Cubs reportedly sign Dominican shortstop for $4 million

The Cubs are betting big on Fernando Cruz.

While terms have not yet been officially announced, Cruz and the Cubs reportedly agreed to a $4 million signing bonus earlier this month.

A consensus Top 5 prospect in the international signing class, the 17-year-old Cruz is a shortstop from the Dominican Republic.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Cruz is the cousin of Starlin Castro, who played shortstop for the Cubs from 2010-15.

“Cruz separated himself as a top talent in the class early in the scouting process,” Baseball America wrote. “He has strong hands and forearms, generating big bat speed and driving the ball with impressive impact especially for his size. Some scouts thought that power came with length to his swing that created contact troubles against live pitching, but Cruz has shown uncommon ability to hit for power the opposite way because he’s able to let the ball travel deep into the hitting zone or turn on the ball for extra-base damage.”

The Cubs spent the majority of their international bonus pool money on Cruz. But they've also signed right-handed pitcher Yander Maria from the Dominican Republic.

Only 17 years old, the 6-foot-4 Maria already has an explosive fastball.

“Maria showed promising projection indicators early in the scouting process, reaching 89 mph with more physical upside and feel to spin,” Baseball America wrote. “Now that his signing date has arrived, that physical projection is already starting to come to fruition. Maria has been up to 96 mph, with the potential for upper-90s velocity coming. He pairs it with a sharp, tight-spinning curveball that should be a swing-and-miss weapon.”