Source: Braves to sign No. 1 international prospect Maitan

The Atlanta Braves are expected to sign No. 1 international prospect Kevin Maitan when the 2016-2017 international signing period opens tomorrow, a source told Cover Those Bases. 

Maitan is expected to make a signing bonus in the $4.7 million range, the source said, making it the largest deal for a Venezuelan prospect ever. The deal will likely become official tomorrow. 

The 16-year-old Maitan is a Venezuelan shortstop. He has been connected to the Braves for some time now, but the possibility of other teams trying to jump in on him arose as time went on.

Just mere hours before "International Signing Day," Maitan appears to be set. 

The scouting report on Maitan is excellent. He has been on the Major League radar since he was 13 and has drawn comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. 

"The physicality, the athleticism, the tools across the board with a plus bat and plus power" makes Maitan so special, one scout told Ben Badler of Baseball America.

"I thought he was far and away the best player in the class. We saw him a lot, we saw him early and we saw him hit in games. He made a lot of contact and a lot of hard contact. We saw a power display in games, hitting balls over the fence. It was impressive."

When the deal becomes official, Maitan will add to a Braves' farm system that is already regarded as one of the best in professional baseball.

--Devan Fink