Pirates give $2.35 million bonus to sign top international teenage outfield prospect

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed the top teenage outfield prospect in the 2020-21 international free agent market Friday, giving a $2.35 million bonus to 16-year-old Shalin Polanco of the Dominican Republic.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Polanco — no relation to Pirates right fielder Gregory, although both hail from Santo Domingo — is a lanky left-hander who is ranked the No. 8 international prospect by Baseball America and No. 11 by MLB Pipeline.

Shalin Polanco is a name to watch in the Pirates international draft class.

He's expected to ink a bonus in the $2.5 million range.

Top 50 names to know: https://t.co/c4ik597Ykn pic.twitter.com/J1O7TBYrdW

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 15, 2021

The signing of Shalin Polanco, who turns 17 on Feb. 6, takes up nearly half of the Pirates’ $5,889,600 international bonus pool. It is the second-highest international signing by the club, with the record being the $2.6 million bonus they gave to Mexican 6-foot-6 right-hander Luis Heredia in August 2010. The Pirates released Heredia, who never pitched above Class Double-A, in 2017.

#Pirates make it official wirth outfielder Shalin Polanco, #11 on @MLBPipeline’s Top 30 Int’l Prospects list. pic.twitter.com/j7ipuHZmXU

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 15, 2021

We've signed OF Shalin Polanco as a non-drafted free agent.

? https://t.co/xd6eQumgqz pic.twitter.com/UapoIsXq4V

— Pirates (@Pirates) January 15, 2021

Polanco is one of 15 players signed by the Pirates on Friday. Of those players, a dozen are from the Dominican Republic: outfielders Polanco and Rodolfo de la Cruz, right-handed pitchers Jesus Clode, Darlin Diaz, Luigi Hernandez, Andres Sierra (6-1, 189), catcher Miguel Sosa and shortstops Rubel Lebron, Wesley Zapata and John Zorilla. The Pirates also signed right-handers Jose Garces of Colombia, Antwone Kelly of Aruba and outfielder Ruben Vizcaya of Venezuela.

The Pirates signed 48 international prospects last year, including a $ 1.25 million bonus to Taiwanese 19-year-old right-hander Po-Yu Chen. That class included five players ranked in Baseball America’s top 100 international prospects: right-hander Christopher Cruz (54), shortstop Javier Rivas (61), outfielder Ewry Espinal (64), right-hander Roelmy Garcia (84) and left-hander Yojeiry Osoria (90).

Baseball America reported that scouts liked Polanco’s “short, fluid lefthanded swing and power potential once he adds strength to his projectable frame.” MLB.com gave Polanco a 60 for speed and a 55 for his hitting and fielding on the scout grading scale of 20-80. His power and arm both registered a 50, with the belief that he has plus potential arm strength and above-average potential in center field.