Miguel Jean Officially Signs with the Minnesota Twins

Jeremiah Graves — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:32:21 -0500

It’s official…finally.

More than two months after initially agreeing on a deal with a $3.15 million bonus, Miguel Jean is officially a member of the Minnesota Twins organization.

Jean’s application for a work visa was approved Friday by the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic.

Obtaining the visa was the final hurdle that needed to be cleared to finalize the deal.

Jean’s deal included a $3.15 million bonus, which was the largest awarded to an international player this summer and the largest ever for a Latin American positional prospect.

It is also the second-largest Latin American signing bonus ever, behind fellow Dominican Michael Ynoa, who signed a $4.25 million deal with Oakland last year.

Jean, 16, was the jewel of this year’s international signing crop and for very good reason. He is a five-tool prospect with a very high ceiling.

Jean is a 6-foot-3 slugging shortstop from the Dominican Republic who has been compared to everyone from Hanley Ramirez to Alex Rodriguez.

Scouting reports say he has great raw power to all fields and only figures to get better and stronger as he fills out. Although currently a strong-armed shortstop, most scouts assume he’ll transition to third base or the outfield as he grows into his body.

Upon initially signing the deal in September, Jean seemed very confident about his ability to make an impact in the big leagues.

"I'm very thankful to get this chance to sign with the Twins," Jean said. "I'm going to work very hard to try to get to the majors in two years."

A two-year romp to the big leagues isn’t entirely unheard of for an elite prospect such as Jean, but it is probably a lofty goal for a player who will be just 17 next season.

It is believed that Jean will begin his professional career next season playing for the Twins’ affiliate in the Gulf Coast League.

Read more American League news on BleacherReport.com

2010 All-Free Agent Team – American League

Jeremiah Graves — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:06:04 -0500

This year 171 players filed for free agency. Of the 171 total free agents, 72 are from the American League and 99 are from the National League. Unlike last year’s class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals. In fact, an increasing number of teams are choosing to improve via trade or by promoting young talent from within the farm system. As such, many of these veterans can expect to sign short-term and/or incentive-laden deals for 2010 and potentially beyond. I’ve taken a look at all of the free agents left on the market and split them up into two 25-man rosters, one for the American League and one for the National League. League affiliation was determined by whichever team a player finished out the 2009 season. In an effort to keep things as realistic as possible, I’ve ensured that each team has a backup catcher, infielder, and outfielder. Additionally, both the AL and NL rosters have been given a 12-man pitching rotation. These teams certainly don’t reflect an All-Star mentality, but rather they give a good indication of how weak this year’s free agent class can be considered. It should be noted that some deserving players were left off of the roster due to position-eligibility concerns. As such, you’ll note some sketchy inclusions and unfortunate exclusions. Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the AL All-Free Agent Team. All stats are provided by Baseball-Reference.com and all salary information is provided by Cot’s Contracts.

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Bleacher Report - American League

Miguel Jean Officially Signs with the Minnesota Twins

2010 All-Free Agent Team – American League