Written by Al Ciammiachella

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The first day teams could sign international prospects was July 2. The Indians have picked up three guys of note so far. I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about them other than what Baseball America and other scouting services have said, so here's a snippet from the "experts" on each. All three players are 16 years old (as far as we know). They are a long way away from contributing at the major league level, to say the least.

Dorssys Paulino, SS, signed for $1.1 million. Interesingly, that was tied for the 4th-highest bonus given out so far.
Paulino is the son of Jesus Sanchez, a lefthander who pitched for the Marlins, Cubs, Rockies and Reds from 1998-2004. A 16-year-old from Bani who trains at La Academia and plays in the Dominican International League, Paulino will likely move off shortstop but has one of the better bats among Dominican infielders. He has good bat speed, his hands work well at the plate and he's a quality game hitter who can use the whole field. He's strong and projects to have average power, becoming more of a doubles hitter than a consistent home run threat. He runs well and has a good arm, but his range and body type will likely make him a better fit at second or third base. The Indians have been mentioned in connection to more high-profile Latin American players than usual this summer, with Paulino one of the players they may go after.

Anthony Santander, OF, signed for $385,000

Santander has a projectable body with wide shoulders, strong legs, good athleticism and improving physical tools. A 16-year-old from Agua Blanca represented by Felix Olivo, Santander significantly improved his speed this year as he got into better shape. He went from running the 60-yard dash in 7.4 seconds coming into the year to 6.9-7.0 seconds this spring. As July 2 approached, one scout had clocked him as fast as 6.65 seconds, which would make him a plus runner. Santander's bat has been inconsistent, and he didn't have his best showing at a showcase run by Major League Baseball in April. At his best he makes good contact and shows average power. He started switch-hitting within the last year and his swing is better from the right side, though scouts have said it's funky either way. He has a below-average arm, which may limit him to left field. The Giants, Astros and Indians are among the teams that have shown interest in Santander.

Francisco Miguel, OF, signed for $200,000

Dominican outfielder Francisco Miguel...wiry strong 6-foot-3, 190-pound body, athleticism and raw righthanded bat. Miguel, who is from La Romana, is a center fielder with an average arm.