By not exceeding their allotted spending money to sign an amateur free agent that would’ve come with a 100 percent penalty tax and being limited moving forward, the Los Angeles Dodgers have positioned themselves nicely once the next international signing period begins on July 2.

The wealth of talent is said to include 18-year-old pitcher Yadier Alvarez. The young right-hander has been on the Dodgers’ radar and according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the interest has developed into Alvarez being a target of the club’s:

The Dodgers are said to be very interested in hard-throwing young Cuban righthander Yadier Alvarez. Los Angeles, which seems intent on continuing to be a big international player, has extensively scouted Alvarez, with team president Andrew Friedman even traveling to see him in the Dominican, where Alvarez has established residency. The Dodgers signed Cuban third baseman Hector Olivera recently for $62.5 million over six years, and appear to be targeting Alvarez now.

At 6’3 and 175 pounds, Alvarez has a fastball that reaches the mid-to-upper 90s, as well as a plus-slider and changeup. On top of Alvarez’s talent, his youth and frame certainly give teams more than reason to see promise in the years to follow.

What may affect the Dodgers’ chances of signing Alvarez is it’s also been reported he is attempting to gain clearance as a free agent by MLB during the current signing period. Should that take place, the Dodgers would be in the same position they were with Yoan Moncada — subject to penalties due to Alvarez’s age and inexperience.

However, should Alvarez either not gain clearance or go unsigned until July 2, the Dodgers would then be able to sign him and other international prospects, and incur any penalties during the following year’s international signing period.

[divide]

Paco Rodriguez Worked On Improving Mechanics





Please enable Javascript to watch this video