The window for Major League Baseball teams to sign international players is closing soon with a new collective bargaining agreement kicking in a cap system for lucrative overseas signings. That’s why in recent days, many teams have been announcing many signings of foreign players to deals to get under the gun. The Kansas City Royals have one of their own to announce today with the move of signing Samir Duenez, a 16-year-old third baseman from Venezuela.
Ben Badler of Baseball America has an in-depth profile of Duenez and writes:
Dueñez, a 16-year-old lefthanded hitter, stood out last winter while playing in the Liga Paralela, the minor league version of the Venezuelan League. He led his Navegantes club in batting average by hitting .313/.329/.448 in 19 games over 67 at-bats with six doubles, a home run, two walks and 13 strikeouts. He also generated attention last month when he made spent time playing in the Dominican Prospect League. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds and has flashed projectable power as well.
Check out more recent Royals moves over at Royals Review.