Mariners agree to terms with Cuban prospect

SEATTLE -- The Hot Stove season is just getting underway, but the Mariners went a different route in coming to terms with a young prospect on Wednesday. A club source confirmed an agreement is in place with Cuban outfielder Victor Labrada as an international free agent, though the deal won’t likely be officially announced until January.

Labrada is a 19-year-old who left Cuba last April and has been living in the Dominican Republic while awaiting an opportunity to sign with an MLB club. According to a Twitter report from baseball writer Francys Romero, Labrada will receive a $350,000 signing bonus.

Scouting reports on Labrada say he's a comparable defender to former Mariners center fielder Guillermo Heredia, but has better baserunning instincts and is very aggressive at the plate, per the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish. FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen reports that Labrada has elite speed and a strong arm in the outfield, also noting that he's a free swinger.

Labrada was the captain for the U-18 Cuban national team last year, batting .350 in seven games in the Pan-American Championship Series.