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The Phillies Have Signed a Teenager Named Arquimedes
By Jim Adair
Published:
The MLB’s international signing period kicked off today, and while the team is taking their damn time doing pretty much anything else, they did not wait to grab a 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop off the market. Arquimedes Gamboa, who has an amazing name, was reportedly signed by the Phils for $900,000 and was listed as the #15 international prospect by MLB.com. Their scouting report reads:
“Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 158 pounds, Gamboa is an athletic shortstop with a solid skill set and above-average run tool. He’s a switch-hitter without much power, and there is a belief that Gamboa is a better hitter from the right side of the plate. That said, he has made improvements from the left side and has made a name for himself as a contact hitter.
On defense, Gamboa has quick feet and good balance and is versatile enough to play multiple positions in the infield, but there is a belief he will stay at shortstop until he is forced to move elsewhere. Scouts have praised his bat control, but he is not known as a dynamic offensive player.”
Man, some of that sounds pretty familiar.
When he's not writing about sports here or ranting about them on Twitter, Jim is probably watching X-Files on Netflix or drinking a beer somewhere. Jim has nothing against hockey, it's just not his style. He once met Duce Staley at a Sixers game.