David Stockstill, the Orioles director of international scouting, confirmed that the organization officially agreed to a contract Friday with 16-year-old Dominican third baseman Hector Veloz that includes a franchise record signing bonus for a Dominican amateur.
Veloz reportedly received $300,000. Stockstill said the figure wasn't exact, but "it is in the ballpark." Veloz is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed hitter that the Orioles have been following for two and a half years. He recently visited the club's Dominican academy, Stockstill said.
"He is an outstanding young man. He is well-educated, smart, well-spoken," Stockstill said. "He has a good arm, good hands and shows very good power from gap to gap. We are very proud he chose us over the competition."
Veloz was a highly regarded amateur, but according to Baseball America he tested positive for the steroid stanozolol during a May drug test required by Major League Baseball for the Top 40 Dominican amateurs.
Stockstill would not confirm the steroid report. He also declined comment about any other potential international signings.