Blue Jays sign shortstop Christopher Polanco
It is shaping up to be a busy Monday for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Just hours after announcing that they had signed Anthony Santander to a five year deal, the Blue Jays have reportedly come to terms with International Free Agent shortstop Christopher Polanco.
Polanco, 22nd ranked prospect on the international list, had long had an agreement in place with Toronto.
The 17 year old out of the Dominican Republic stands roughly 5'11 and hits from the left side of the plate. He is the first international free agent signed by the Blue Jays since the window opened last week.
Polanco's scouting report indicates that he has tremendous bat speed but not a ton of power. He is a solid, if not outstanding defender, and has decent speed on the base paths. Although signed as a shortstop, his fielding profile has him as a future 2nd baseman, which is a common fate for many young short stops.
Initially projected to sign for between $3-4MM, Polanco could garner even more thanks to the Jays acquiring an extra $2M in bonus pool money in a much-talked about deal with the Cleveland Guardians.
At just 17, Polanco is still several years away from the Major Leagues, but shows a lot of potential. But if he is anything like other big leaguers from his area of the DR, the Jays could have a great player in the future. Polanco's home, the Monte Plata province, has given birth to big leaguers Elly De La Cruz, Camilo Doval, and Jose Siri.
He's in good company.
SOURCE - SportsNet
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