Astros are expressing interest in Dominican catcher Maikel Minoso

The Astros are exploring international free agency again with Maikel Minoso, a catcher from the Dominican Republic.

Without first and second round draft picks the past two years, general manager James Click has dived deep into international free agency with the help of scouts in Latin countries. More recently, even before Click took over for Jeff Luhnow, the Houston Astros looked to Cuba for most of their top international talent.

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They take a different turn here with right-handed Maikel Minoso, a catching standout from the Dominican Republic, as reported by Francys Romero. With a pop time of 1.80 seconds to second base, the right-hander is already getting the looks he deserves from major-league teams like the Astros, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.

The right-hander looks older than he is from the video Tweeted by Romero. With a strong swing, Minoso is only 16-years-old and making consistent contact with a wood bat.

There is no other reports on the status and play behind Minoso, while he is a young prospect drawing eyes. With a new international signing period opening in a few months, he could be one of the youthful names bouncing around, which might not lead to a high price tag.

Due to a low risk, high reward signing, the Astros wouldn’t be investing a lot of their international signing pool in a teenage prospect. The Astros didn’t complain about losing picks; they adjusted to the game of baseball and explored areas with the best players.