Pittsburgh Pirates International Signing: Outfielder Juan Pie

Breaking News: It is July 2nd, which means that the new International Signing period has opened up across the MLB.  The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed one player so far.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have done a very good job of finding talent in the International market.  Top International scout Rene Gayo has been in charge of the Caribbean market since 2004.  He signed players such as Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Jose Osuna, Elias Diaz, Edgar Santana, and many others.  Most of these players were not considered top talents when they signed, which obviously shows that Gayo has a good eye for talent.  In fact, the Bucs rarely hand out large bonuses anymore, rather they sign quantity over perceived quality.

So far the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed one player today.  They paid out what is likely to be the largest bonus they will give this signing period.  They signed Dominican outfielder Juan Pie to a bonus of $500,000. This is about 10 percent of the Pittsburgh Pirates bonus allotment for this year’s signing period.  Here is what Baseball America’s scouting report on the 16-year-old projectable outfielder said:

"The top player the Pirates are linked to is Juan Pie, a Dominican outfielder expected to sign for around $500,000 and trains with Banana, whose program has also produced Kevin “Lolo” Sanchez and Jeremias Portorreal, among others, for the Pirates in recent years. Pie is a lefty who is light on raw tools but has impressed in the batter’s box with his fast left handed bat and feel for hitting, with power that will have to develop since he’s going to play left field."

Next: Marte Starting Rehab Assignment

Juan Pie is ranked by Baseball America as the 45th overall best prospect available in this year’s International Class.  Pie is 6’3” and 170 pounds, he throws and bats left-handed.  This is exactly the type of player Gayo targets. Pie may not be as polished as some of the top international free agents, but he has the projectable, lefty frame that the Bucs like to develop. He has raw power that he will likely grow into as he matures and fills out into his 6’3” frame.  Pie turned 16 on April 1st, so he is relatively young in comparison to the other players in the market.  The Pittsburgh Pirates were allocated $5.75 million for this signing period.  They used less than 10 percent on Pie, who is likely to be the highest paid player they sign.  Check back for updates on more signings.

*Bonus figures are courtesy of Baseball America