The Pittsburgh Pirates added two players from the Dominican Republic to the GCL roster this week who were part of their 2016-17 July 2nd signing class. Outfielder Rayvi Rodriguez and catcher Ruben Gonzalez have been added to the GCL roster despite not playing a game in the DSL. Both players were signed on July 2nd.
Rodriguez is an outfielder with a strong arm and plus speed. He hits and throws lefty. He is 6’0″, 165 pounds, with a small frame, so he likely won’t fill out too much. He is 18 years old.
Gonzalez is a 19-year-old catcher (turned 19 last month), with a solid 5’11, 195 pound frame. He has a strong arm behind the plate. He bats and throws right-handed.
I wouldn’t commit to both of these players starting their career in the GCL at this point. Usually players who sign on the international side and don’t play the same year they are signed, are added to the roster right before Opening Day the following season. Even if they are one of the rare players who skip the DSL, they still don’t show up on the roster of the GCL until Opening Day. This is an odd case, but we got information on them just in case they do begin in the GCL next season. Both players are currently taking part in the Dominican Instructional League, which begins playing games on Tuesday.
You can check out our international signing tracker with the six signings who were previously announced. The Pirates have signed at least 15 players this signing period. The other seven unannounced players could have some interesting names among them, but we have no information on them other than their names and positions. We may not mention them until the DSL season preview next year because not every signed players in July automatically makes the roster the following year. Gonzalez and Rodriguez were announced due to their roster status.
