Alfredo Rodriguez is a whole lot richer after agreeing to terms with the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds signed the 22-year-old Cuban shortstop to $7-million signing bonus. The amount exposes the Reds to a penalty for exceeding the team’s $5,163,400 international signing pool allotment.
However, the penalty is far less than if the Reds had signed Rodriguez prior to the new allotment date of July 2 for the 2016-17 international signing period.
Rodriguez is considered a Gold Glove caliber defender. The doubt about Rodriguez is his offense. He hit just .265 with a .301 OBP and just four extra-base hits in 304 plate appearances in Cuba in 2014.
The Reds now have five years to work on his offense before he has to be added to the 40-man roster. The Reds have not fared well recently with large international signing contracts for position players.
Outfielder Yorman Rodriguez received $2.5-million signing bonus in 2008. He lost his grip on a roster spot this year. The Reds have since stashed him on the 60-day DL.
Outfielder Juan Duran was given a $2-million signing bonus in 2008 as a 16-year-old. The 24-year-old has returned to minor league action from a PED suspension that seemed to finalize his bust status earlier this year.
The Reds have some recent international signing success with signing shortstops to low-dollar bonuses. The Reds landed Curacao shortstop Didi Gregorius in 2007 for a mere $50,000. Calten Daal is another low-cost shortstop signing from Curacao, and he is currently hitting .327 for the Reds in Double-A.
The Reds need an everyday shortstop sooner rather than later. Current starting shortstop Zack Cozart has one more year of salary arbitration eligibility in 2017, but he could be traded before then.
Prospect Jose Peraza can play shortstop, but he is more likely the heir-apparent to Brandon Phillips at second base. Phillips enters the final year of his contract with the Reds next year.
Maybe when the Reds are ready for a shortstop, Rodriguez can hit more than four extra-base hits in a season.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OustidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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