Pitchers and catchers officially report for the Cincinnati Reds today, and if team scouting director Chris Buckley and player development guru Jeff Graupe have their way, a trio of talented young pitchers may have that very opportunity at some point in the future.
The Reds officially announced this week the signings of Jose Zorrilla, Moises Severino, and Luis Sparles, a trio of teenage pitchers all hailing from the Dominican Republic. Severino and Sparles, both 18, are listed as RHPs by the Reds, while Zorrilla, 17, is just listed as 'P.' That means, in theory, he could be ambidextrous, or even throw baseballs with his nose hair, and that's the kind of prospect whose minor league career I'd follow through hell in a gasoline suit.
So, no, I was unable to track down scouting reports on these guys of any kind.
Are these the kind of moves Reds fans should get excited about? Well, not for 2016 at least. However, you never know when the next under the radar signing will blossom into, say, Johnny Cueto, and it's at least worth noting that Tony Arias, Richard Jimenez, and the rest of the team's Latin America scouts are actively looking to bring in the best young talent available.