The Astros have struck again in the international free agency period, signing a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, 16-year old Luis Reynoso. According to Baseball America, the 6-foot, 170 pound right-handed hitter projects with doubles power and high contact rates. He's also got good speed and considers Jose Reyes his favorite player.
↵Looking at his swing, he's got a leg kick that could cause timing problems in the future. But, for the most part, it's a good swing that flashes potential. He doesn't seem to be considered as good as the Venezuelan shortstop Houston signed Saturday, but he should stick somewhere in the middle infield.
↵While the Astros haven't been active signing the best talent in Latin America this season (as I lamented the other day), this is a good pickup. Also, they seem to have outdueled the Yankees for his services, so that's always counted as a win.
↵The real winner with these two signings is the Astros new Dominican academy. Arturo Michelena signed after working out for Houston down at the academy, and Reynoso played in the Dominican Prospect League, so Houston got plenty of chances to see him work through there. This is exactly why Houston spent the money to build that facility and it's starting to pay dividends.
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