The Twins have signed 16-year-old Venezuelan righthander Mauricio Silva for $370,000.

Silva is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and was considered one of the more promising Latin American pitching prospects among players who became eligible to sign on July 2, 2011 (or in Silva's case, when he turned 16 on July 24). Baseball America subscribers can access Silva's complete scouting report from before July 2.

Silva, who agreed to terms with the Twins in the fall, most recently pitched in the Liga Paralela (the minor league version of the Venezuelan League), where he appeared in eight games as a reliever. Silva had a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and six walks.