Optimism with Yandy's return

Monday 4 | 12:55 pm

César Sequera Ramos || @ CesarSequera11

The management of the Leones del Caracas still has not received a response from the Cleveland Indians on the evaluation of the groin injury suffered by Yandy Diaz, but it does not prevent them from maintaining the thought that they will be able to have him back before the end of the regular season of the Venezuelan League of Professional Baseball

"Notice that we have not taken him off of the roster; that makes it clear that the possibility is open, "said the sports manager of the Caracas ball club, José Manuel Fernández. "We are waiting for new reports from the United States, but as long as the chance remains we will not give up."

The fact of keeping Diaz on the rosterl during the eighth week of the season is not a minor detail. Playing the games with one less player on the roster is a disadvantage for the coaching staff, however, removing him immediately would cause us to lose him for 15 days.

"That's why, when we decided to sign Luke Irvine, we preferred to get (David) Kubiak," added the manager who did not hide his hope for having Diaz back with the team.

"We are very optimistic because it is not only our desire, but also the player's. You have to be clear that the main thing is his health despite his desire to play. "

The Cuban, who has not seen action since last November 25, stopped his participation due to a discomfort in the groin. At the time of leaving, he had an average of .333 with a homer and seven RBIs. In addition, he reached 51 consecutive games of reaching base, equaling the LVBP mark with José Castillo.

For now, third base will be in the hands of Henry Rodriguez and Harold Castro, a pair that is fulfilling the expectations of manager Mike Rojas both on offense and defense. "I've seen them play pretty well. That's what a team is about. When a player is hurt, the reserves must go out and do the job, "said the manager.

The management believes that during the All-Star Game they will know if the third baseman will finally return to Venezuela.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Erik Gonzalez (SS) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B 2 SB, 1 E 1 HBP - Gonzalez has been hitting very well as of late, hitting .333/.366/.359 with three stolen bases in his last ten games, and at at least one hit in each of his last seven games. This marks a significant improvement from how he started his winter league season, which saw him go 3-for-20 (.150) in his first six games. Gonzalez, who split last season between the Indians and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, is heading into a crucial Spring Training for his future in the Indians organization, as he is now out of options.

Henry Martinez (RP) - 0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB - Martinez was one of three pitchers to allow a run, while failing to record an out in Monday night's game (more on another of these pitchers later in this column). This effort continued a pattern of Martinez pitching well most of the time, but also having poor outings mixed in.

OF INTEREST

Héctor Luna (2010-11) was the last player to reach 60 hits in the Dominican League. In the current campaign, Ronny Rodriguez and Cordero are tied for the lead with 45. The Lions have 11 games to play and the Eagles 12 ...

Dominican League: (LIDOM)

Ronny Rodriguez (2B, Aguilas Cibaenas) 0-3, R. Rodriguez's backward slide continued with another hitless performance. He still is maintaining a respectable .283 average in 37 games, but has registered a brutal .195 average in his last ten. A stat that might help explain why he is struggling is he has just one walk in those last ten contest compared to eleven strikeouts. He has a reputation as a player who likes to swing the bat, and that causes him to have a tendency to be streakier in the box.

Erik Gonzalez (SS, Leones del Escogido) 1-4, RBI, SO. Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to a steady eight games. He also chipped in his fourth RBI in his 17th game played. This big middle infielder split time with Columbus and Cleveland last year, and appears poised to take on a larger role this upcoming season. In 60 games with the Tribe, the rookie hit .255 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI. He also appeared late in many games has a defensive substitution due to his outstanding glove work

Carlos Frias (RP, Gigantes del Cibao) 0.2 IP, H, ER, BB, SO. Frias surrendered his first earned run during winter ball Tuesday night. He had been able to work around base runners in previous outings, but this time he could not work his way out of trouble. The right handed reliever is looking to create some positive momentum this off season after posting an ugly 8.05 ERA with Columbus in 2017.

OF INTEREST

Wilmer Difó was placed as in the starting lineup for the Eagles because of the prolonged slump of Ronny Rodríguez, who has an OBP of .299 ...
Looking forward to his third year of service in the Majors, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor could for the first time make agreements that exceed one million dollars.

Landing Shohei Ohtani could lead to Rangers doing something baseball has never seen

The Rangers conducted, not one, but two press conferences Wednesday.

And uttered not one word about Shohei Ohtani in the process.

If you were them, sitting at the portal to a whole new dimension in baseball, would you?

The pursuit of Ohtani, along with the pieces they have already added this winter, make it clear the Rangers are willing to look at their roster and, in particular, the pitching staff through a whole different lens. In short: A six-man rotation.

On Wednesday, after announcing the signing of left-hander Mike Minor to a three-year deal, which two baseball sources confirmed was worth $28 million, Rangers officials acknowledged that a six-man starting rotation was very much a part of their offseason thinking.

"I don't think it's something we've talked about just this winter," manager Jeff Banister said. "We have talked about it since Day 1 when I got here. You look at the workload of starting pitchers, the injuries, monitoring their ability to have a consistent workload and the benefits of rest and how they prepare.

"There are a lot of obstacles," Banister added. "The biggest is finding the core guys who are able to do it. We've talked about that and we've also looked at the benefits."

The Rangers movements this winter suggest they see far more rewards than risks. The Rangers have put together a five-man rotation yearning to be six. Ohtani, who was an off-limits topic for questions directed at both Banister and general manager Jon Daniels, would be the perfect sixth piece. And his two-way playing ability, which might eliminate the need for one extra bench bat, might pave the way for a big enough bullpen to make it all viable. It would be unlike anything baseball has ever seen.

The Rangers and six other suitors met with Ohtani in Los Angeles over the first two days of the week. Now the teams are left mostly to wait on his decision.

If he comes to Texas, though, he will most likely find the same kind of setup he had in Japan where he pitched once a week and never more than 160 innings in a season. He pitched only 140 in 2016 and just 25 in 2017 due to leg and ankle injuries. More reasons to monitor and manage his innings.

And the pieces the Rangers are adding are the kinds of guys who would see benefits in a six-man setup, or something maybe most accurately described as a "hybrid." It would be something with extra rest built in, but might push the sixth man into a swing role during times when scheduled off days (and there are more of them this year) make his presence in the rotation unnecessary.

Is Ohtani coming to Cleveland?

No

Enough said.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, SS) - 1-4, 1 H, 2 RBI - Make it a 9-game hitting streak for Gonzo after getting off to a cold start in the Dominican League. He also picked up a couple of RBIs along the way in Wednesday's game so he has everything going on right now in the midst of this hit streak.

Anderson Polanco (Tigres del Licey, RP) - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 HR - The lefty had a difficult outing as he surrendered his first home run of the season. It's only the second time he's given up an earned run, though, so it's not a tremendous cause for concern quite yet.

Louis Head (Gigantes del Cibao, RP) - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 SO - The Indians' farmhand surrendered earned runs for the second consecutive outing after giving up three earned runs in his last appearance. Giving up runs in back-to-back outings is not inspiring but he's only pitched in four games in the Dominican league so it will be interesting to see how he recovers.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, RF) - 0-3, 2 BB, 1 K - While Ronny-Rod didn't have a great night with the bat, he did make up for it with solid plate discipline. The lack of hits continued a recent trend for Ronny, who is batting .122 in his last ten games with six hitless efforts and four one-hit games.

Carlos Frias (Gigantes del Cibao, RP) - H (2), 0.1 IP, perfect - Given how well he is pitched in limited action (0.77 ERA in 11.2 IP in 14 games pitched), the fact he doesn't see the mound more often and/or face more batters each time he does is pitch is surprising.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

Jorma Rodriguez (Tiburones de La Guaira, PH-backup 3B) - 0-1, 1 K - Jorma Rodriguez struck out in his only plate appearance in his first game since November 12, with the at-bat being his first time at the plate in a game since November 9. He is batting .250/.308/.375 in 24 at-bats in 14 games played this Venezuelan season.

OF INTEREST

Both 2017 Indians who played in LIDOM last night are currently minor league free agents.

The Puerto Rico league has a meeting today and could decide whether or not to hold their winter season tournament that it has planned for January. Most likely not, because Puerto Rico still does not have electricity or the internet ..

David Vidal is the most outstanding player, not only in the Venezuelan League, but in all baseball organizations in the Caribbean. ( André Kang )

Puerto Ricans excel in the baseball leagues of the Caribbean

About twenty Puerto Rican players participate in the different winter leagues, and many of them have leading roles in their teams

As far as the state of Sonora (Mexico) and as close as Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) the flag of Puerto Rico has floated in the three member countries of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation in recent weeks thanks to the Puerto Rican baseball players who decided to try their luck in these tournaments.

A total of 25 Puerto Rican players have been taking part or participated at some time in the winter leagues of Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

It is the largest number of Puerto Rican players that has participated in foreign winter leagues in recent decades.

The Professional Baseball League Roberto Clemente granted permission to their players to participate in the different leagues of the Caribbean Confederation after they were forced to postpone their national tournament at home until January.

Hurricane Maria, which hit the island in September, also affected several of the stadiums where professional ball is played. The tournament was in danger of not being celebrated at all.

Thus, about a score of Puerto Rican players were recruited to participate in the member countries of the confederation with the commitment that they must report to their parent teams for the start of the Puerto Rico tournament on January 6.

David Vidal, Most Valuable Player in the last Caribbean Series, and veteran Jonathan Albaladejo, are excelling in Venezuela with the Zulia Eagles and the Tiburones de La Guaira, respectively, while Noel Cuevas and Jovan Rosa do it in Mexico.

In the Dominican Republic, pitcher Jorge López is one of the main players in that tournament. He does it with the Cibaeñas Eagles, a team that has counted up to five Puerto Ricans in addition to the coach Lino Rivera and pitching coach David Rosario.

The 11 most outstanding Puerto Rican players in the Caribbean leagues:

League of Venezuela

David Vidal - Águilas de Zuila

The player is the most outstanding Puerto Rican baseball player not only in the Venezuelan League, but in all baseball organizations in the Caribbean. Vidal, who belongs in the Puerto Rico winter tournament with the Criollos de Caguas, averages .291 with eight homers and 26 RBIs. He is the leader of the main statistics of his team; He shares second place in home runs in the league and is among the leaders in the Venezuelan circuit. Vidal was the Most Valuable Player in the last Caribbean Series.

Rey Navarro - Tigres de Aragua

The pimento player in the box averaged .289 with three RBIs before being placed on the restrictive list for fourteen days. He played in twelve games at second base in which he accumulated 38 at bats. He had eleven hits. It is unknown when he will return to play. Navarro belongs to the Criollos de Caguas.

Andrés Santiago - Anzoategui

The speedy right-handed reliever has been used mostly as a closer for the Caribs. He's 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA and five saves. The opponents average .213 against him. He has 17.1 innings pitched in which he has allowed three runs. He has seven strikeouts and eight walks. The last run he allowed was on November 25. Lefties average him 0.96. Santiago belongs to the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican tournament.

Fernando Cruz - Anzoategui

Although his record is 1-1 and his effectiveness is at 3.71, the 27-year-old pitcher has had no luck in his most recent outings with the Caribs. In the past 16.1 innings he has given up ten earned runs. So far, he has 26.2 innings worked. They have scored 16 runs (eleven earned). He has allowed just one homer and has 23 strikeouts and eight walks.
he belongs to the Cangrejeros.

Efraín Nieves - Caracas

The veteran left-handed pitcher is 2-0 with the Lions. He has been used in both facets although his contribution has been mostly as a starter - last four starts -. In relief work, had a 1-0 mark - two opportunities - with a 13.50 ERA. While, as a starter, he has a 1-0 record with 3.31 ERA. In total, his career average is 4.42 ERA in 18.1 innings. He has twelve strikeouts and six walks and averages .321 ave against. Nieves belongs to the Criollos de Caguas.

Jonathan Albaladejo - La Guaira

The spiky right hander is the 'Iron Horse' of the Sharks this winter. He is 4-3 with a 4.64 ERA. He is the pitcher with the most walks in the league with 52.1 innings pitched. He comes from losing in its last appearance after four victories in a row. He's tied for third place in strikeouts with 34. The 6'5 "pitcher belongs to the Mayagüez Indians, but has been playing on loan in Venezuela for several seasons.

Mexican League of the Pacific

Jovan Rosa - Navojoa

The 30-year-old third baseman has turned out to be an impact figure in Mexican baseball. Rosa averages .277 with eight homers and 24 RBIs and is among the leaders of the team. However, Rosa has not hit a home run since November 22. The last run he batted in was the 25th. He belongs to Aguadilla Sharks.

Noel Cuevas - Los Mochis

The camuyano outfielder has had a solid campaign with the Cañeros. Averages .262 with four homers and 18 RBIs. Average .342 since the last week of November. Cuevas belongs to the Aguadilla Sharks.

Miguel Mejía - Obregón

Solid. He is the way to define the performance of the speedy right handed reliever of the Yaquis. Mejía is 1-1 with a stingy 1.04 ERA. He has worked in 26.1 innings in which he has barely allowed three runs. Totalizes 15 strikeouts. He is averaged .204 against. Mejía is part of the Criollos de Caguas.

League of the Dominican Republic

Jorge López - Águilas

The Puerto Rican pitcher has become one of the best in the Dominican tournament. The spiky right hander has a 3-2 mark with a 2.29 ERA - third best in the season. He has worked in 55.1 innings and has given up fourteen earned runs. He has only given up two homers. He comes from losing in its last outing. Belongs in Puerto Rico to the Mayagüez Indians.

Adalberto Flores - Chosen

The spiky right-handed pitcher arrived a few weeks ago for the Lions and has already been an impact. He's 1-0 in three starts and has only allowed one earned run in fifteen innings. His ERA is 0.60. He has fifteen strikeouts. He is part of the Cangrejeros de Santurce.

Shohei Ohtani agrees to sign with Angels

The Angels pulled off a massive surprise Friday, earning the commitment of Japanese Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the most widely wooed prospect in baseball history.

Ohtani, a pitcher with a triple-digit fastball and hitter with tape-measure power, agreed to sign with the Angels for relative peanuts, a decision that could alter the middling franchise’s course for years to come. They could slot him atop their starting rotation and in the middle of their batting order.

The mysterious process of pursuing the 23-year-old became an all-out sweepstakes this offseason, with nearly every Major League Baseball team involved. None knew exactly what Ohtani sought in his destination. For months, many league executives privately expressed beliefs that high-profile teams such as the Dodgers or the New York Yankees would be the favorites.

Instead, when Ohtani was officially made available one week ago, several of his finalists were small-market clubs, and most were located on the West Coast. The Angels survived Sunday’s first cut to seven teams. On Monday, club representatives met with him in Los Angeles, making a two-hour pitch.

On Friday, the Angels announced in a statement: “We are honored Shohei Ohtani has decided to join the Angels Organization. We felt a unique connectivity with him throughout the process and are excited he will become an Angel. This is a special time for Angels fans, the Ohtani family, and Nez Balelo and the team at Creative Artists Agency.”

Balelo is Ohtani’s agent. An Angels spokesman said the club would not make further official comments beyond the statement. However, the club could hold an introductory news conference at Angel Stadium as soon as Saturday.

The Angels are expected to pay Ohtani a $2.315-million signing bonus, most of which they acquired within the last week via trades. They will also send a $20-million posting fee to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani’s former Japanese team.

Had he waited to come to MLB two more years, at 25, Ohtani might have netted a guaranteed contract of about $200 million for six or seven seasons, league executives estimated. By coming now, he was limited to earning a maximum $3.5-million bonus and a salary near the league minimum of $545,000 for the next three years.

That’s substantial value for the Angels. But there is risk, too. No major league player has started 15 or more games on the mound and in the field since 1924. That’s because pitching requires recovery time. Balancing that with training as a hitter and in-game appearances is difficult.

Ohtani is a right-handed pitcher, and his fastball hums up to 100 mph. A left-handered hitter, his power is prodigious. He wants to do both, and the Angels are willing to let him try. Exactly how that will work remains uncertain.

Ohtani’s career-high for innings pitched is 160 2/3, for plate appearances 382, and last season he threw only 25 1/3 innings and batted 231 times. If he remains healthy, he could be the Angels’ designated hitter on some days he does not pitch. Albert Pujols held down the DH role in 2017, so Ohtani’s presence could require him to play first base or move him to the bench.

This is the first offseason in three years Pujols has not required foot surgery, and he started his workout regimen more than a month ago. He hopes to be in better shape at the start of spring training, which would prepare him to play the field more.

In Japan, Ohtani pitched once per week, as is traditional in Nippon Professional Baseball. Upon Japanese pitchers’ arrival in recent years, major league teams have tried to closely replicate that structure.

One way the Angels could do that is with a six-man starting rotation, which general manager Billy Eppler has long expressed interest in trying. With off days, that would supply Ohtani a schedule he is accustomed to, and it could benefit the rest of the Angels’ rotation too. Most of their starters were injured during an 80-win 2017 season.

In a statement announcing the decision, Ohtani’s agent said the player determined that the Angels could best help him reach his goals.

“What mattered to him most wasn’t market size, time zone or league but that he felt a true bond with the Angels,” Balelo said. “He sees this as the best environment to develop and reach the next level and attain his career goal.”

8 December, 2017 1:40 AM
Juan Francisco connects HR 60 and approaches one of the record

SANTO DOMINGO .-

Juan Francisco hit his fourth homer of the season to get to sixty in his career and tie with Jose Felix in second place of the sluggers of all time in the Dominican League win on Wednesday the Tigers Licey 10-4 against the Lions of the Chosen in the Quisqueya-Juan Marichal Stadium.

"I feel very happy for having achieved it" said Juan Francisco and emphasized that "You have to always be positive, never lower your head"

Francisco, 30, homered to right field off of Anderson Polanco to tie with Jose Felix one behind Mendy Lopez, who is the historic leader with 61.

The clean up hitter for Licey now has eleven games that remain on the calendar of the regular season to be able to tie and break the home run record in the baseball tournament 2017-2018.

It was the twelfth homer for Francisco in Santo Domingo, the seventh against the Lions, and the first against a pitcher of Leones from the fourteenth of November 2014 and number thirty in the uniform of Licey.

In 24 games he batting 90-18 (.277), with four doubles, four homers, 18 RBIs, and seven walks.

Dominican League: (LIDOM)

Louis Head (RP, Gigantes del Cibao) 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 SO, HLD. Head notched his second hold after recording a perfect inning of relief. This was a much needed, positive outing for him after he gave up a combined six runs in his previous two appearances. He will need to string together a handful of these positive outings to lower his inflated 12.46 ERA.

Erik Gonzalez (SS, Leones del Escogido) 0-4, SO. Gonzalez saw his nine game hitting streak come to an end Friday night. While he is hitting .325 in his last ten games, his offseason average still sits at .254 since he took a while to heat up at the plate. The way things have gone lately, the talented middle infielder should start a new streak soon.

Venezuelan League: (LVBP)

Jorma Rodriguez (3B, Tiburones de La Guaira) 2-4, 2B, SO. Rodriguez received his first start since November 12th, but he made the most of it recording just his second multi-hit game. He also connected for his second double of winter ball. Jorma played most of last season with Lake County batting .266 with the Captains. So far he is hitting .286 in 28 at-bats in Venezuela.

[ List is getting shorter. This is the worst representation that I've seen since I've been doing winter ball ]

Leader Las Tunas reached 50 wins

They beat Industriales with a powerful offense of 15 hits.

Havana.- SUPPORTED again in a powerful offensive of 15 hits, the leader Las Tunas won on Wednesday 11-4 Industriales to become the first team to reach 50 victories in the LVII National Baseball Series.

The Lumberjacks did not hit for extra bases, but they were very opportune in their batting and they knew how to take advantage of the numerous lapses shown by the 10 pitchers that Victor Mesa, the manager of Havana, used in the game.

The bats were highlighted by Yunior Paumier, who went 4-5 with a run batted in, and the pitching of the left-hander Yudiel Rodríguez, who scored his tenth win of the season, by mixing well his breaking balls with the fast balls during his seven innings.

With this win, Las Tunas maintained its advantage of a game over the sub-leader Matanzas, who with the praiseworthy pitching of the righty Alexander Hernández defeated 6-4 the monarchs of Granma.

Hernandez threw eight innings to the beat of four hits and five strikeouts against the powerful squad of the Granma Alazanes, in addition to not conceding walks, to get his first triumph of the year.

In the other action to date, Pinar del Río beat Artemisa 9-6 and remain 2.5 games behind Granma, occupying the fourth place in order to advance to the playoff phase.

After those results:

1. Las Tunas
2. Matanzas (1.0)
3. Industriales (7.5)
4. Granma (8.0)
5. Pinar del Río (10.5)
6. Artemisa (13.0).

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Winter leagues roundup: Padres' Cordero on hot streak

The various offseason winter leagues, much like the Arizona Fall League, offers players an opportunity to refine their games in a competitive environment and perhaps even improve their standing within their organization ahead of the upcoming season.

Franchy Cordero, San Diego's No. 12 prospect, has done just that this offseason while playing for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic.

After recording his third straight multihit game on Wednesday, Cordero now leads the DWL in hits (tied-49) and total bases (73), ranks second in OPS (.872) and third in average (.322).

Cordero's impressive offseason comes after the 23-year-old outfielder tallied nine extra-base hits and 15 runs scored but also struck out 44 times in 30 games with the Padres in 2017. He fared considerably better during his time in the Pacific Coast League, where he produced a .326/.369/.603 line with 17 homers, 18 triples, 21 doubles and 15 steals in 93 games for Triple-A El Paso.

Here's a look at the top prospects currently making waves in the offseason winter leagues.

Australia

Gabriel Arias, SS, Padres -- Though he's currently not ranked among San Diego's Top 30 prospects, the 17-year-old Arias is a safe bet to make the Top 30 list in 2018. Signed for $1.9 million after ranking sixth on MLBPipeline.com's list of the top 2016-17 international prospects, Arias batted .265 with zero home runs in his first full season, including an impressive 16-game stint with Class A Fort Wayne. He's found his power stroke in the ABL, however, as Arias enters Friday having homered in back-to-back games for Canberra Cavalry, the first being a two-homer performance. He's also accrued eight RBIs over his past three games and owns a .255/.300/.532 line through 13 games on the season.

• Garrett Whitley, OF, Rays No. 9 -- While the 2015 first-rounder didn't hit for much average (.238) during his first 12 games with Perth, Whitley went 4-for-7 over his past two games to lift his mark to .286 and has tallied more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) en route to a .444 on-base percentage and a .955 OPS. The 20-year-old outfielder began to put his entire game together in 2017 as he batted .249/.362/.430 with 13 homers, 18 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 104 games in the Class A Midwest League.

Dominican Republic

• Jose Siri, OF, Reds No. 22 -- Siri was named the Reds Minor League hitter of the year after a breakout season in which he slashed .293/.341/.530 with 24 home runs, 59 extra-base hits and 46 stolen bases in 126 games for Class A Dayton. The 22-year-old outfielder is continuing to showcase his impressive tools in the DWL, as he's now rattled off multiple hits in four straight games to improve his offseason slash line to .333/.365/.550 for Gigantes del Cibao.

• Socrates Brito, OF, D-backs No. 10 -- A dislocated ring finger on Brito's left hand suffered during Spring Training delayed the start of the 25-year-old outfielder's until mid-season. He performed well with Triple-A Reno after finally returning to the field, but a healthy A.J. Pollock and the acquisition of J.D. Martinez kept him from returning to the Major Leagues. Now making up for some of that lost time in the DWL, Brito has produced a .302/.364/.477 line over 38 games for Estrellas Orientales.

Mexico

• Randy Arozarena, OF, Cardinals No. 11 -- Arozarena homered in three straight games to begin his week, the last of which was a walk-off three-run homer. He also connected on a home run on Thursday, giving the 22-year-old outfielder a league-leading 12 home runs through 47 games for Mayos de Navojoa. What's more, Arozarena, whom St. Louis signed for $1.25 million July 2016, also paces the circuit in runs scored (40), total bases (114) and slugging (.579). Overall, he's batting .299 overall with a .937 OPS.

• Donnie Dewees Jr., OF, Royals No. 18 -- Signed for a well above-slot $1.7 million in the second round, Dewees split his first full pro season between two Class A stops before the Cubs traded him to the Royals for Alec Mills in February. The 24-year-old outfielder made a smooth transition to Double-A in 2017 and is building on that performance in Mexico behind a .291/.361/.436 line in his first 15 games for Charros de Jalisco.

Venezuela

• Chuck Taylor, OF, Mariners No. 29 -- Selected by the Mariners (from Arizona's system) in the Minor League phase of the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, Taylor made the most of the fresh start by hitting .274/.369/.397 and setting career highs in nearly all counting offensive categories. He hasn't skipped a beat this offseason in Venezuela, as the 24-year-old Taylor owns a .339/.413/.441 line with 60 hits (13 extra-base hits) in 45 games for Cardenales de Lara.

• Ildemaro Vargas, SS/2B, D-backs No. 21 -- Vargas, 26, broke out this past season to slash .312/.355/.462 while also setting career highs with 10 home runs and 35 doubles in 113 games with Triple-A Reno. That success then followed him to the Major Leagues, where he batted .308 (4-for-13) over parts of 12 games with Arizona. Now playing for Cardenales de Lara, the switch-hitting middle infielder owns a robust .415/.487/.597 line with 21 runs scored through his first 15 games. Vargas has been particularly hot of late, too, posting a .435 average (20-for-46) and scoring 16 runs in his last 10 contests.

OF INTEREST

Jelfry Marte still in play for Twins after voided deal

Minnesota nullified contract with 16-year-old shortstop because of vision issues. Despite voiding top prospect Jelfry Marte's $3 million deal because of vision issues, the Twins still have interest in signing the 16-year-old Dominican shortstop, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Marte, ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the No. 3 prospect in this year's international class, was considered the jewel of Minnesota's international signings, receiving the third-largest signing bonus among all international prospects.

OF INTEREST

Ohtani signing may benefit Martinez, int'l prospects

A trio of international prospect showcases held Friday morning in the Dominican Republic gained extra significance when Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani chose to sign with the Angels on Friday afternoon. Cuban outfield prospect Julio Pablo Martinez, who began the day with an impressive morning showcase in front of 180 scouts from almost every team at the Dodgers' complex in Guerra, could now be a primary target for teams that missed out on Ohtani. The Rangers, who were also in the mix for Ohtani and present at the Martinez showcase, still have $3.535 million to spend on international prospects during the current period. The Yankees, who also have more than $3 million to spend, also had a large contingent at the Martinez workout.

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The second major showcase of the day began shortly after Martinez's ended when former Braves prospect Yunior Severino took the field at the Giants' complex in Boca Chica. Severino, who was one of the 12 Atlanta prospects granted free agency when an MLB investigation determined Atlanta circumvented the international signing guidelines last month, took batting practice and fielded ground balls in front of many of the same scouts that attended Martinez's workout. The switch hitter showed power from both sides of the plate. He later agreed to a $2.5 million deal with the Twins.

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Cuban third base/outfield prospect Malcom Nunez, 16, also displayed his talent during the Severino showcase. Nunez, who starred in Cuba's junior leagues and the club's 15-and-under national teams, fared well, particularly against live pitching. He is eligible to sign under international signing guidelines and could also be an option for teams that missed out on Ohtani.

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The showcase for Oscar Luis Marten Nunez, 19, began at Patrick Guerrero's field in the Villa Mella section of Santo Domingo an hour after Severino's showcase ended. Nunez, who plays third base and outfield, worked out in front of 15 teams. The 6-foot, 195-pound prospect finished the 60-yard run in 6.5 seconds during the showcase. He is a free agent and eligible to sign with a Major League team.

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It's also worth noting that Jelfy Marte, who signed with the Twins for $3 million during the current international signing period, had his contract voided because of a vision issue and remains on the market.

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2017 PROSPECT WATCH

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=int

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