Welcome to the Blue, Diego Cartaya!

The Dodgers just made a splash on the first day of MLB's international signing period by inking 16-year old catcher and Venezuelan native Diego Cartaya. He is right-handed, stands 6'1" tall, is about 200 lbs. and is considered by many to be the best player available. Per a report by Jesse Sanchexz at MLB.com, during a prospect showcase event in Columbia in January:

(The) teenager showed off his strong arm and good footwork during the workout. The right-handed hitter focused on driving the ball to center field and the opposite field instead trying to hit home runs during batting practice, which earned him praise from evaluators watching from the bleachers. Scouts like Cartaya's makeup, defense, hit tool and power potential.

Here is the MLB's own prospect report on Cartaya:

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60
The best overall prospect in this year's class, Cartaya is a well-rounded player at a premium position with the potential to be a star on both sides of the ball. 

An advanced hitter, the teenager displays plus contact skills and has been praised for his pitch recognition and feel for the strike zone. He has shown some power to the gaps and is expected to improve on that part of his game as he matures. Cartaya is a below-average runner, but the team that signs him does not expect him to be a threat on the bases. It does hope he follows in the footsteps of Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, who is also from Venezuela. 

On defense, Cartaya has a reputation as a great receiver with very good hands. He handles pitchers well and has a high baseball IQ. He moves well behind the plate. 

Cartaya's skills translate to game action and have since his days in Venezuela's youth baseball circuit. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound teenager showed off his strong arm and good footwork during the MLB Showcase for Venezuelan players in Cartagena, Colombia. He showed off his plate discipline one month later at the showcase in the Dominican Republic. 

The catcher is from Maracay, Venezuela, and is represented by Alexis Quiroz and Daniel Quiroz of AQ Sports Agency. The Dodgers are considered the favorite to sign him.

And, you should check out Dustin Nosler's all-encompassing report on Cartaya here.

On a side note, it'll be years before we find out if he's worth the investment. So, be prepared to not hear his name again until the next decade. In the meantime, you should be confident that all is well within the Dodgers front office. Not only is the club reaping the benefits of a well thought out and executed prospect development plan right now, but based on this and several other signings today we are sure to enjoy a steady stream of high-end prospects in Dodger Blue for years to come.

In honor of Diego Sartaya's signing I made two fantasy Baseball cards of him. You can those out at the top of this post.

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