In Major League Baseball, teams are constantly on the lookout for top international talent. Despite the lack of an international draft, which was shelved due to opposition from the Major League Baseball Players Association, teams are still finding ways to strengthen their rosters through international signings. Even with restrictions on signing pools, the most aggressive teams continue to land highly regarded international teenagers.
The San Diego Padres have been at the forefront of international signings in recent years. Despite losing $1 million from their signing pool after giving Xander Bogaerts an impressive 11-year, $280-million deal, the Padres managed to add shortstop Leo De Vries from the Dominican Republic this year. In 2023, they also signed catcher Ethan Salas, who is currently ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect by MLB.com. These additions demonstrate the Padres' commitment to investing in young, international talent.
The Cubs, too, navigated their way around reduced signing pools and still managed to secure the services of Dominican shortstop Fernando Cruz. Even after losing $500,000 from their bonus pool due to the signing of Dansby Swanson, the Cubs signed Cruz, who was ranked as the fourth-best prospect by Jesse Sanchez. Similarly, the Texas Rangers lost $1 million from their pool but landed Dominican outfielder Paulino Santana, the second overall prospect according to MLB.com.
The Atlanta Braves, who did not face any penalties affecting their signing pool, invested $5 million to acquire Venezuelan shortstop Jose Perdomo. Perdomo has drawn comparisons to a young Miguel Cabrera, and this signing could potentially pay huge dividends for the Braves in the future.
It's interesting to note that the size of signing pools in MLB is inversely related to the market size of the teams. Small-market teams like Arizona, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Kansas City were allocated the largest signing pools this year. However, only one of these teams, Arizona, managed to land a top-10 international prospect, namely Dominican outfielder Adriel Radney.
Despite the risk associated with signing teenagers, teams are still willing to commit large sums of money to these young players. The success stories, like the Braves' acquisition of Ronald Acuna Jr. for a mere $100,000, show that investments in international prospects can yield significant returns.
The international signing period began on January 15 and allows players to sign if they are 16 years old before signing and 17 years old before September 1 of the following year. With teams vying for the best young talent, it will be interesting to see which players emerge as the future stars of Major League Baseball.
