KC Royals to sign international prospect Daniel Vazquez

The KC Royals are wasting no time and are reportedly signing a promising international prospect to add to their already growing system.

It’s time for the 2021 international signing period and just like the rest of the offseason so far, the Royals are not wasting any time getting to work. Jesse Sanchez tweeted this morning that the Royals had reportedly agreed to a deal worth $1.5 million with shortstop Daniel Vazquez of the Dominican Republic.

Baseball America and MLB pipeline have also reported on this deal.

In an article from Sanchez on mlb.com, he uses Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado as players comparable to Vazquez.

Vazquez is the 12th ranked international prospect according to mlb.com’s prospect list.

His prospect page reports that he is athletic and has plenty of room to grow. He could stick at the shortstop position and could provide a consistent bat with a .285 batting average, and also see some power with 15 or more home runs per season. His prospect page also makes note of his repeatable swing which can help with consistency.

MLB’s prospect page reports good defense with natural ability and instincts. Something that may have stuck out to the Royals is his projection to be a good baserunner, something that is coveted in Kansas City.

It may seem odd to some that the Royals are signing another shortstop, but Vazquez has plenty of time before he will be ready for the major leagues. He is currently only 17 years old and the Royals will want to see a lot of work out of him.

His athleticism could easily also allow him to move around the field. He has a good arm and range, and he could make the move to third base if needed and with his speed and instincts, it’s possible Kansas City could try to do what they do best and eventually move him to the outfield.

Either way, the Royals have made it clear that they are looking to acquire not only free agents for the 2021 season but prospects to help build their system and maintain success. Kansas City still has some money to spend on international signings so it’s likely there will be more to come.

The Royals are reportedly signing international prospect Daniel Vazquez.