Indians sign undrafted high school player
CLEVELAND -- The Indians have added another name to their non-drafted free agents list.
On Saturday evening, the club announced the signing of high school infielder Alonzo Richardson. Since Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET, teams have been able to ink prospects who were not taken in the five rounds of this year’s MLB Draft for up to $20,000 each. The Draft was shortened from its original format of 40 rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this week, the Tribe signed catcher Joe Donavon from the University of Michigan, lefty Jaime Arias from Fresno State University and right-hander Cade Smith from the University of Hawaii.
The Indians agreed to terms with their first high school non-drafted free agent in Richardson, who attended Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif. The 17-year-old was previously committed to San Diego State University and was a shortstop and right-handed pitcher in high school. According to his 2019 National Showcase Report on his Perfect Game profile, the middle infielder has good arm strength with a decent swing that shows potential to add more strength in the future.
At 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, Richardson sits around 89-90 mph consistently with his fastball and boasts a curveball (his best pitch) with high spin rates. As a 17-year-old out of high school, it may be too early to tell whether he’ll be able to maintain his status as a two-way player. He’ll likely improve both in the field and on the rubber as he continues to grow and develop.