The 2019-20 July 2nd international signing period is officially underway, though it’s not exactly laden with suspense. Teams have long since lined up deals with newly eligible teenage players, so the news today largely represents confirmation of what was anticipated. Still, it’s a day of no small moment, particularly for the young men embarking upon professional careers.
Let’s round up some of the most notable signings of the day. Throughout, we’ll be citing to the reporting of Baseball America (signings tracker; scouting links) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter feed; rankings) along with analysis from Fangraphs. You can find each team’s total bonus pool and other information on the process right here. Check the above links for further information and other signings. Here are a few key deals:
- Jasson Dominguez, OF, Yankees: Everyone’s top target is reportedly holding strong on his commitment to go to the Bronx. The deal is said to be for $5.1MM, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, with an announcement expected this evening. Dominguez is a switch-hitter who’s said to possess five-tool ability. The Fangraphs team is sufficiently impressed to run him all the way up to the #61 overall MLB prospect ranking right out of the gates (via Kiley McDaniel, on Twitter). The Yanks also have struck a $1.2MM deal with outfielder Jhon Diaz, Sanchez tweets. He was the 18th-rated player on the MLB.com board but ran all the way up to #7 at Fangraphs.
- Robert Puason, SS, Athletics: Another player who’ll command about $5MM, Puason is a toolsy shortstop with big upside. He was said to have a deal in place with the Braves before that team was slapped with international sanctions. It’s worth noting that the Atlanta organization wasn’t actually punished for agreeing to terms early (though that widespread practice is officially forbidden) but rather for structuring a group deal with Puason’s trainer, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper explains on Twitter.
- Luis Rodriguez, OF, Dodgers: The value on this one is unknown, but BA’s Ben Badler has photographic evidence of the signing (Twitter link). Rodriguez gets top-three billing from Fangraphs. The Los Angeles club is also in agreement with righty Kristian Cardozo, who’s also considered one of the thirty best players available.
- Bayron Lora, OF, Rangers: Baseball America has made this connection for some time; Sanchez tweets that it’s a $4.2MM deal for the slugging prospect. Shortstops Maximo Acosta and Zion Banister are also members of the Texas signing class. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter) has the former at $1.6MM and the latter at $835K. As he notes, the Texas organization will need to acquire some added pool capacity to make the math work.
- Erick Pena, OF, Royals: This is another signing called in advance by the BA crew. Sanchez has the bonus at $3.8MM (Twitter link). FG labels Pena “a well-rounded outfielder with considerable physical projection.”
- Ronnier Quintero, C, Cubs: Occupying the #6 spot on the boards of both Fangraphs and MLB.com, Quintero will follow Willson Contreras from Venezuela to the Chicago organization. The Cubbies also have a deal with fellow top-ten-ish prospect Kevin Made, a shortstop. Sanchez puts the Quintero deal at $3MM and Made’s mark at $1.7MM. Another Venezuelan backstop, Brayan Altuve, will cost the Cubs another million bucks, seemingly setting up the organization for a search for some added pool money.
- Roberto Campos, OF, Tigers: The Detroit organization popped for a hefty $3MM to secure the services of the Cuban outfielder, per Badler (via Twitter). Campos defected in somewhat dramatic fashion several years ago at just 13 years of age. He wasn’t listed among the best prospects, but Chris McCosky of the Detroit News indicates on Twitter that the Tigers like his bat quite a bit.
Several other well-regarded prospects also secured bonuses of $2MM or more, per Sanchez and/or Badler:
- Twins, $2.7MM, outfielder Enmanuel Rodriguez
- Angels, $2.2MM, shortstop Arol Vera
- Marlins, $2.8MM, shortstop Jose Salas
- Mets, $2.05MM, outfielder Alexander Ramirez
- Padres, $2MM, outfielder Ismael Mena
- Astros, $2MM, shortstop Dauris Lorenzo
His name is Robert Puason.
#laughingemoji
I definitely laughed out loud.
I keep seeing posts like this. How are people misspelling his name?
Tag the Braves just to show who we can’t sign real cool.
lol, my thoughts exactly. Nice dig haha
How good is this Dominguez’s potential? Comparison?
He’s been compared to Mike Trout very often. He seems like the real deal.
That seems like a tag a young player wouldn’t want. That’s some high expectations!
Scouts say Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle
Lot of crimes reaching their fruition today.
Leave it to the Tigers to spend most of their bonus pool on a guy who wasnt even ranked anywhere…
The Orioles are killing it so far. 27 players!
A really useful service, imo, would be a “candy thermometer-like” reading of which teams have how much room left, updated twice a week, or so.
The Cubs continue to utilize the international free agent market for premium talent. I still wish they would prioritize more elite pitching talent rather than position players as they have done mostly in their domestic amateur drafts. The players reported here are two more catchers and a shortstop.
Giants got some good talents
Who did they sign? I’ve been looking. They haven’t been linked to anyone.
#23 ranked lefty with solid control, above avg curve, and developing change up. 90-93mph FB for 800k
And a SS for 1.2 mill with plus D and power potential. Then they signed a few other hard throwing RH pitchers, couple other SS and catchers.
How much extra bonus money have the Yankees secured? According to the what they were allocated this article says they are 900k past it.
That was my first question as well
None. Unless trades have been made yet.
At least one of the contracts was likely signed, but not yet submitted.
So these prospects for the Cubs are like 16-18 I’m guessing? They wont need a SS or Catcher for at least 10 years. By then those 3 will either be out of baseball or no longer with the Cubs.
Pretty much every one of these guys is <17 years old, and likely won’t even make it stateside for a good 2 years.
They will be developing in the Boca Chica site, mostly, until March, when they go to extended spring training. There, they’ll show whether they belong in Short-Season Eugene, Rookie Ball in Mesa, or to the DSL for 2020.
Assuming anything on the future of a current player is rather reckless and counter-productive. The goal should be to get quality, and as much as possible at as many positions as possible, each June (draft) and July (international cycle).
Smart teams do that every year.
Can these kids sign with any team or are they subjected to a draft?Seems that every year the top rated guys go to the big name teams.
No draft, just these signings. And admittedly, MLB has done a great job of leveling the playing field with the restrictions they have in place. Kids all over the world are going to want to play for the teams that everyone knows and might be the one game a week shown on tv back home. No offense to these teams, but do you think some kid in a 3rd world country is saying all he wants to be is a Mariner or Padre when the money is pretty similar for all teams?
Yolbert to the White Sox is official. $2.5M
It was expected for some time now. Yolbert Sanchez is a 22-year old SS with a 65-grade glove which could play at the MLB level asap once he gets some of the rust shaken off from being another Cuban defector (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/cuban-defector-ss-yolbert-sanchez-cleared-to-sign/).
If Sanchez’ offense could progress to anything near league average he would be an excellent player to match with White Sox 2B prospect Nick Madrigal who can hit, run and play Gold Glove caliber defense. If Sanchez hitting falls short he still might make for a valuable MLB utility infielder and potentially replace another Sanchez on the South Side, Yolmer.
I love what SS Tim Anderson brings to the table offensively with his power, speed, athleticism and attitude but still have some reservations with his defensive consistency which continues to produce high error totals. If Sanchez can develop into a solid all-around SS perhaps Anderson could transition to the outfield at some point. As much as I like the notion of Anderson and Madrigal as the White Sox future core double play tandem, the idea of Sanchez and Madrigal also holds appeal. It might remind us older White Sox fans of the great Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox pairing during the “Go-Go” era, each of whom won multiple Gold Glove Awards on their way to the HOF.
Looks to me like all of these teams broke the rules by making early agreements with players. Where is the punishment MLB? Won’t be any because its the Yankees instead of the Braves. When a Southern team starts doing well, the sanctions and penalties are harsh. New England, Chicago, West Coast teams can get away with whatever they want. Move the MLB headquarters out of New York.
Did u read the article? The Braves tried to compensate his trainer is y they got popped. Plus Atlanta is one of the bigger baseball names. Not like we r talking about a “small market team”. Ur crying over the Braves. Plus they already got in trouble on the Maitan thing so they were in the scope of the league. Like if u stole a candy bar from a convenient store when u were 10 they would watch u alittle closer when u came back in at 11&12 bro.
Waaaaaaa the Yanks sign a top international prospect and the crying starts. Anyone cry on here that St Louis gets a comp pick every season? Enough with the Yankee bashing and worry about your own teams. Getting old.
Is it legal for a 21 year old man and a 20 year old lady to agree to get married without immediately getting married?
This is the baseball comp.
What? Nowhere do you need to be 21 to get married. I think you’re thinking of booze.
Contracts weren’t signed until today.
If you can prove one of the players signed early, and illegally, leak the info to a division rival.
If you don’t know the rules were broken, don’t say they were declaratively broken.
The Pirates were first with $6.5 million. The Yankees had $6.3 mil to spend? That’s the difference between the Bucs and Yankees? Where is the equity in that? Baseball is f’d up withe the rich getting richer. It’s unbelievable.
Pretty sure the Yanks have traded for more international pool money to get them up there.
The Yankees had $5.4M. They traded for more.
The traded hasn’t been announced.
All players should enter the league though one unified draft.
Unless, of course, the goal is for the large market teams to almost always be good in order to maximize ratings and revenue while the rest of the teams are just there for window dressing.
In which case, carry on.
Tampa has more spending room than the Yankees.
Pittsburgh has more than the Dodgers.
Thanks, though.
You are the only one left who believes the new regulated system is unfair.
And not one mentor of the three INTL signings by the @Reds…
They posted what they had.
Getting the second ranked international prospect is pretty nice. Is it weird we just signed a switch hitting shortstop from the international draft AND amateur draft? Yes. Do I like it? Yes.
why are the Angels signing so many shortstops when in Andreton Simmons they have the best shortstop in the game ?
Because a good chunk of them will ultimately move off SS to other positions, like 2B, 3B, or the outfield. Plus, trying to use major league need (or the lack of) to influence drafting and signing decisions at the bottom levels is a terrible idea, especially with how long July 2 guys take to develop.