Report: Marlins close to deal with highly coveted Mesa brothers
The Miami Marlins are close to signing highly touted Cuban prospects Victor Victor Mesa and his brother Victor Mesa Jr., according to ESPN, citing a Spanish report from El Nuevo Herald.
The expected signing of the Cuban duo was confirmed by sources of MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
Miami announced Saturday they will hold a press conference on Monday morning, but didn't provide details other than CEO Derek Jeter and president of baseball operations Michael Hill will be in attendance.
Several tweets from the elder Mesa brother's Twitter account appear to back up the signing.
Victor Victor Mesa will receive a $4 million-plus signing bonus, according to the Herald report, while his sibling is expected to receive a bonus close to $1 million. Sanchez's sources told him the elder Mesa is expected to sign for more than $5 million.
Victor Victor Mesa, a 22-year-old outfielder, is considered the top international free agent available on the market, while his 17-year-old brother (also an outfielder) starred for Cuba's Under-18 national team.
The Marlins have made several trades recently to acquire enough international bonus pool money to outbid other teams interested in signing the pair.