The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Francis Reyes out of the Dominican Republic. His deal was originally signed in May, but it only just recently became official. He was added to the Dominican Summer League roster yesterday.
Reyes was originally a shortstop, but after not getting interest at his natural position during the 2021-22 signing period, he switched over to the mound. He stands in at 6’2″, 180 pounds, with good athleticism and some room to add to his frame.
Reyes has adapted quickly to the mound, where he had a natural feel for pitching, with the ability to throw strikes. He has a three-pitch mix, with a fastball, slider and changeup. The fastball and slider are equally solid pitches at this point, while the changeup is a work in progress.
His currently velocity has him at 89-91 MPH for the fastball, 78-79 for the slider, while the changeup is 85-87. That pitch will need to show better separation in velocity from the fastball. There’s a believe that he should add velocity as he fills out and gets more experience on the mound.
Reyes is the 25th player signed during this international class for the Pirates. Their bonus pool was nearly used up prior to their last three players signed (includes Reyes), so don’t expect a future splash unless there’s a trade for international bonus pool space. That’s an option again this year, after two seasons of not being able to trade for space. The Pirates are somewhere under $250,000 remaining at this point, out of an initial $5,825,500 bonus pool.
