Baseball America reports that the Jays have officially sighed deals with Cristopher Polanco and Juan Sanchez. The two Dominicans were the highest profile prospects with whom the Jays were tied prior to the opening of the international signing window on Wednesday.
Polanco was expected to sign for a bonus somewhere above $2m, while Sanchez was expected to land roughly $1m. Toronto had also been tied to Venezuelan shortstops Eleneiker Coronado and Kennew Blanco for bonuses in the high six figure range, although those players have not been announced to have signed yet. Those four bonuses will account for the vast majority of the Jays’ $6.2m bonus pool, but the $2m in extra room they received in the Myles Straw trade will allow them to pursue additional signings.
Update: Ben Badler now reports that Blanco and Coronado have signed.
Polanco is, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, an undersized middle infielder whose carrying tool is a great feel to hit and a compact swing that allows him to make lots of good contact. If you want to be happy in life, find someone who loves you the way the Jays international scouts love players with that profile. He has the potential for a plus hit tool in MLB, and although his raw power will probably always be limited, scouts seem to think he’s good enough at making the most of his contract to have a chance to get to something like average power production. His hands and feet on defence earn praise, although there seems to be debate about whether he’ll stick at shortstop or move to second base, where he could be a defensive asset.
Sanchez is a different archetype. At 6’3” and already 200lbs, he’ll likely wind up sliding over to third, although he’s a strong athlete and might stick at short. He has the frame and swing to project for solidly above average power, but there are questions about his hit tool.
Coronado is another middle infielder fits the hit over power profile. He’s the son of a former Mets AAA player, and shows his baseball bloodlines with good technique and instincts that allow his physical skills to play up.
Blanco was supposed to be a star of last year’s IFA class, but issues with his age paperwork delayed him to this class. At 6’2”, he has power potential and intriguing hitting ability.