It appears the Red Sox could be on the verge of landing Taiwanese shortstop prospect Tzu-Wei Lin, according to The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham.
Abraham reports that while a deal is not yet complete, according to baseball sources, sources in Taiwan indicate that the 18-year-old infielder is in the final stages of an agreement. The deal is reportedly worth $2.05 million.
Lin ranks 18th on MLB.com's international free agent list this year. He's apparently considered by some to be the top talent coming from the Pacific Rim this season. Despite being listed at just 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, Lin runs extremely well and has a strong arm. The Taiwanese product reportedly has some offensive ability as well, although he doesn't feature much power.
MLB.com labels Lin a "smaller version of Rays prospect Hak-Ju Lee."
What makes this story even more interesting is the past attempts of the Yankees to secure Lin's talent. The Bronx Bombers thought they had a deal with Lin in 2010, when he was just 16, but it was determined that he wasn't old enough. Therefore, a deal — thought to be worth $350,000 — could not be finalized for Lin, who is represented by agent Scott Boras.
Lin's reported deal with the Red Sox would be a record for a Taiwanese position player, according to Abraham.
