SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres signed 16-year-old catcher Ethan Salas of Caracas, Venezuela, to a $5.6 million bonus on Sunday, the first day of the international signing period.
Salas is the consensus top overall prospect in this year's class. The left-handed hitter is the younger brother of Jose Salas, one of the top prospects in the Miami Marlins system.
The Salas brothers have a long pedigree. Their father, Jose Antonio, played in the Atlanta Braves' organization; their uncle, Jose Gregorio, played in the Toronto Blue Jays` system; and their grandfather, Jose Gregorio, played in the Houston Astros' and Kansas City Royals' systems.