The Pirates have signed 16-year-old Colombian outfielder for $1.05 million, Baseball America reports.
↵↵↵Ramirez, 16, is 5-foot-11, 175 pounds and stands out for his speed, instincts and feel for hitting from the right side of the plate.
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After signing Luis Heredia last year and potentially dropping a lot of money in the draft this year, the Pirates weren't expected to make any huge Latin American signings in 2011, but it appears they've done so.
↵As with any 16-year-old signing, it will take a while before we have any sense of how good Ramirez is going to be. They'll probably send him to the Venezuelan Summer League this year, and possibly also next, before bringing him to the states.
↵This is the second time under Neal Huntington that the Pirates have made a big signing in Colombia, which isn't a huge baseball hotbed compared to the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. The Bucs signed Colombian shortstop Yhonathan Barrios to a $250,000 bonus in 2008.