Astros sign 16-year-old outfielder from Dominican for $2.5 million

After tracking him for more than three years, the Astros signed Dominican center fielder Gilbert Celestino on Thursday to the second largest bonus ever given by the franchise to an international free agent.

The Astros signed Celestino, 16, to a $2.5 million bonus, which is just shy of the franchise record $2.6 given to Ariel Ovando in 2010. The signing bonus, which is the biggest given to an international free agent by the Jim Crane ownership group, was first reported by MLB.com and confirmed by the Chronicle through a person involved in the negotiations.


The Astros also signed Dominican shortstop Manuel Valdez, 16, and Alejandro Garcia, a 24-year-old Cuban outfielder. They expect to sign a few more players today.


“We considered (Celestino) to be one of the top two players in this year’s class,” said Oz Ocampo, the Astros’ director of international operations. “We do our history on these players extensively for this type of investment, and with this player we spent a lot of time with him and his family and know him very, very well.


“I’m comfortable. I think we’ve done extensive work on getting to know this player because of the level of commitment.”


Thursday marked the start of baseball’s 2015-2016 international signing period for players who are at least 16 or will turn 16 by Aug. 31.


Celestino has represented the Dominican Republic at international tournaments since he was 11 in 2010. The 6-1 1/2 , 175-pound lefthanded batter first made a name for himself as an 11-year-old in August 2010 when he was named Most Valuable Player of the 12 and-under Serie International de Béisbol. A year later, he was named to the Rawlings All-Defensive Team at the 12U Cal Ripken Tournament in Aberdeen, Maryland.


Ocampo began scouting Celestino at the 15U Pan American Games in 2013. A year later, Celestino picked up his first of two MVP awards at the 16U Prospect Wire Tournament in Tampa, Fla.


“He’s one of the top hitters in the class and probably one of the premier center fielders in this class as well,” Ocampo said of Celestino. “We’ve been following him for quite some time. We have history of him going back to 2010. He’s played in many international tournaments since he was an 11-year-old representing the Dominican Republic.


“He’s a special kid. He has represented the Dominican Republic in so many tournaments since he started playing ball that his track record and history is something that we don’t encounter in the international market.”

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros...ican-republic/

In the last few days 19 new players have been signed here in the country. Lots of new millionaires..

Leading this year’s pack figure shortstop Wander Javier who signed for US$4.0 million with the Minnesota Twins and outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr for US$3.9 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.Outfielder Starling Heredia signed for US$2.6 million and shortstop Rony Brito for US$2.0 million both with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while outfielder Gilberto Celestino will pocket US$2.25 million from the Houston Astros."I'm very happy because I achieved my dream of becoming a baseball player, it is realized," said Brito.For Celestino there are no words for what he’s going through at such a young age.More inkOutfielder Leodys Taveras signed for US$2.1 million with the Texas Rangers while the Seattle Mariners got shortstop Carlos Vargas for US$1.7 million.The Chicago Cubs are also expect to formalize signatures worth several millions today; Yonathan Sierra for US$2.5 million and shortstop Aramis Aderman for US$2.0 million while the Kansas City Royals will contract shortstop Jeison Guzman for US$1.5 million.

The shame is how much of that money the local scouts will get.