The Pittsburgh Pirates signed third baseman Sherton Apostel from Curacao on Thursday afternoon. He is 16 years old, standing 6’4″, 200 pounds and still growing. He has an outstanding arm, with good grace for his size and he’s a terrific athlete. Apostel is a right-handed hitter, who makes good contact at the plate and has raw power that should develop well due to his size. He also possesses great instincts and fire for the game. The Pirates believe that if he doesn’t develop as a third baseman, his arm and athleticism would allow him to be a dominant pitcher. He has pitched in the past in international competition and he also previously played shortstop.
Apostel received a $200,000 signing bonus, which means the Pirates have spent approximately $1,495,000 this year on international signings. One bonus amount is unknown at this time. The international signing tracker has been updated. The Pirates have now signed eight players since July 2nd.
