The Pittsburgh Pirates signed two international free agents on Tuesday, adding 17-year-old right-handed pitcher Weslyn Toussaint from the Dominican Republic and 17-year-old center fielder Juan Machado from Venezuela. The Pirates added international bonus pool space with two trades earlier this month, allowing these signings to happen.
Machado is extremely athletic with elite speed and projects to remain in center field. He’s small now at 5’10”, 145 pounds, and has a medium frame, which will allow him to add some muscle down the line. He’s a lefty bat, throws right-handed. He was young for the 2019-20 signing class with a June 4th birthday.
Latest international signing by Pittsburgh Pirates
Posted by Pirates Prospects on Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Toussaint is a 6’2″, 183 pound righty with a strong frame, who was throwing 87-91 MPH back before the shutdown in March, but he has added 2-3 MPH to his fastball. He’s athletic, with quick arm action and a feel for both a slider and a changeup. He turned 17 in December. He’s not related Touki Toussaint, which I’m assuming was a question we would get. Here’s video from last year
