Pirates reportedly favored to sign youngest Guerrero in international free agency

The Guerrero family has been dominant in the MLB for decades, and the youngest member is reportedly expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wilton Guerrero Sr., Vladimir Guerrero Sr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all spent significant time in the big leagues, with Vlad Sr. being in the Hall of Fame and Vlad Jr. currently one of the game's biggest stars. Vladdy just received a $500 million extension, further cementing the legacy of the family.

Son of Wilton Sr., Wilton Jr., is a 16-year-old baseball player who looks to be headed to Pittsburgh to start his career.

Pirates Rumors: Wilton Guerrero Jr. to sign with Pittsburgh in IFA

According to John Dreker, an author of numerous Pirates books, Pittsburgh is the favorite to sign Wilton Jr. this coming January.

The Pirates have been linked to the shortstop for many years now. Over a year ago, a report from MLB Insider Héctor Gómez stated that the Pirates were expected to sign the (at the time) 14-year-old prospect.

Likely due to his name and his skill set, Wilton Jr. has been scouted for many years as a potential star prospect. In 2021, Gómez posted videos of a 12-year-old Wilton Jr. looking like a future star.

The Bucs' best international signing in recent memory was Starling Marte, who was signed in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic and became a star. Marte had a 28.2 WAR with the Pirates in his eight seasons and batted .287 while securing two Gold Gloves.

Unfortunately, not every international signing bodes well for the Bucs. In 2009, the Pirates signed Gregory Polanco, and he was expected to be a dominant outfielder in Pittsburgh. Polanco went on to dominate in the Bucs' minor league system and earned himself a contract extension in 2016.

Following his extension, Polanco ended up struggling for the remainder of his career. Missing a ton of time to injury, Polanco never hit above .258 in his career and left the MLB in 2021 after spending all eight seasons of his career in Pittsburgh.

All of this to say, international signings are very hit or miss in today's MLB. Every team signs a wealth of international guys in hopes of hitting on at least one. In terms of Wilton Jr., Pirates fans expect him to follow the trajectory of his father, uncle, and cousin, and be a dominant player.

Only time will tell for the 16-year-old Wilton Jr., but the sooner the Pirates can get him in the farm system, the sooner they will find out if he has what it takes to live up to his family name and play great baseball.