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Reds investing heavily in Latin players | reds.com: News

Guillon latest signing as part of team's aggressive strategy

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
11/04/08 12:15 PM EST

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have spent years watching other clubs use their financial and scouting muscles to pluck the best and brightest young prospects out of Latin America.

This year, however, it's been Cincinnati doing some impressive flexing.
Last week, the Reds signed hotly pursued 16-year-old left-handed pitcher Ismael Guillon out of Venezuela. He received a $625,000 signing bonus.
It wasn't even close to the highest amount of money the Reds have doled out to Latin teenagers this year. This past summer, they gave outfielder Juan Duran a $2 million bonus to sign and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez received $2.5 million. Like Guillon, both players were 16 years old at the time of their signings, but Duran and Rodriguez hail from the Dominican Republic. The moves have been part of an aggressive organizational strategy.

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