The Astros are adding one of the top young prospects from Cuba to their system.
According to industry sources, the club has agreed to a deal with Cuban outfielder Pedro Leon, No. 7 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 International Prospects List, for $4 million.
The Astros have not confirmed the
The Astros are adding one of the top young prospects from Cuba to their system.
According to industry sources, the club has agreed to a deal with Cuban outfielder Pedro Leon,
The Astros have not confirmed the deal.
At the plate, Leon has a short and compact swing. He doesn’t swing and miss much, and he shows power potential to all fields. He’s also a plus-runner with basestealing potential. On defense, Leon has the tools to stay in center field and displays a strong and accurate arm.
Back in Cuba in 2018, Leon sported a .371 batting average with 15 home runs, a 1.220 OPS and seven stolen bases in 33 games for Mayabeque in Serie Nacional, the island’s top professional league. He was named to the 2018 Serie Nacional All-Star Game. He defected from Cuba in 2019.
According to the rules established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs that receive a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft have the most money to spend on international prospects, with a pool of $6,431,000. Clubs that receive a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A of the Draft receive the second most at $5,889,600.
The Astros have a bonus pool of $5,348,100.
Unlike in previous years, teams are not allowed to trade any of their international pool money. Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club’s bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 years of age and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.
Jesse Sanchez, who has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2001, is a national reporter based in Phoenix. Follow him on Twitter @JesseSanchezMLB and Facebook.