Red Sox to officially sign international prospect Rafael Devers on Friday

While the Red Sox and international free agent Rafael Devers agreed to a deal back on July 2, when the new signing period kicked off, they didn't make anything official at the time. According to Baseball America's Ben Badler, though, that will change on Friday, when the Red Sox are expected to officially ink the 16-year-old Dominican third baseman.

Devers, a lefty hitter, is far more advanced as a hitter than his youth implies, as Scout.com's Kiley McDaniel pointed out back in March:

Devers' power is fringy right now but he can hit the ball with authority to all fields and his power already shows up in game situations. This type of power ages well and while he doesn't have physical projection, Devers is young enough that he'll add some good weight and drop some bad weight.

Badler ranked Devers the #3 international prospect available in this year's class:

Devers is an advanced hitter with a sound swing who has produced in games. The Red Sox have targeted players who meet that description in recent years, including shortstops Tzu-Wei Lin and Wendell Rijo last year, although their secondary skills and athleticism make them very different players.

Devers is obviously a long way from being discussed in Boston's current (and busy) prospect mix, as he'll spend the next couple of seasons in the summer leagues before even making his way to either the GCL or the New York-Penn League. Down the road, though, he could end up being a significant name in the system given the potential in his bat.

Read more Red Sox:

• It's time to bring Xander Bogaerts up to the Red Sox
• Steven Wright's spot start an important moment for Red Sox pitching depth
• Shane Victorino is a classy dude
• Even with Jake Peavy, Red Sox flush with cash for 2014
• Jake Peavy changes rotation, bullpen now and later