Yadier Alvarez and Raymar Navarro: Two Cuban prospects reportedly on Dodgers’ radar.

The Dodgers have previously been linked to 19-year-old right-hander Yadier Alvarez, a Cuban defector who’s been compared to a young Ramon Martinez. So today’s report on CBSSports.com calling the Dodgers “the most aggressive team to date” pursuing Alvarez isn’t exactly stunning.

But it also contained this noteworthy tidbit about the timeframe for when Alvarez might (or might not) sign:

Alvarez has petitioned MLB to be able to sign before the next signing period, which begins July 2, but hasn’t heard yet. Arizona would need Alvarez to win that petition to have a chance here as the Diamondbacks are limited to $300,000 in the period beginning July 2 due to signings already on the books.

Interestingly enough, where Alvarez signs could be a direct result of when MLB approves his petition to sign. The Dodgers are not limited to $300,000 signing bonuses beginning July 2 and are believed to be willing to spend more freely on restricted international players (like Alvarez) after that date.

But wait, there’s more.


File that name away until a date TBD.

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.