UNITED STATES – The Kansas City Royals have signed Cuban left-hander Noel Arguelles to a $7 million, five-year contract with performance bonuses.

The 20-year-old Arguelles, who defected from Cuba at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Canada with Boston Red Sox minor league shortstop Jose Iglesias, will probably start the 2010 season in the lower minors.

The 6-foot-4 southpaw, who possesses a low-90s mph range fastball, previously pitched for the 2008-09 Cuban National Series champion La Habana Cowboys and was the winning pitcher in the gold medal game at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships.

Tags: American League, Cuba