SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Giants announced the signings of 11 International prospects on Monday, including 16-year-old shortstop Marco Luciano. Baseball America and MLB.com have both ranked the 6-foot-3 power hitter from the Dominican Republic as the No. 2 International prospect in this year's class.
:: 2018 International Signing Period ::
Jairo Pomares, a center fielder from Cuba, is ranked as Baseball America's No. 11 International prospect. Luis Matos, a right fielder from Venezuela, has been recognized by MLB.com as their No. 27 International prospect and as the No. 37 International prospect by Baseball America.
The club confirmed the deals late Monday, along with eight other signings: right-handers Melvin Marte and Odue Civada, left-handers Aaron Peniche and Anthony Torres, shortstop Roberto Monegro, center fielder Victor Bericoto, catcher Eduardo Jaramillo and second baseman Yeiver Torrealba.
Luciano's hitting ability and his power -- both projected to be above average -- are what separate him from similar players in the class. Some scouts believe he is the best overall player. The teenager is athletic enough to play shortstop and center field, but he might end up at one of the corner outfield spots because of his overall skillset.
Matos is a polished player with a solid hit tool, plus-plus makeup and a successful track record on Venezuela's junior national teams. He also projects to have a plus arm.

Pomarez has also showed a good feel for hitting and has a balanced approached at the plate. He should develop more power as he gets stronger.
According to the rules established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the MLB Draft received a pool of $6,025,400, while clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A of the Draft received $5,504,500. All other clubs, including the Giants, received $4,983,500.
Teams are allowed to trade as much of their international pool money as they would like, but can only acquire 75 percent of a team's initial pool amount. Additionally, signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.