The Los Angeles Angels made a potentially big move for their future Tuesday by signing promising Cuban prospect Roberto Baldoquin.
According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the Angels reportedly inked the 20-year-old middle infielder to a deal that includes an $8 million signing bonus:
While Baldoquin is unlikely to play for Los Angeles during the upcoming 2015 season, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez suggests that this move will give the Angels some options when their current middle infielders hit free agency:
With that said, this signing prevents the Angels from getting involved in bidding wars for big-time international free agents over the next two years, per Matthew Pouliot of Rotoworld.com:
This is due to the fact that the collective bargaining agreement places restrictions on teams that sign under-23 international players to contracts, according to Sanchez.
Although the Angels have yet to confirm the deal, Sanchez reports that Baldoquin is thrilled to be part of the organization.
“This is a dream come true,” Baldoquin said. “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. I’m ready for the next part of my journey.”
On the heels of first baseman Jose Abreu having a huge rookie season for the Chicago White Sox in 2014, the Angels are undoubtedly hopeful that they have found the next Cuban success story.
Baldoquin has plenty of work to do before he reaches the big time, but the $8 million signing bonus suggests that L.A. is confident he will eventually reach that point.
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