Stockstill confirms Veloz signing

Orioles director of international operations, David Stockstill, confirmed in an interview tonight that the Orioles have reached agreement on a deal with 16-year-old Dominican third baseman Hector Veloz. "I can confirm we have agreed to terms," Stockstill said. "He's a third baseman with a lot of tools and some good power. He has a good arm and quick feet. "I'm really proud of our organization for getting this done. This is a player we have scouted for two and a half years. Felipe Alou Junior was a major part of getting this done." Now that Veloz has signed a contract with the Orioles, the club must await approval of that deal, which is reported to be for $300,000, from Major League Baseball. That could take weeks or even months to complete. "He's a very intelligent young man, very well educated and an impressive guy," Stockstill said. Stockstill would not comment on the reports that Veloz tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol when he took a drug test in mid-May as part of Major League Baseball's new registration program for 40 of the top Dominican prospects in this year's international signing class. Upon approval of Veloz's contract by MLB, he would report to one of the O's two clubs in the Dominican Summer League. Here is the article from Baseball America earlier on Friday where this agreement was first reported.