By RICK SOLEM
He’s ranked No. 4 on MLB’s list of international prospects and the Milwaukee Brewers signed him.
Oh, he’s 16 years old and he was signed for $3.1 million.
His name, Gilbert Lara, out of the Dominican Republic. He’s a 6-foot-3, 203-pound shortstop.
MLB.com says he has “raw power, but can appear out of control at times.” Kind of like a 16 year old behind the wheel of an SUV.
Also Lara “sometimes struggles with breaking balls and other offspeed pitches,” and, get this, “is expected to improve with experience.”
Well, let’s hope so, since he’s only 16. If he’s peaked now, that’s sure a waste of $3.1 million.
This is a record amount for the Brewers, who signed two 16 year olds last year for $800,000 each.
The international signing period began today and the MLB allows $700,000 along with a bonus pool of money based on the team’s record in 2013. Milwaukee had $2.6 million in that pool.
Milwaukee has not confirmed this signing, however.