Jose Julio Ruiz is drawing more interest than fellow Cuban first baseman Leslie Anderson, reports ESPN.com’s Jorge Arangure Jr.. Ruiz has attracted interest from many teams, including the Red Sox and his agents have fielded multiple offers. It’s unlikely that the 25-year-old will sign before Monday, but he could sign soon. Some teams wonder if Ruiz could hit in the majors immediately.
Anderson worked out in Mexico last week, but the nine teams that watched the 27-year-old were generally unimpressed. One interested executive called the showing "mediocre at best." Still, Anderson could sign with a big league club within a week.
Here are a few other notes from Arangure Jr.:
- Eduardo Salcedo, an 18-year-old infielder, could be cleared to sign with MLB teams sometime this week. If everything goes through, the D’Backs and Braves will be among the teams interested in signing him. The bidding could reach $2MM for the shortstop-third baseman.
- The Pirates agreed to sign 17-year-old Dominican outfielder Willy Garcia for $280K.
- The D’Backs signed 17-year-old Dominican outfielder Socrates Abrito for $190K.
