to use the entire field in games.
As for Alduey, the switch-hitting infielder features a short uppercut swing with good bat speed from both sides of the plate. He has a good feel for the strike zone and makes hard contact to all fields. He has a knack for barreling up balls.
He shows good defensive actions and projects to have a plus arm with some carry in the future. Add solid footwork to his fluid glove work and his overall defensive package projects to be above average.
According to the rules established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs that receive a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft have the most money to spend on international prospects, with a pool of $6,431,000. Clubs like the Indians that receive a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A of the Draft receive the second most at $5,889,600.
Unlike in previous years, teams are not allowed to trade any of their international pool money. Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 years of age and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.
