Mariners expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop in July

The Mariners are expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop Juan Querecuto when the international signing period begins July 2, according to Baseball America.

Querecuto’s older brother Juniel, is a shortstop who signed with Tampa Bay in 2009 and briefly reached the majors last year before signing in the offseason with San Francisco as a minor-league free agent.

"The baseball bloodlines are evident in Querecuto’s advanced baseball IQ for his age," Baseball America’s Ben Badler reported. "Despite below-average speed, he should stick at shortstop, where he has soft hands and, at an age where many young shortstops try to do too much, a knack for slowing the game down and playing under control.

"More steady than flashy, Querecuto is a 6-foot right-handed hitter who tracks pitches well and has a short swing, though he will need time for his strength to develop to be able to do more damage against live pitching."

The Mariners are also linked to Dominican outfielder Julio Rodriguez, a right-handed power hitter with a compact swing.

"Rodriguez has some of the loudest thunder in the 2017 class," Badler reported. "In batting practice, he hits balls out to all fields with ease, with a loose trigger and excellent bat speed from the right side.

"His power is arguably the best in the class and he has shown the ability to hammer fastballs and perform well against live pitching at times, though several scouts noted up-and-down game performance."

The international signing period begins July 2 for 16-year-old prospects, which predominantly come from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 6:07 AM with the headline "Mariners expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop in July."