[Mario-Rijo]

Cards to offer $4 mil. to D.R. 16-year-old?

Wagner Mateo just turned 16, and the Cardinals are set to offer the center fielder a $4 million bonus to sign from the Dominican Republic, the Post-Gazette reports.

Well done, kid.

Cards' farm director Jeff Luhnow told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "We have a way to evaluate the player, determine his potential and then also decide what he is worth to us. We're comfortable with how we're able to do that."

Turns out he was worth $4 million, just $250,000 shy of the record bonus given to a Dominican player.

Baseball America's Ben Badler wrote of Luhnow, "His body is already relatively mature so he might move to a corner outfield position, but scouts I've spoken with say his bat is advanced. He has a good feel for hitting and has shown the ability to hit balls out of the park to all fields."

Badler added that, although outfield prospect Miguel Angel Sano is considered the top Dominican prospect, there really isn't a difference between Sano, Mateo and catcher Gary Sanchez.

However, that doesn't mean Sano -- whom the Pirates are looking to sign -- won't use the Mateo deal as leverage, since he is widely considered the top Dominican prospect.