Author | Ben Badler

The Blue Jays have voided the contract of Luis Castro after the Venezuelan shortstop did not pass his physical, according to a source familiar with the contract. Castro, 16, had agreed to terms with the Blue Jays for $800,000 when the international signing period opened July 2 and had ranked as the No. 9 international [...]

August 1, 2012, 4:27 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com

When the Blue Jays paid $1.5 million to sign Roberto Osuna from the Mexico City Red Devils last year, scouts said they were getting a pitcher with considerable polish for a 16-year-old. Osuna and Venezuelan righthander Victor Sanchez, who signed with the Mariners for $2.5 million, were generally considered the top two pitching prospects on [...]

July 28, 2012, 11:57 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com

The Blue Jays were among the most aggressive teams when the international signing period opened on July 2, signing three of the top 20 international prospects to put them slightly over their $2.9 million international bonus pool. Toronto signed Venezuelan shortstop Franklin Barreto ($1.45 million), Venezuelan shortstop Luis Castro ($800,000) and Dominican shortstop Richard Urena [...]

July 10, 2012, 4:54 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com

Richard Urena, a Dominican shortstop and the No. 13 international prospect for July 2, has signed with the Blue Jays. Urena, 16, is 6-foot-1, 160 pounds and projects to stick at shortstop with a line-drive bat from the left side. He played in the Dominican Prospect League and trained with Corporan Decarte. Baseball America subscribers [...]

July 3, 2012, 9:59 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com

Toronto has signed Venezuelan shortstop Luis Castro, the No. 9 international prospect for July 2. Castro, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter, is an instinctive player who has hit well during international competition. He’s 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and trained with Jose Aguiar. Baseball America subscribers can read Castro’s complete scouting report. The Blue Jays earlier today also [...]

July 2, 2012, 8:44 am EDT via baseballamerica.com

Franklin Barreto, the top international prospect available for July 2, has signed with the Blue Jays. Here is Barreto’s full scouting report from the Top 20: 1. Franklin Barreto, ss/cf, Venezuela Ht: 5-9. Wt: 175. B-T: R-R. There are few amateurs who have ever had Barreto's extensive track record of dominance representing Venezuela during international [...]

July 2, 2012, 8:15 am EDT via baseballamerica.com

The Blue Jays plan to promote righthander Drew Hutchison from Double-A New Hampshire to Toronto to make his major league debut on Saturday against the Royals, according to a report on Twitter from Sportsnet's Barry Davis. Hutchison, 21, has moved quickly since the Blue Jays signed him for a $400,000 bonus out of high school [...]

April 19, 2012, 11:51 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com

The White Sox and Blue Jays have hired new personnel to lead their international efforts. The White Sox have hired Marco Paddy as a special assistant to the general manager in charge of international operations. Paddy had been Toronto's director of Latin American operations the last five years, during which time the Blue Jays signed [...]

November 30, 2011, 5:53 pm EST via baseballamerica.com

The Blue Jays have signed Jesus Tinoco, a 16-year-old righthander from Venezuela. Tinoco, who is from Maturin, is 6-foot-3, 198 pounds with a loose arm, good delivery and a heavy fastball that touches 91 mph. Some scouts project him as a potential power pitcher and he already has advanced feel for his mid-to-high 70s curveball. [...]

November 3, 2011, 12:45 pm EDT via baseballamerica.com