Mariners sign 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Victor Labrada
Nov 6, 2019, 3:04 PM
The Mariners have dipped into the international signing group to add another young outfielder to the organization.
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Sources confirm the report from Francys Romero on Wednesday that 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Victor Labrada has agreed to sign with the Mariners for a $350,000 signing bonus. That figure will come out of the team’s 2019-20 international free agent signing pool.
Sources: OF Victor Labrada agreed a deal with Seattle Mariners (350.000 in bonus). Labrada left Cuba in last april, two days before the cancellation Cuba-MLB agreement. pic.twitter.com/Qtgf159fVs
— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero10) November 6, 2019
Labrada left Cuba in April, just two days before the Trump administration nullified a short-lived deal between the MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation that provided a safer path for players to leave Cuba to play baseball in the US. Smaller in stature, the left-handed hitter has drawn comparison to former Mariners outfielder Guillermo Heredia and has shown to to be ultra aggressive at the plate. His baseball instincts and ability to play all three outfield positions caught the eye of the Mariners, who see him as an outfielder that can “really run, throw and play centerfield.”
Labrada was a member of Cuba’s U-18 National Team that won the Pan-American Games in 2018. He is currently working out at the Mariners Dominican Academy and is expected to play stateside in 2020.
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