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International Signing Day is here, and it’s been a hectic day all across the board. As of right now, the Angels have reportedly agreed to deals with four international prospects.
Denzer Guzman — Shortstop — Dominican Republic
Luis Viloria — LHP — Venezuela
Darlin Francia— RHP — Dominican Republic
Eiver Betancourt — Catcher — Venezuela
Fernando Guanare — RHP — Venezuela
Edwin Hidalgo — Catcher — Panama
Klevier Lopez — Shortstop — Venezuela
Denzer Guzman
Baseball America ranking: No. 13
MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 29
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Scouting reports:
A physical, offensive-oriented shortstop with a bonus expected to be around $2 million. Guzman makes a lot of contact against live pitching with a loose, easy swing, with the bat speed and physical projection to grow into considerable power as well. His strong arm should play on the left side of the infield, though his defense might fit better at third base.
First and foremost, he knows the strike zone. He shows a sound swing with a small leg kick. There’s a nice rhythm to his approach and he has a knack for making hard contact to all fields. He likes to hit the ball up the middle and into the gaps, and is projected to add some power as he develops. He’s not a big time thumper that will drive the ball out of the ballpark on a consistent basis, at least for now, but he’s consistent and is working on adding loft to his swing.
On defense, he might end up at third base because of his projected size and overall skillset. He’s a solid defender with plus-arm potential. He shows good footwork on both sides of the ball. He’s considered a below average runner.
The #Angels have agreed to a $2 million deal with Dominican shortstop Denzer Guzman, one of the best hitters in the international class and No. 29 on the Top 30. @JesseSanchezMLB has the details: https://t.co/6Sm7wBTK13 pic.twitter.com/c8g18DSiNw
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 15, 2021
#Angels sign Eivert Betancourt, a catcher from Venezuela. @MLBPipeline pic.twitter.com/H8XRS9YqSK
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 15, 2021
Angels signing Luis Viloria, LHP from Venezuela, and Edwin Hidalgo, catcher from Panama.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 16, 2021
Updated Angels agreements today: https://t.co/ictibaoVvk pic.twitter.com/Ih3b2B4noC
More information on other players + money involved will be updated.