Red Sox sign pair of top int'l free agents

The Red Sox cannot spend more than $300,000 on one player during the current international signing period or the next, yet they still managed to come to terms with two top prospects from Venezuela.

According to industry sources, the Red Sox have agreed to sign teenage outfielder Albert Guaimaro, who is ranked No. 14 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list, and outfielder Simon Muzziotti for $300,000 each.

The Red Sox have not confirmed the agreements.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool with four slot values based on the team's record in 2014 for the international signing period, which started Thursday. Boston's overall pool total for this year's signing period was slated to be $3,681,000.

However, Boston signed right-handed pitchers Christopher Acosta to a signing bonus worth $1.5 million, Anderson Espinoza to a bonus worth $1.8 million and Yoan Moncada to $31.5 million bonus during the last international signing period. This thrusted them into the maximum penalty under the international signing guidelines, and the Red Sox must also pay a 100-percent tax on the allotment overage.

As for Guaimaro, he made a name for himself at Major League Baseball's Prospect Showcases and joined the other top international prospects at the International Prospect Series in March at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in North Carolina. Known for his aggressiveness at the plate and overall athletic ability, some scouts think he is the top player from Venezuela in this year's class.

One scout compared Muzziotti to a young Jacoby Ellsbury, and there's hope he can develop into a similar player when he is placed into the team's academy. The teenager has been clocked at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash, and some scouts believe he can improve on that time as well as his overall time running from home to first base out of the batter's box.