Cuban Prospects Randy Arozarena, Lazaro Armenteros Cleared To Sign

Two top Cuban prospects received clearance today from the commissioner’s office to be eligible to sign.

Randy Arozarena, who has showcased as a shortstop but also has experience as an outfielder, was declared eligible to sign with major league teams. The commissioner’s office also informed teams that outfielder Lazaro Armenteros will be eligible to sign on Feb. 10. Both players are subject to the international bonus pools.

Arozarena, 20, ranked as the No. 9 player in Baseball America’s Top 20 Cuban player rankings in April. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with plus speed, a sound righthanded swing and a good eye at the plate, with the potential to become a top-of-the-lineup hitter who can play somewhere in the middle of the diamond. In his final season in Cuba (2014-15), Arozarena batted .291/.412/.419 with 36 walks and 37 strikeouts in 74 games and ranked second in the league in stolen bases with 15 in 21 attempts.

Armenteros is 16, and he required a special exemption from the commissioner’s office to be eligible to sign since he missed the May 15 registration cutoff to be eligible to sign during the current 2015-16 international signing period. Armenteros had his first open showcase on Friday at the Padres’ academy in the Dominican Republic. Armenteros had been one of the top hitters in his age group in the Cuban junior national leagues. In August 2014, he played in the 15U World Cup in Mexico, where he hit .462/.611/.962 with 10 walks and eight strikeouts in 36 plate appearances.