Jays Sign International Free Agent Enmanuel Bonilla

Update: I see disagreement on how Bonilla spells his first name. On the MLB site, it is Enmanual, but some sites have it Emmanuel, which makes more sense.

The Blue Jays have signed International Free Agent Enmanuel Bonilla to a $4.1 million contract He is a right-handed hitting outfielder from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 6’1”, and 190 pounds, he turns 17 next week.

MLB.com has him as the seventh-best prospect in this year’s class. They say he is one of the best sluggers in the class. They say:

Physically, he’s strong and mature with room to develop even more. And while his hit tool is a work in progress just like other prospects his age, Bonilla shows superior bat speed and the ability to hit fastballs hard to all fields. He has the potential to make an impact on the game each time he steps into the batter’s box.

On defense, he shows good instincts with a solid arm and could stick in center field. There’s a chance he could move to a corner position in the outfield as his body matures, and he’s athletic enough to play all three spots.

The Jays have about $1 million left to make other signings.

The signing tracker is here.

And also Vladimir Guerrero has another son starting his baseball career (no, the tweet doesn’t contain potentially sensitive content):

He got a $100,000 contract, with $50,000 for a scholarship.