A source has confirmed that the Reds will finalize a contract with 30th-round pick Juan Carlos Sulbaran on Thursday. Sulbaran, a righthander from American Heritage High in Plantation, Fla., will receive a $500,000 bonus and bypass a commitment to Florida.
Sulbaran was born in Curacao and is currently playing for the Dutch Olympic team in Beijing. He secured that spot with a strong performance against Cuba’s Olympic team at Haarlem Baseball Week last month, allowing one run over seven innings while striking out six. The projectable 6-foot-3 righthander already runs his fastball into the low 90s with minimal effort and pitches from a good downhill plane. His curveball and changeup also project as average or better pitches.