Nats announce four more international signings

The Nationals have agreed to terms with four international free agents, the team announced Saturday. The four pitchers are right-handers Tomas Alastre, Christian Flores and Pedro Avila and left-hander Gilberto Chu. Here is the team release on the players: Alastre, 16, is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound native of Venezuela. He began his career at shortstop, but recently converted to the mound. Avila, 17, is a strong, durable and competitive right-handed pitcher. He stands 5-foot-11, 170 pounds and is a native of Venezuela. The 16-year-old Chu stands 5-foot-11, 160 pounds and boasts a live arm along with an impressive three-pitch mix. He is a native of Panama. Flores is a projectable right-handed pitcher with an athletic body and good arm action. He is a native of Venezuela and stands 6-foot-2, 180 pounds at the age of 16. Last week, the team announced five other international signings - outfielders Yoel Andujar, Juan Evangelista, Brailin Mesa, and shortstops Bryan Bencosme and Adanlis Martinez. Here are details from those five players from the Dominican Republic per the team release: Andujar, 16, is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound native of the Dominican Republic. He is a right-handed hitter with a large frame and plus power potential. Bencosme, 16, is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound native of the Dominican Republic who boasts a solid hitting approach, an excellent work ethic and the ability to play shortstop. The 16-year-old Evangelista stands 5-foot-11, 165 pounds and projects as a center fielder at the professional level. Martinez possesses plus athleticism and defensive ability, as well as a consistent line-drive approach at the plate. He is a native of the Dominican Republic and stands 6-foot-2, 170 pounds as a 16 year old. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound native of the Dominican Republic, Mesa has a large frame and solid athleticism. At 16 years old, he projects as a corner outfielder with a combination of speed and power. The Dominican players are another positive result of successful tryouts and workouts that led to signings from the Nationals' Dominican Republic Academy, which has made great progress since its opening. They usually have two dozen players at the facility in the Dominican Republic at one time. The Nationals tell me the academy is very competitive during winter ball when these players get to showcase what they have learned in a competitive atmosphere. An example of how well the Dominican players are doing can be seen at low Single-A Hagerstown (and even stretching to high Single-A Potomac), where players like Hector Silvestre, Wander Suero, Wirkin Estevez (seven-day DL), Wilmer Difo, Narciso Mesa, Wilman Rodriguez (seven-day DL) and Rafael Bautista are getting professional experience.