The Washington Nationals announced the signing of four Venezuelan prospects yesterday, further extending their reach into Latin America.
The Nationals signed 17-year-old catcher Sandy Leon, switch-hitting shortstop Adrian Sanchez, 16, center fielder Jesus Morales, 17, and first baseman Juan Urdaneta, 17, after a private workout Friday in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Dana Brown, the Nationals' amateur scouting director, said all four players have a shot to be "everyday major league position players," but he was most excited about Leon, a switch-hitting catcher with a strong arm and advanced skills behind the plate.
Leon is expected to travel to Viera, Fla., to participate in minor league spring training with the Nationals and could play for the team's Gulf Coast League affiliate this season. The three other prospects are likely to spend the summer at the Nationals' Dominican Republic academy.
"He has some big-time bat potential and he can really catch and throw," Brown said. "When you get a switch-hitting catcher that can hit like that, that's pretty precious."
Brown said the signings further establish the Nationals as a player in the Latin American talent market.
The team signed Dominican shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez to a contract that included a $1.4 million signing bonus last summer, and signed four more Dominican players earlier this month.
"We're becoming very competitive in the in the market regardless of where it is," Brown said. "We want to be aggressive at signing quality prospects for our system."
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Email: tjacobson@freelancestar.com