Report: Nationals break bank with $4.9M bonus for Cuban prospect Vaquero

The Washington Nationals have signed Cuban outfielder Cristian Vaquero to a deal worth roughly $4.9 million, sources told Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

The reported sum constitutes almost the entirety of the Nationals' $5.18-million signing pool, leaving them roughly $280,000 to land any additional international prospect during this signing period.

Vaquero, 17, is the No. 2-ranked international prospect of this signing period, according to MLB.com. He trails only Dominican shortstop Roderick Arias, who's reportedly joining the New York Yankees. Originally from Cuba and currently training in the Dominican Republic, Vaquero is highly rated for his combination of power and speed. He's taken to switch-hitting after previously only batting left.

The league's international signing period opened Saturday, with teams eligible to use their bonus-pool allotments to land eligible prospects from Latin America.

The Nationals have historically had impressive success with their international prospect signings, landing Juan Soto, Victor Robles, and Luis Garcia in recent years.