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The Braves hope their investment in international markets will pay off in the future. Could the next superstar be on the horizon? The club hopes so.
Atlanta has agreed to sign outfielder Luis Guanipa, No. 34 of the top 50 international prospects, according to industry sources. The Braves, who have a base signing pool of $5,284,000, have not confirmed the agreement. The deal is pending physical.
Guanipa has a strong frame and mature body that gives him a physical presence despite being only 5 feet 9 inches. He is also very active.
Venezuelan teenagers are aggressive at bat and swing with damaging intent. Guanipa has shown positive bat speed and ability to drive the ball into the gap. He should hit average and his raw power is showing. On defense, he has positive instincts in the outfield. Combine his natural ability with average to steady average run times and he should stay in center field. Guanipa trains alongside Omar Alvarez and Johann Hidalgo.
International players are eligible to sign with a major league team between January 15th and December 15th. He will be 16 before signing and the next year he must be 17 by September 1st. January 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006 are eligible to sign during the following signature periods. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.
Teams will be allowed to trade funds from the International Bonus Pool from 15th January.
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