A player born in Puerto Rico is signed under the international player signing system

The signing period for international players by Major League teams, which began yesterday Saturday after a six-month postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic and which will be in effect until December 15, already adds up to a long list of signed players and among the most prominent names is that of a young Dominican who was reportedly born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.

We are talking about Yasser Mercedes, a young Dominican resident of Nizao who has been listed as the 17th best prospect on the list of international players. This list excludes players from the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, who initially do so through the new entry lottery to enter Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, players from other Caribbean islands such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and countries with a great baseball tradition such as Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama must enter through this system, one that limits the amount of money that each team can invest.

That said, Mercedes, born Nov. 16, 2004 in Puerto Rico but long a resident of his parents’ homeland of the Dominican Republic, has accepted a $1.7 million signing offer from the Minnesota Twins. The youngster, introduced as a center fielder, is described as a fast-running player for both defensive duties as a baserunner. He has also received reports for being both an average hitter and a power hitter.

At the moment it is the most valuable signing offered by the Twins, who according to other reports have also reached agreements with Venezuelan shortstops Yilber Herrera for a bonus of $700,000 and Bryan Acuña for a payment of $650,000. The latter is the brother of the star player of the Atlanta Braves, Ronald Acuña Jr.

Minnesota, which can spend up to $5.7 million on prospect signings, has yet to confirm signings. Under MLB rules, all teams are entitled to a maximum pot for signing bonus payments. Bonuses paid in firms below $10,0000 do not count towards this cap.

It is worth saying that from the list of the 50 best international prospects, the player considered number one on the list was the Dominican Roderick Arias. He has reportedly decided to sign for a $4 million bonus with the New York Yankees. The signing leaves the New York ninth with only some $1.7 million to square off some other signings.