With the 2018-19 international signing period kicking off today, there will be dozens of six- and seven-figure bonuses handed out to teenage prospects, primarily out of Latin America, filtering in throughout the day today. Many of these have been in the works for quite some time, as is reflected by the fact that most of the top players’ destinations and signing bonuses have been previously reported/projected (and by the fact that the top agreements will all be reported in one swift avalanche today).
We’ll keep track of the notable National League signings here and the notable American League signings in a separate post. Note that you can read up on each of these players with the dedicated international coverage available from Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required), Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com and Kiley McDaniel & Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, each of whom has scouting info on the top echelon of international amateurs. Badler is also tracking the all of the signings from all 30 teams.
Onto some of the more notable signings…
American League
Blue Jays
- Orelvis Martinez, SS, $3.5MM (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez)
Indians
- Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, $2.6MM (via Sanchez)
- Junior Sanquintin, SS, $1.25MM (via Sanchez)
Mariners
- Noelvi Marte, SS, $1.55MM (via Ben Badler of Baseball America, on Twitter)
Rangers
- Jose Rodriguez, C, $2MM (via Sanchez)
- Luisangel Acuna, IF, $425K (via Sanchez) — Luisangel is the younger brother of Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
Rays
- Alejandro Pie, OF, $1.4MM (via Sanchez)
Red Sox
- Eduardo Lopez, OF, $1.15MM (via Sanchez)
Tigers
- Jose De La Cruz, OF, $1.8MM (via Sanchez)
- Adinso Reyes, SS, $1.45MM (via Sanchez)
Twins
- Misael Urbina, OF, $2.75MM (via Sanchez)
Yankees
- Antonio Gomez, C, $600K (via Sanchez)
- Osiel Rodriguez, RHP, bonus unreported (via Ben Badler of Baseball America)
National League
Brewers
- Eduarqui Fernandez, OF, $1.1MM (via Sanchez)
- Branlyn Jaraba, SS, $1.1MM (via Sanchez)
Cubs
- Jose Lopez, OF, $1.5MM (via Sanchez)
- Richard Gallardo, RHP, $1MM (via Sanchez)
- Rafael Morel, SS, $850K (via Sanchez)
- Joel Machado, LHP, $850K (via Sanchez)
Diamondbacks
- Alvin Guzman, OF, $1.85MM (via Sanchez)
Dodgers
- Diego Cartaya, C, bonus unreported (via Sanchez)
- Jerming Rosario, RHP, $600K (via Sanchez)
Giants
- Marco Luciano, OF, $2.6MM (via Sanchez)
- Jairo Pomeraz, OF, $975K (via Sanchez)
- Luis Matos, OF, $725K (via Sanchez)
Mets
- Francisco Alvarez, C, $2.7MM (via Sanchez)
- Freddy Valdez, OF, $1.45MM (via Sanchez)
Phillies
- Starlyn Castillo, RHP, $1.6MM (via Sanchez)
Rockies
- Warming Bernabel, SS, $900K (via Sanchez)
- Pedro Mota, SS, $900K (via Sanchez)
- Juan Guerrero, SS, $650K (via Sanchez)
Steve I guess we need to click each link to find country of origin?
link to mlb.com
Thanks!
who is Jairo Pomeraz that the giants signed? the link doesn’t go to the correct info and I don’t see him on any prospect list
His name is actually spelled “Jairo Pomares”. I hope this helps!
Doesn’t matter. They signed Luciano who’d been on their radar for almost a year now. 16 year old with star potential. Glad they got some signings done.
yeah, that one is super nice but kinda want to see the full picture….
Pomares is a Cuban OF and not one of the ranked international prospects.
Luciano sounds like a tantalizing prospect. 6’2″, 16 year old, has played OF but is settled at SS with athleticism and power.
As someone who despises the yankees more then any team not named the dodgers I want to thank Derek Jeter and the marlins for providing more international signing money to the yanks to sign 4 of the top 30 rated players. Way to go Marlins…..
And I know I’m going to get a lot of hate and discontent from this post.
I honestly don’t know why that trade wasn’t looked into more closely .. Marlins got absolute garbage back from Yankees, and like you said, also got back big money for int’l signings .. marlins should’ve gotten back a helluva lot more than overrated Castro and some guys that won’t amount to a thing
Because no one is going to give multiple top prospects for a guy with 250 million remaining on his contract
You mean like 3 other teams were offering, not to mention that guy with 250 million left on his contract is the current NL MVP. Ridiculous, the marlins gave him to the yanks.
Why not just change the name from marlins to yankees’s farm south?!
Keep in mind that if __expansion__ happens that will mean two more teams like the Marlins.
Expansion can’t happen if quality ball is the goal. There is not enough pitching talent to go around now. Expansion will dilute the talent pool even more.
That’s okay. teams like the Yankees will continue to use everyone else as a farm system.
“There is not enough pitching talent …”
H U H???
Half the teams don’t have anything resembling a lineup.
The Phillies are a playoff contender and start four holes in their lineup everyday.
I’m not saying that there is not a hole in almost every lineup too..There definitely lots of those….I am emphasizing how bad the pitching talent pool is….
What about the padres? Are they singing anyone this year.
Can A. J. Preller sing too?
if you ask him re-tard
Was Cartaya the clear number one of these players? He seems to fit Salvador Perez profile perfectly.
Seems to be the consensus number one around baseball circles, other than victor victor. These kids are so young, it can change as they develop so it’s unclear which prospect will ultimately be the best.
Acuna and Albies weren’t even ranked in the top 30 of their respective IFA classes, and look how they turned out. The international signings are even more of a crapshoot than the draft
Hey look, the orioles haven’t gotten anyone. What a surprise!
It’s going to be a really long rebuild. Plan for at least seven years.
For the Giants signings, Pomeraz has the Matos tweet(Matos has Matos)
Couple of never will be’s by Indians
How on earth do you know? I guaranteed you haven’t seen them play at all let alone a game.
Nobody here has seen any of these 16 year old I repeat 16 year old kids play. Most of these kids play SS or C and will look like completely different people once they reach the US.
Easy….the front office is terrible and I have done my homework on these two kids. Two more Urshella’s
No, no, no, he’s probably right. I mean the Indians only signed top-10 and top-20 ranked guys – clearly absolute no-talent no-bodies with no shot at ever doing anything at all because, reasons
Seriously, why bother even feeding the troll?
Do you think if we stop replying to it that it will go away?
But you know you love learning from me
Ranked by who? MLB? The Indians? Come on, just a way to justify their bad signings. Trust me, they’ll be playing in Mexico in 5 years
@sufferfortribe
No, sadly it will not. Might cut down on some of its nonsensical posts though.
With that said, I must admit it is a tad cute and quite hysterical that he apparently feels Baseball-America exists solely to “justify (the Indians’) bad signings.”
Did get a good chuckle our of that one
You’ll be groveling back when they wash out…..
The Mets players were drafted and then immediately placed on the disabled list.
at least they spent $$
Marco Luciano is actually a SS, Sanchez’ tweet is a typo
Which is a good thing because the strength of the Giants minor league system is the OF, it has the most of their top prospects, IF will definitely need some youngs guys to pop up in a few years, trading Arroyo who in my opinion will be a .300+ hitter in the majors once he settles in took away the one IF guy that the Giants had that was about major league ready in their system. I am well aware these signings are years away from the majors if they make it at all, but the Giants of the future are lacking IFs and pitchers coming up in their system.
Steve, as you may imagine, these reports are all over the place. Putting INT FA signings in this format, one place, neat as you have, deserves props. Those who are interested in their scouting, click the links.
My Yankees are $300k limited, but I appreciate this work you’ve put to compile this list: league, team, and ofc cost neatly organized. Thanks, Steve!
Warming bernabel. Possibly the greatest name ever.
“The Yankees have signed Rafael Severino, a 19-year old pitcher who is the younger brother of Luis Severino. He will pitch at the Yankees’ Dominican Academy.”
Jack Curry- link to twitter.com
neato
wonder if one day we’ll see them pitch back to back W’s for the Yanks
Save this post and see how many of these Big Dollar signees fail. It’s hard enough to project prep draftees, but projecting 16 yr olds moving to a foreign country is down right impossible. Historically, only 10% of these Top 30 picks make it.
Look at all of those Braves picks that were put back out there. Only a couple were any good.
That’s the fun thing about signing kids these young, you never know who’s gonna turn out to be a stud. Like Ive said, neither Albies or Acuba were ranked prospects when they were signed
That’s the fun thing about signing kids these young, you never know who’s gonna turn out to be a stud. Like Ive said, neither Albies or Acuna were ranked prospects when they were signed
no one really knows how any player will turn out at any time
on a positive note, these kids now have more money than theyve probably ever seen, so good for them
Hopefully they are well represented and that money is able to help them for decades and decades to come even if they don’t make the majors and make much much more.
Doesn’t look as if a team took a flyer on Studs McGillicuddy.
Giants did the best
Nice job Cleveland, sure me decent signings that in a few more years may turns into the studs Ramirez or Mejia have become. Only problem is they’re heavy at SS, but of course some of hear kids will fill out and be moved to 3B and 1B.
Junior Sanquintin, SS property of the Indians and Adinso Reyes, SS, of the Tigers have a chance to be very good MLB level ballplayers; much more so than most of the others on Steve’s list.