Ben Badler of Baseball America is reporting the St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms with C Joshua Lopez ahead of the deadline for international signings:
Cardinals Sign 16-Year-Old Venezuelan Catcher Joshua Lopez bit.ly/N4udHN
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) July 2, 2012
The MLB's latest collective bargaining agreement has imposed strict rules on the signing of international free agents, which should greatly curtail what teams can spend on foreign prospects. As such, many teams are scrambling to sign international talent before the new rules come into effect.
Lopez signs with the Cardinals ahead of that deadline, and though the young, 5-foot-9, 190-pound backstop is still many years away from joining the MLB squad, he has at least guaranteed himself a shot in the minor leagues.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, check out Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Rockies blog Purple Row. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found at Baseball Nation.