Report: Padres, 6-foot-8 Cuban pitching prospect agree to $3M deal
The San Diego Padres have reportedly agreed to a $3-million deal with 6-foot-8 Cuban pitching prospect Michel Baez, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Baez, 20, is not ranked on MLB Pipleine's top 30 international prospects list.
Baez last pitched in Cuba's top league, Serie Nacional, in 2014. In 16 relief appearances split between Pinar del Rio and Mayabeque, he recorded a 5.22 ERA, struck out 17, and also walked 17 in 29 1/3 innings. The towering right-hander, who weighs 230 pounds, throws a fastball that reaches the upper 90s, per MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez; he's also developing a breaking pitch, according to Lin.
It's possible Baez could make his professional debut in Single-A next season, per Lin.
When in Cuba, Baez was a teammate of recent Padres signees Jorge Ona and Ronald Bolanos on the country's Under-18 team.
The Padres are already over their allotted cap on the international spending market for the 2016-17 signing period, even when taking into account the $5.75-million hard cap from baseball's new collective bargaining agreement. Because they went over the limit, the Padres will be taxed on Baez's contract, and prohibited from signing any player for more than $300,000 during the next international period.