Major League Baseball's period for signing 16-year-old prospects in Latin America opened Sunday with the Pirates signing two outfielders as their top prizes.
Juan Pie of the Dominican Republic was signed for $500,000 and Angel Basabe of Panama for $450,000, the team's Latin American scouting director, Rene Gayo, told DKPittsburghSports.com. Pie, who is not related to former major-leaguer Felix Pie, was ranked as the No. 45 international prospect for 2017 by Baseball America, which initially reported his signing on a list of completed contracts.
Gayo referred to Pie as "a left-handed Starling Marte" at the same age, referring to when he signed Marte for $85,000 out of the Dominican. He said Pie's 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame is unusually developed for his age and that he hits for power, runs, throws and shows athletic explosiveness at a high level.
"We love the bat and there are multiple looks," Neal Huntington said of Pie. "It was the bat that stood out. There is a frame for growth and additional strength as we move forward, but primarily the swing, the impact. How he goes about it. We liked a lot of the bat attributes."
Here are two workout videos of Pie:
Basabe is similar to Pie in skill set and stature, standing at 6-2, but his frame still needs to fill out at 165. Gayo said Basabe could have a higher ceiling than Pie, but uncertainty remains because power won't be visible until he's bigger and stronger. He's a natural center fielder, though that often changes over a prospect's career.
The Pirates also signed catcher Jommer Hernandez ($250,000), infielders Norkis Marco ($250,000), Gregory Custodio ($230,000) and Emilson Rosado ($135,000); left-handed pitchers Yeison Santos ($110,000) and Luis Peralta ($110,000) and right-hander Brayan Torres ($180,000).
