The Houston Astros are in agreement to sign free agent outfielder Luis Miguel Rives, sources told Astros Future and Francys Romero of BéisbolFR on Friday. Rives is expected to receive a signing bonus around $800,000, when the next international signing period opens Jan. 15, 2024.
The 18-year-old Cuban outfielder started working out at the Astros Dominican Academy as recently as August. Romero ranked Rives the 12th-best Cuban prospect on his U-18 list in 2022. Rives left his home nation in April, receiving eligibility to sign with a Major League Baseball franchise in September.
Last April, Rives measured 6-foot-3, 183 pounds, according to Romero. Scouts believed the outfielder could add more muscle to his frame, but Rives still put up impressive offensive numbers at the plate in Cuba. He also stole nine bases, following a 13-for-42 start in the Campeonato Nacional Juvenil.
The Astros are now in agreement with three prospects for the next international signing period in 2024: Rives, Cuban outfielder Cesar Yanquiel Hernández and Panamanian right-handed pitcher Cristian Navarro. More agreements for the 2023 international signing class will become public, as the year progresses.
