CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Indians today announced the signing of 15 international amateur free agents for the 2020-2021 signing period.

The club’s international signing class, which was announced by Vice President of International Scouting PAUL GILLISPIE, includes 15 players from across Latin America, including seven from the Dominican Republic, seven from Venezuela and one from Panama. 

Added Gillispie: “Today’s signings are a recognition of an incredible amount of time, dedication and effort these players have put into their development. 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.”

Among the club’s signings, shortstops Angel Genao and Fran Alduey headlined the group and rank among the top players in Latin America, slotting in at No. 23 and No. 25 per MLB.com’s Top 30 International Prospect Ranking, respectively.

The international signing period, which typically opens on July 2nd of each year, was pushed back to January 15th as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

From MLB.com on Alduey:

Lean and muscular, Alduey is a quick-twitch shortstop with tons of upside and athletic ability. At the plate, the switch-hitter 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 while he's more of a line-drive hitter than a raw power prospect, he still makes hard contact. Additionally, he has shown good mechanics and a good bat, along with the ability to hit the ball to all fields. He has a knack for barreling up balls and he’s expected to add more strength as he matures. On defense, 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. As a runner, Alduey is quick and explosive and projects to have above average speed. Alduey is trained by Carlos Guzman, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic.

From MLB.com on Genao:

A switch-hitting shortstop from the northern region of the island, Genao is one of many talented shortstops from the Dominican Republic in this year’s class. Long and lean, the teenager has shown the ability to hit in games and make consistent, hard contact. He also projects to stay at shortstop as he grows into his body. Here’s why: Genao has soft hands, solid footwork and an average arm now that projects to be above average. He’s instinctual and shows some polish on defense. Consistent, but not flashy, Genao makes all of the plays with good range. At the plate, Genao features a loose and smooth swing with the ability to use the entire field in games. He has a feel for the strike zone, and like most prospects his age, he’s working on plate discipline. He projects to be a plus runner with some base-stealing abilities. He’s impressed scouts with his baseball IQ and feel for the game on both sides of the ball. He is trained by Aldo Marrero, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic.