Royals sign top infielder Yandel Ricardo during international signing period: reports

The Kansas City Royals made a splash during Major League Baseball’s international signing period. On Monday, the Royals reportedly signed multiple players, including Cuban shortstop Yandel Ricardo.

The Royals have not confirmed the signings.

Ricardo, 17, is among the top international prospects. According to MLB.com, Ricardo offers right-handed power and has good arm strength. He is ranked No. 16 among international prospects.

The Royals reportedly signed Cuban third baseman Jose Cerice as well. KC is expected to ink deals with international prospects Darison Garcia, Anderson Garcia and Juan Rivera, per Baseball America. The three each hail from the Dominican Republic.

Additionally, the Royals are set to sign deals with Jhonayker Ugarte, Anthony Longo and Robinson Chacon out of Venezuela, per Baseball America.

The MLB international signing period runs through Dec. 15. Teams are permitted to sign prospects throughout the year. The Royals are allotted $7,114,800 as one of six teams in the signing bonus pool B.

Per MLB rules, international prospects must be 16 years old before signing with a team. The prospect must turn 17 years old before Sept. 1 of the following year.

This offseason, the Royals hired Johnny DiPuglia and Fred Guerrero to their scouting department. DiPuglia serves as a special assistant of international scouting. Meanwhile, Guerrero is now a coordinator of player evaluation.

DiPuglia previously worked as the Washington Nationals international scouting director. He also spent time with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

In his tenure, DiPuglia helped sign MLB players such as Juan Soto, Xander Boegarts and Victor Robles.

“Their wealth of experience and stellar reputations as scouts make them valuable assets to our team,” Royals executive Rene Francisco said in a press release. “In their roles, they will actively contribute to all facets of international scouting operations. We look forward to the enhanced expertise and success they bring to our organization.”