The Detroit Tigers began the 2021 international signing period by adding two 17-year-old shortstops: Cristian Santana and Abel Bastidas .
Santana signed for a $2.95 million signing bonus, and Bastidas agreed to terms on a $1.175 million bonus. Santana is ranked as the No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline in this year's international class; Bastidas is No. 27.
"We've been scouting Santana for well over two and a half years," Tigers director of international operations Tom Moore said Friday. "He was certainly a priority for us. A kid who has always shown the ability to hit, an advanced approach at the plate for his age. As an offensive player, we're really excited."
Also, the Tigers inked 20-year-old Cuban outfielder Carlos Pelegrin, 18-year-old right-hander Joel Baez, 16-year-old righty Rayner Castillo and 16-year-old shortstop Jensy De Leon from the Dominican Republic) and 16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Elian Riera.
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Because they got a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B in the 2020 MLB draft, the Tigers received a pool of $6.431 million to spend on this year's international market. The signing period was supposed to start July 2, 2020, but it was pushed back to Friday because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The signing period is open until Dec. 15.
"We're really excited about this group," Moore said. "We're going to continue to add to it. It's a deep group, a lot of talent. That's a tribute to having some more resources available to sign those players, so that was definitely a big help."
Santana is a 6-foot, 165-pound right-handed hitter from Azuna, Dominican Republic. His $2.95 million signing bonus is a franchise record, snapping the $2.85 million Roberto Campos received in July 2019 .
"He also brings some defensive skills to the table," Moore said. "Very strong arm, good hands, quick feet. ... I have no doubts he's going to be at shortstop for a while. The good thing is he's got the bat if he needs to move off of shortstop to be an impact somewhere else."
He is the cousin of Tigers infield prospect Wenceel Perez , the team's No. 14 prospect who hit .233 during the 2019 season in West Michigan. Perez signed for a $550,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2016.
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"Think of a young and developing Jhonny Peralta," MLB Pipeline's report on Santana reads , adding he works out with Washington Nationals star Juan Soto in the offseason. "Evaluators believe Santana can be that type of player one day, only with a chance to be better." Peralta spent 15 years in the majors, including four years (2010-13) with the Tigers. He is a career .267 hitter with 202 home runs.
Bastidas, a switch-hitter, is 6-foot-2, 160 pounds and trains with former MLB infielders Cesar and Maicer Izturis. The brothers, now retired from the majors, combined for 2,219 games in their careers.
"He compares physically to a young Carlos Guillen, when Guillen made his debut in 1998," MLB Pipeline's report on Bastidas reads . Guillen played eight years for the Tigers, from 2004-2011, and hit .285 during his 14-year career.
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On the 20-80 scouting scale, Santana is at 55 with his hitting, power and defense. He has 50 arm strength, and his running is graded at 45.
"Santana has the five-tool potential with a chance to have plus tools across the board," according to MLB Pipeline's report . "He shows above-average bat speed and good balance in the box. He has an advanced approach for a prospect his age and impressive pitch recognition with a knack for hitting breaking balls. He also shows some raw power now and it has a chance to develop into a plus tool in the future."
Bastidas doesn't have a grade below 50. He enters his professional career with 55s in defense, arm strength and running, while his hitting and power are graded at 50. MLB Pipeline's report , along with mentioning Guillen, compares him to "a young Omar Vizquel."
"He's been on our radar for a while," Moore said. "He's always been a kid with really good defensive actions. He looks like a ballerina out there. He's really smooth, light on his feet, quick release, accurate arm. He's got good arm strength. But he's one of those guys who has a feel in the position to know when he needs to use his arm and when he doesn't."
Pelegrin reportedly signed for $550,000 . He played on the Cuban National Team in 2018 and has competed for the under-23, under-18 and under-16 leagues in his native country.
In 2018, he hit .333 with a .942 on-base plus slugging percentage in the under-18 league. Pelegrin, a right-handed hitter, played briefly in the under-23 league in 2019 before defecting from Cuba.
"He's a little more advanced than the rest of the kids because he's older," Moore said. "He's got a really athletic body. He has some fast-twitch in him and is an above-average runner. He's got a quick bat. Power hasn't been much of his game in terms of performance, but he's got raw power. Certainly to the pull side, he can really launch a ball. So we're intrigued by that."
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers sign prospects Cristian Santana, Abel Bastidas
