Minor MLB Transactions: 6/15/19

Below we’ll track some of today’s signings from around the league…

• The Twins have signed Cuban right-hander Yennier Cano with a signing bonus of $750K, per Francys Romero of Las Mayores (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Dan Hayes adds that the Twins do not figure Cano into their immediate plans, despite being slightly older for a development project at 25-years-old. Solid numbers in Cuba make him a worthwhile flyer, but low K-rates may give pause to his viability as a major league contributor. Cano slotted in at #2 on MLB.com’s 2018 list of top international prospects, which mark his top pitch as a 70-grade heater. “The right-hander has shown a fastball that hovers in the 94-96 mph range with some sink. He also features an above average slider, split fastball and changeup, a pitch he did not throw often in Cuba. He also throws an average curve.” Cano has been a reliever in Cuba and figures to target a similar role with the Twins.
• The Rays signed Cuban outfielder Patrick Merino, per Romero (via Twitter). He receives $375K as a signing bonus. Romero played some catcher in Cuba, but he has a thick frame that suggests a future elsewhere. He has more than enough speed to cover ground in the outfield, and his arm should play in right if that’s where he eventually lands. Merino had been tied to a number of clubs, both Chicago clubs among them, though it’s hard to know the level of interest any of those clubs had in signing Merino.