The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero to a four-year, $28 million contract that could potentially be worth $32 million, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. The deal will include a $10 million signing bonus, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Dodgers sign Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero to four-year deal
The Dodgers have finally signed Guerrero after a previously agreed upon deal fell apart.
Jeff Golden
Guerrero originally had a verbal agreement to sign a five-year, $32 million contract with the Dodgers, but the deal ran into a couple of snags. The MLBPA did not approve the agent Guerrero used to sign the contract, and the union only approves deals by certified agents. Guerrero ended up switching to Scott Boras while backing out of the original agreement after changing agents.
The 26-year-old is a power-hitting middle infielder who played shortstop in Cuba, but is expected to move to second base. Guerrero, like most international players, has drawn mixed reviews from scouts; one told Ben Badler of Baseball America:
“He has raw power, no doubt, but I don’t see there being enough hitting ability to make that raw power that usable. It’s a real rigid swing with stiffness.”
Guerrero will likely start next season in Double-A or Triple-A, with Los Angeles hoping he can reach the majors quickly.
The Dodgers had two international free agent signings pay dividends for them this year. The club signed Yasiel Puig and Hyun-Jin Ryu to multi-year deals last winter, both of whom were key contributors to the Dodgers run to the NLCS.
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