Mets sign Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero’s son as part of strong 20-man free-agent class

Within a strong 20-man international class of free agents, the New York Mets have signed Vladimir Miguel Guerrero (aka Vladi Guerrero), son of Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero and half-brother of Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, Guerrero is a 17-year-old left-handed bat out of the Dominican Republic who has shown above-average bat speed and power but projects as more of a slugger rather than an all-around offensive threat like his brother in Toronto. 

Guerrero, however, is not the headlining prospect of this class. The Mets reached a $2.85 million deal with the No. 6 ranked international free agent, catcher Yovanny Rodriguez. The 17-year-old Venezuelan has already shown top-notch defensive work behind the plate with the offensive prowess to become an imposing two-way player at the major league level.

The Mets also came away with the signatures of the 31st-ranked Yensi Rivas, a shortstop, for $500,000 and the 41st-ranked Edward Lantigua, and outfielder, for $950,000. Both players hail from the Dominican Republic. 

Rivas is a switch-hitter who has shown natural capabilities from both sides of the plate to go with a solid defensive game at shortstop. 

As for Lantigua, he has already garnered comparisons (per MLB.com) to Seattle Mariners superstar Julio Rodriguez in terms of “size, speed, and athleticism.” On those intangibles alone, he should get a long look in center field as he’s introduced into the Mets’ system.

“We are excited to welcome this year’s international signing class to our organization,” Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns, said. “These players and their families have worked hard to get to this day, and we look forward to supporting them as they continue pursuing their dreams to be Major League players. 

“As we carry out our goal of creating a championship-caliber organization, we will need to continue to acquire and develop future Mets. Having an international scouting and development apparatus that regularly brings quality players into our organization is essential.”

The full 20-man international signing class is as follows:

The international free-agent signing period for players born from Sept. 1, 2006, to Aug. 31, 2007, extends to Dec. 15. MLB clubs are equipped with a signing bonus pool ranging from approximately $4.65 million to $7.1 million. Signing bonuses are not counted against a team’s cap and cannot exceed $10,000.

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