The New York Yankees signed 16-year-old center fielder Jasson Dominguez, billed as the best Latin American prospect in years, to a deal that includes a $5.1 million bonus, ESPN reported.
Tuesday marked the opening of the international free-agent signing period.
Dominguez, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound prospect, is a switch hitter with speed and power and has been categorized as a five-tool player. He’s already drawing comparisons to the game’s best.
“Jasson has a game that’s very much like Mike Trout — except he’s a switch-hitter,” Ivan Noboa, who trains Dominguez in the Dominican Republic, told ESPN. “It’s a hard name for me to say, because it’s really high expectations for a 16-year-old. I know it’s a little bit unfair to put them next to each other. It’s a heavy weight to carry. But if someone can do it, it’s him.”
The Yankees had $5.4 million to spend on international free agents and decided to give nearly 95 percent of their pool to Dominguez.
The Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays were among the teams pursuing the coveted the prospect, ESPN said.
Dominguez has been on the radar of MLB teams since age 13 when he began training with Noboa. Scouts nicknamed him El Marciano, or The Martian, because of his out-of-this-world talents.
The Yankees also will give him $250,000 in scholarship money in case he wants to continue his education later.