Major League Baseball’s international signing period for 2023 has officially opened up today, with many of the big names signing almost immediately. Teams have long since agreed to verbal agreements with newly eligible teenage players, and today’s signings largely represent confirmation of what was anticipated. Still, it’s a day of no small moment, particularly for the young men embarking upon the start of their professional careers.
As previously mentioned, most of the agreements have been known for a while, with Baseball America’s Ben Badler and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez having listed each player’s expected landing spot. You can find each team’s total bonus pool and other information on the process right here. Here are a few key deals:
- Ethan Salas, C, Venezuela — Padres ($5.6MM): Ranked as the top prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, the 16-year-old is considered by MLB Pipeline as “one of the best catching prospects in recent history” and is lauded for his strike zone control, power, and defense. Scouts have specifically highlighted his swing and soft hands. Born in June 2006, the backstop is the youngest player in MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 International Prospect Rankings. The young switch-hitter is no stranger to high-level baseball, with his grandfather, father, and uncle all playing professionally, and his older brother Jose Salas signed by the Marlins in 2019. Salas’ $5.6MM deal will comprise almost all of the Padres’ base signing pool of $5.825,000.
- Felnin Celesten, SS, Dominican Republic — Mariners ($4.7MM): MLB Pipeline’s second-best prospect and Baseball America’s third-best, Celesten has been heralded as having “the highest ceiling of any international shortstop prospect in a decade” by MLB Pipeline. Scouts have noted the switch-hitter’s plus speed, arm, and raw power. However, Baseball America reports that Celesten has “an aggressive approach” and “might need to become a more selective hitter.“
- Brando Mayea, OF, Cuba — Yankees ($4.4MM): Baseball America’s second-best prospect and MLB Pipeline’s ninth-best, Mayea has drawn praise for his bat speed, power, and approach to the plate, with one scout going as far as to describe the 17-year-old as a “mini Gary Sheffield.” Scouts have praised the righty’s strong arm, with some expecting an eventual move to a corner outfield position.
- Alfredo Duno, C, Venezuela — Reds (Unknown): MLB Pipeline’s fourth-best prospect and Baseball America’s seventh-best, Duno is a 17-year-old catcher that boasts three above-average tools — his fielding, arm, and power. Scouts have praised his “elite bat speed” and defensive ability. MLB Pipeline and Baseball America both predict that Duno will remain behind the plate, but both also cite his swing-and-miss tendencies as a result of his aggressive approach.
- Emmanuel Bonilla, OF, Dominican Republic — Blue Jays ($4.1MM): Baseball America’s fourth-best prospect and MLB Pipeline’s seventh-best, Bonilla profiles as a slugging outfielder that has a chance to remain in centerfield but will likely move to a corner position as the 16-year-old matures. Scouts have praised the righty’s bat speed and swing, with Baseball America reporting that some scouts believe Bonilla has “one of the best combinations of hitting ability and power in the class.”
- Luis Morales, RHP, Cuba — Athletics (Unknown): MLB Pipeline’s fifth-best prospect and Baseball America’s ninth-best, Morales is a hard-throwing righty with a fastball that sits between 94-97 MPH with a slider, changeup, and curveball as secondary pitches. Born in Cuba, Morales was considered the best U-18 pitcher on the island, setting a record for strikeouts (161) in 82 2/3 innings between 2019 and 2020. He defected in 2021 while playing for Cuba’s U-23 team in Mexico. Morales, 20, is one of the oldest high-profile international prospects and thus may be potentially fast-tracked through the A’s system.
- Sebastian Walcott, SS, Bahamas — Rangers (Unknown): Baseball America’s sixth-best prospect and MLB Pipeline’s eighth-best, Walcott is a 6’3, 170 lbs (6’4, 190 lbs, per Baseball America) 16-year-old that has impressed scouts with high raw power and bat speed. Despite being 6’3, Walcott has drawn praise for his contact skills, hand-eye coordination, and his fluid swing. Baseball America projects that as Walcott matures, he will outgrow the shortstop position and transition to third base.
Several other well-regarded prospects also secured bonuses of $2M or more, with the specifics provided by Sanchez:
- Brailer Guerrero, OF, D.R., Rays ($3.7MM) [MLB Pipeline #12, BA #5]
- Jesus Caba, SS, D.R., Phillies ($3MM) [MLB Pipeline #11, BA #8]
- Ariel Castro, OF, Cuba, Twins ($2.5MM) [MLB Pipeline #11, BA#13]
- Rayner Arias, OF, D.R., Giants ($2.8MM) [MLB Pipeline #15, BA #8]
- Camilo Diaz, OF, D.R., Astros ($2.25MM) [MLB Pipeline #17, BA #19]
- Luis Almeyda, SS, D.R., Orioles ($2.3MM) [MLB Pipeline #20, BA #17]
- Roberto Calaz, OF, D.R., Rockies ($2.5MM) [MLB Pipeline #24, BA #14]
isn’t Ariel Castro the guy who kept those girls locked in his house in Cleveland like 10 years ago?
The timeline wouldn’t match up.
Interesting stuff. I think Salas and Morales intrigue me the most. I do worry that some of these guys will go bust just because they are so young (which usually means immature) and now have more money than they’ve ever seen in their lives. For them they might get complacent and feel like they never have to work hard again since they are already multi-millionaires. There’s a certain level of maturity to being a good defensive catcher like Salas though. You have to really love the game to catch. His brother being with the Marlins is a good thing too because it means he’s not totally new to this and likely has a really good plan in place. Morales shouldn’t have maturity issues either since he’s already in his 20’s. He also looks like he could debut as early as 2024.
I have some questions if anyone wants to respond. Considering Morales is already in his 20’s would it be irresponsible for the A’s to put him on the ‘fast track” and just try starting him out in Triple-A right away? Or at least Double-A? It seems Single-A is really low level for a player already his age.
Also, why do teams have to wait until today to trade their pool money? It seems it would be better to allow them to do it before free agency opens so teams know exactly how much they will have before it starts and get all their ducks in a row. What happens if a team doesn’t spend all their money? Can the leftovers roll over into next year or is it a “use it or lose it” system? And if it’s not allowed to rollover… why not? It seems only fair.
Prospects are inherently a gamble. Some will physically break down, some will mentally break down, and some will not mature like expected. On the plus side, a good chunk will be at least serviceable, and a select few will be exceptional. The better the scouting, the fewer the busts, but you can never eliminate risk.
This Ariel castro would’ve been 7 10 years ago. Not sure he’d have that in him
This Ariel castro would’ve been 7 years old ten years ago
Dead Giveaway
migoli, I bet you never imagined these knuckleheads would miss your hilarious intent. Great post. I’m still laughing and worse, I Google that story. Thx again.
THE EXACT SAME NAME!! 2002-2004.
Yeah, f’ing hilarious. Would either of you be laughing/posting if those kids were yours or a relative/friend of yours? Which is sadder, the original poster or the knucklehead who thought it was “funny” enough to praise?
Sorry earm, I need sensitivity training. I think I’ll watch History of the World by Mel Brooks or Charlie Chaplins The Great Dictator. Classic movies humorously depicting Hitler. I’m sure Castro is a fine ballplayer and knows little about the kidnapper. Nor about Fidel Castro. And at 17 I doubt he cares as many 17 year olds probably don’t. But you earm, make a silly but funny post by migoli the most awful thing a person could write. How many people died because of Hitler? You really should watch The Great Dictator. A classic.
Yeah, sorry, but I had a bigger issue with your post that I did with his. But I don’t need to understand your sense of humor.
What does Fidel have to do with any of this?
Sincerely,
Confused in Minneapolis.
You should apply ice to the affected area……
He was, but like Jeffrey Epstein, he committed suicide (wink wink) in prison.
Wow Padres spent almost the whole pool to get Salas.
Teams can approach this two ways. Spread the money around and sign many players, or go in big on a single player if they believe in the impact talent. Teams usually will vary their strategy year by year.
Typical Padres swinging full force hopefully they don’t fall flat on their faces.
True, but keep swinging and someday you’ll hit…
Last year they signed Leija for $10,000..10k and under signings don’t count towards pool.. and he turned out to be the best P from that class so far…
Preller always does excellent spreading the wealth..this yr they went Quality over quantity and will again in 2024 when they are going to sign Jazz’s twin brother SS DeVie who is the #2 prospect for next January 15 2024
When it comes to the international market, the better approach seems to be spreading the wealth for a quantity of options over the years. The % of players that make a mark in the majors from the regular draft is very low…the % is even lower for IFA’s (or at least it used to be). Try as hard as they might, there is oftentimes less information on the international market, plus the fact that they are so young the forecasting is that much more difficult.
Not saying that teams shouldn’t work for the top guys…of course they should…but they should devote their energies towards the diamonds in the rough and leave money in the budget for lots of lottery tickets.
The top prospect rankings are garbage anyway, as things will change so much within a year or two. I care about rankings for one reason only…perceived trade chip value. When the kids in the system perform well, their perceived value goes up and many of them become overrated. Which makes for better trade returns.
Otherwise, I could give a darn about their ranking, it is their major league performance that matters.
Why is Jazz’s twin brother so far behind Jazz in development?
That kid is a Stud. Really good to see the Yankees land Mayea. Not surprisingly the Dodgers got Joendry Vargas ( #3 overall )
@Lord D – It’s interesting to see how teams approach the IFA signings. The Yankees are notorious for spending most of their money on one player, much like the Padres are doing this year.
Meanwhile, Baltimore and Cleveland have already signed or agreed to deals with well over 20 prospects apiece while the Brewers, Nationals and Rangers have signed or agreed to deals with 10+ players already.
Padres signed 6 others today besides Salas..so far
Yankees tend to sign a lot of low-profile IFAs for middling to small bonuses. I’ve been following this for years, and 17 year old pitchers almost never get large bonuses; and the Yankees sign a whole bunch of those. Look at the top-ranked Yankees’ prospects who were originally signed as teen IFAs, and I can only recall maybe three who were high profile signings (I’m thinking Gary, Jasson, and Ruben Rivera). Even Cano signed for just a bit over $100K.
@Dorothy, that’s a recent trend. Until Dominguez, they more often than not used to spread their money about.
IIRC, this the first high level Cuban signing by the Yankees since Contreras. The reason being that in addition to being a bust, there were implications that he might have been several years older than his official records indicated. The Yankees veered away from Cuban prospects since. Until now.
He’s been very well liked for his tools for a couple years now, but I really hope they don’t start with the “Mayea is the next Jose DiMaggio.”
Just let the kid play and develop before we start talking about how he will compare with legends. They’ve already started with the Gary Sheffield comparison, and although that’s merely his style of play to which they are comparing Sheffield, it’s still overkill, imo. Get the kid some professional ABs first, right?
Sheffield was once noted for fastest bat speed in mlb. I thought that was where the comparison came from.
Waiting desperately for a Jose DiMaggio to appear in a draft!
Little known fact: Jose DiMaggio did a lot of commercials for Senor Coffee in the 70s.
What’s that you say, Senora Robinson? Sacudiendo Jose has left and gone away… hey hey hey
Watch Camilo Diaz. Not highly regarded, but the Astros have a solid int set-up.
How many shortstops does one need? Texas is trying to beat the Padres for most position players who should be shortstop. There were better outfielders and starters they could have signed instead of this slap-hitting guy.
There’s a reason teams will tend to overload on shortstops as they tend to be some of the most athletic and more versatile players. Eventually they either stay at that position or get moved to a position of need or what is more suited to that player. Besides, in baseball you never draft from a position of need. You draft the best possible player available. It’s hard enough to predict which players will actually make it to the show.
Ignore the position. These guys are several years away so they don’t know what their team needs are and they’re just getting the best players they can. A lot won’t pan out, and the vast majority of them will switch positions anyway. Miguel Cabrera was a shortstop when he signed.
Most of the top international prospects are C, SS and CF because they’re typically the best player and most athletic on whatever team they play for. Most will eventually move to another position. This usually applies to High school players in the US too.
Cincy has a lot on of Shortstops on their top 30 prospect list as well, and for the reason stated above by Agent Oso.
Interesting how its almost all position players thus far
There’s just not that much highly regarded international pitching talent year in year out
Thank you Seidler! and here’s laughing at you Dean Spanos
A shot at Dean Spanos!!! SWEET!!!
I laughed my ass off watching them go from 27-0 to losing the game. FU Spanos POS.
Felt bad for Herbert and Ek, raised both birds for Spanos.
Yeah I like the players on the chargers and feel bad for them but as long as Spanos owns the team. It’s a hell no and can’t support them for ripping them away from SD when he didn’t get his way with the stadium proposal.
Dean Spanos is a trust fund baby who has never worked a day in his life. Like way too many billionaire NFL owners, he tried to stick local taxpayers with the cost of financing a new stadium that is only used about six weeks per year.. He should take a cue from Paul Allen, who built his own venue for the Portland Trail Blazers.
**** you Spanos!
Most of these kids have been involved with the teams that signed them since they were 13-14 year olds. They should install a draft system and require the kids to be 18 years old. This system is so wrong and most of these kids get screwed by unsavory agents that steal all they’re money.
Any baseball fan should do some research on the MLB international footprint. It is extremely interesting stuff. Very military-esque in how they set up shop. And also do a lot of great things for these kids and the families in many cases….but your point is totally valid. It can be ugly
How is 17 year old getting screwed by taking 5million to continue playing baseball?
I think the choice of words may be poor, but the process can absolutely get pretty ugly. In my opinion, it’s less a reflection on the process in its entirety and more so about some bad eggs involved. Anytime you’re talking about grown men and millions of dollars and these kids who come from some of the poorest families in the world. Certainly, it can be less than ideal at times.
Their* money
The A’s have been stockpiling a lot of starting pitchers.
That’s always been A’s trademark of their farm when rebuilding. This pitcher seems legit. Nice to see a guy so highly ranked w a little age under him
Mariners Padres and Yanks got the most coveted names. Those three kids have been teasing scouts for a while now. Crazy how much money they can make at 17 nowadays
Looking at the recent history of high “bonus babies” only 1 of the 3 will actually do anything in the majors. It is nearly impossible to project 16 year old kids 6 years down the road. Way too many variables. Sometimes teams get lucky, sometimes they don’t.
To clear something up, baseball America’s rankings are not based on talent observations, but rather projected signing bonus. They stopped ranking these guys based on talent a few years ago.
And the Tigers, with apologies to Charles Schultz, “got a rock”.
Pretty basic with the A’s; Morales could go anywhere, and he goes there?
Quickest path to the Majors? I’d wager he’ll be the first of this Draft class to appear in The Bigs… besides, lest we forget, the A’s have fans too.
It doesn’t hurt to be playing half of your games in a tremendous pitcher’s park either while building up your platform years. Heck, the Colosseum even made Cole Irvin look pretty good
Morales is 2-4 years older than nearly every other signing…he should be the first to the majors.
Smart move by Morales. I agree with Gwynning that Morales will probably be the first person of this signing class to make it to the majors and he knows that if he performs well, Oakland will flip him to competitive team after 3-4 years before his arbitration numbers get too high for their liking. It’s probably his best chance of maximizing his total earnings in MLB if he lives up to his hype.
Notable is Miami upsetting Buffalo, the Giants over MN, Cincy to handle Baltimore and the Cowboys to get bounced by the GOAT.
The Cowboys are the Yankees of the NFL.
“America’s Team” & the only N American sports franchise valued higher than the Yankees.
Valuations are dubious estimates because Forbes doesn’t have access to the franchises’ books, but here’s how they ranked them on Sept. 8, 2022:
“The most valuable team is the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, who are worth $8 billion and have held the top spot since 2016. Rounding out the top five are the New England Patriots ($6.4 billion), the Los Angeles Rams ($6.2 billion) and the New York Yankees and New York Giants, both valued at $6 billion.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2022/09/08/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams-2022/?sh=1b5ad6c8385c
The Dolphins will be crushed by the Bills. Bills or Chiefs will win the Super Bowl.
“Mayea trains with Jaime Ramos in the Dominican Republic. The Yankees have shown interest in him. Ramos is a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.” – mlb.com
Dominican Republic trainer doesn’t exactly generate a good feeling, but maybe MLB partnership has helped straighten that out.
Celesten is legit! Mariners did really well!
Right now he is just a name on a list. He won’t be legit for 5 years.
He’s a name on top of many lists. Watch him on Sports Center in 2025.
First, if he works out, it will be more like 2027 at the earliest. Second. I can’t accurately plan my finances or relationship 5 years into the future, how can I be expected to plan my sports fandom that far ahead? Third, who still watches Sportscenter? I haven’t watched it in 20 years and I really didn’t even know it was still on.
Can plan your fandom 5 years in advance? Just say you’re a fake fan of whatever team you cheer for. Once a fan always a fan.
He’s a legit international prospect, Mariners fans should be pumped.
So the Tigers had more money to spend (international pool money) than anyone & according to this article, they didn’t do a very good job of picking who they’d sign, apparently.
I am not disagreeing with you, but adding to what you’re saying. There’s also a second component to these signings: kids are going to go to teams that are winning or look like they’re set up to win, if they have the choice (obviously not everyone does). I think that’s another compounding aspect of decisions impacted by ML performance and roster construction.
I’m definitely not disagreeing with you either & pretty much agree, but these kids aren’t going to go to that “contender” till waaaaaay down the road. What would make them think that the Tigers for example, wouldn’t be a contender? (Rhetorical, but I welcome other opinions) They just were a few seasons ago. So they very well could be again. Especially when these kids are 16-17 year olds.
I’ll disagree w clippers statement. These kids have been in cahoots w their chosen clubs for several years. A lot of this kids have only associated w the team they signed with for quite sometime prior to signing. That happens due to quality international scouting and developmental programs. The tigers and pirates amd others suck at this and it shows throughout their systems regardless of what they have to spend
Big, I think there’s validity to your statement but if you watch interviews with the top prospects (those that can choose virtually any team), many select teams based on their desired place to play. Many top prospects are scouted and courted by several different teams at relatively young ages. Some choose based on where other players from their country or local area have played, but many will go to a different team because it’s their favorite team.
To both of you. Great points. And I went through the list and the Tigers actually signed 3. An INF, OF & and Catcher.
Went through the list at MLB.com, I mean.
Dsett75: You just cited another good point that may be the most relevant one: does the team want to spend all on one player, or do they want to acquire a few different positions?
I know with the Yankees, they used to go after several mid-level guys and hope to hit pay dirt. Now, they’ve just been targeting the top-tier guys and blowing all the IFA money on him (Dominguez & Mayea for examples).
Good talk guys. I appreciate your insight and information.
Clipper, the Reds have done really well in the international market for several years now. No one is mistaking the Reds for a winning team.
Earm, that’s a perfectly valid point. I meant it as a more general rule than each and every one. My perspective is this, to clarify: they’re humans, therefore they have the same motives as humans from any other country do. They’re also motivated by the same emotions, feelings, and tendencies. So, if the Reds offer top money for a guy and he accepts, maybe he does accept instead of his favorite team. But if given a choice, they will choose their childhood favorite team (just like us). If you look at the teams most popular in Latin American countries, it’s winning teams for the obvious reasons. It’s why I cited that as “a component” of their decision. It’s only going to be part of the decision-making process, but it is certainly part of it.
Also, do the Reds typically acquire the top IFA guys in the market? It’s an honest question as I don’t remember who the Reds acquired the past several, honestly.
Can’t accumulate too much catching talent. I’m excited as well.
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Anything besides the Blurb on Pipeline about Walcott?
Probably somewhere like Baseball America and I just found all of the Top 50 or 100 at MLB. Com.
Mlb is the Pipeline I am referring. And I do not have a subscription to BA, as I am a poor. Thank you for the suggestions though
I’m just surprised the Rockies actually signed one.
Rockies almost always sign one in the 21-30 range. They usually don’t work out well.
Yankees need 3B, catcher and pitchers. They instead draft another outfielder. Cashman is the equivalent of dried urine between the toilet seat hinges.
That’s giving the man a lot of credit
Signing 16/17 year-olds based on current positional needs is not a thing.
anyone that thinks signing (not drafting) a 16/17 yr old prospect based on current team needs really should not be commenting on anyone’s intellect.
Thrilled to see Rockies broke down and signed ones.
Where is bloom? He’s a strange bird
Bloom doesn’t sprout until Spring at the earliest…
The Red Sox have reportedly signed SS Yoelin Cespedes (FG#18, MLBP#25) and OF Tony Ruiz (FG#31, MLBP#30).
Thought the Pirates agreed to terms with #10, Jun-Seok Shim of South Korea and outfielder Raymond Mola, who ranks number 26.
They so signed a bunch of kids from Venezuela, but my fav out of the mix is Carlos Castillo, who throws in the mid 90’s, but can drop a curve in the 70’s.
Pirates land 18 year old pitcher and top rated Asian player from Korea. Jun-Seok Shim
Comparing the first 15 picks to MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 International Prospects (at which point, I got tired of cross-checking), the picks simply followed that list.
https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2023/international/
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-international-prospects-signing-day-2023?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
big difference with the current regime in Baltimore they’re already listed as signing 26 international prospects
A’s got the best deal here. He’ll be ready in 2 years
https://www.mlb.com/padres/roster/transactions
Besides Salas Padres have added a few more kids
“Mini Gary Sheffield”
The Gary Sheffield that couldn’t stay healthy or hit much in Milwaukee or the Sheffield that immediately won a batting title and regularly became 30 HR threat upon leaving Milwaukee?
Just goes to show you how underpaid North American prospects are.
At MLB.com I just found top 50 (maybe 100) with the team that signed them. Then it has an arrow you can click to read more about them. The Tigers got 3 of em. An INF, C & OF (probably projects as a CF).
Real good review on the SS. He looks like the best of the 3 to me.
Just curious. Is the IFA signing bonus pool limited by age and location? Almost all of the players are from the Caribbean, when it’s clear that there is a major interest in Asian players. Is it because their professional leagues have a posting system regardless of whether a player is posted? For example, Kodai Senga was never posted by his NPB club, so he signed a major league contract as a traditional free agent rather than as an IFA.
Really seems to be rolling the dice with these signings. Let’s give teens from poor nations millions and see what transpires.
I’m excited by Alfredo Duno, wonder when he will crack the big leagues.
I’m excited by Alfredo Duno, wonder when he will crack the bigs!
Super excited for Alfredo Duno! Great pickup for Cincy. Wonder when he will crack the bigs!
I dunno when he makes it, but I duno you’re excited by your 3 posts.
Oops first time commenter
Can’t accumulate too much catching talent. I’m excited as well.
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So we are just ignoring the two top 50 international prospects the Dbacks signed? Got it.
https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/d-backs-2023-international-prospects-signings?t=mlb-pi
Amazing how the Reds continue to find “swing and miss” guys with a high ceiling
I wonder how long it will take for publications to stop calling Brando Mayea “Brandon Mayea.”
Should be noted in the article that Baseball Americas “rankings” are by highest bonus total and nothing else.