Last week, the Pirates acquired extra international bonus pool money from the Diamondbacks as part of the Starling Marte trade. On Wednesday, the team utilized that extra spending room by signing Solomon Maguire, a toolsy outfielder out of Sydney, Australia.
The 16-year-old Maguire is from Kellyville, Australia, and is currently a senior at Castle Hill High School in Sydney, Australia.
According to MLB.com, Maguire signed for $594,000, making him one of the Pirates' most expensive international free agents this year.
On May 21, 2019, Maguire participated in an international showcase sponsored by Perfect Game in Fort Myers, Fla.. There, he finished with the best 60-yard dash time, the strongest throws from the outfield and the sixth best exit velocity as a hitter.
"The speedster of the group, athletic bodied Solomon Maguire (2021, Castle Hill, NS, AUS) showed multiple tools that will play well at the next level," scout Tyler Russo wrote for Perfect Game after the showcase. "At the plate he showed a good feel for handling the barrel and getting his hands inside, creating some carry on balls hit to the pull side. In the outfield, Maguire is a natural runner with great instincts in getting to and receiving the ball. He plays smooth throughout and throws to all bases with strength and ease."
Maguire's mechanics and swing can be seen in this video from the Under-18 Baseball World Cup in 2019. Maguire led the Australian team in RBIs (7) during the tournament and finished second in total bases (16).
Maguire was part of MLB's college showcase in October, where MLB takes dozens of amateur players from across the globe and introduces them to American college baseball. The players also participate in a showcase for college recruits and scouts.
Maguire is the 43rd international free agent the Pirates have signed during the 2019-2020 signing period. Recently, Baseball America listed five Pirates international prospects among their top 100 international free agent signings of 2019.
Of those 43 international free agents, 27 are from the Dominican Republic and six are from Venezuela. They also have two each from Australia, Columbia and Nicaragua, and one from Brazil, Mexico, Panama and Tawain.
