Report: Blue Jays to sign Cuban prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The Toronto Blue Jays have apparently dipped into the international free-agent waters, as they've reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $22-million deal with highly touted Cuban prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr., according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

Gurriel confirmed the signing in a post on his Instagram account Friday afternoon.

Gurriel, ranked as the sixth-best international prospect by MLB Pipeline, held a showcase in Panama in September that attracted the interest of multiple teams. He has the ability to play both the infield and outfield, though he primarily manned second base in Cuba. The Blue Jays apparently plan to start Gurriel as a shortstop in Double-A, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, though it's possible he could eventually shift to the outfield.

Gurriel ran the 60-yard dash in 6.65 seconds and worked in both the infield and outfield while also taking batting practice. Several interested teams reportedly tried to arrange private workouts; the Blue Jays weren't listed among the reported teams.

During his six-year career in Cuba's Serie Nacional, Gurriel posted a .277/.362/.426 slash line with 27 homers and 23 stolen bases. His best season came in 2015 when he posted career highs across the board for Industriales while playing multiple defensive positions. He also played for the Cuban national team in several international tournaments.

Because Gurriel turned 23 on Oct. 19, his contract is exempt from international spending limits.

Gurriel and his older brother, Cuban baseball legend Yulieski Gurriel, defected from their homeland in February 2016. In July, Yulieski signed with the Houston Astros; he made his big-league debut in August.