January 15, 2023 International Signing Period

[andyb]

Potentially 2 of our top 10 prospects will be from Asia the next time system rankings are done. Might be worth giving that scout a little more money and get some second tier signings there too.

[Matt_Winkelman]

I don't know if there are really second tier signings as much there, nor do I think they are missing out on really top tier guys. If there are second tier it is getting guys like Nikau Pouaka-Grego or Rixon Wingrove out of a Australia/New Zealand. Essentially in Taiwan in particular you are buying guys away from college and the professional league there, so sort of like American teenagers in that you do need some amount of monetary incentive.

I guess to put it into perspective, FG doesn't have all their prospect lists loaded in, but there are 3 players from Taiwan out of over 700 in there "Board" database and it is Lee, Pan, and the Pirates' Tsung-Che Cheng. The only player from New Zealand is NPG. Curtis Mead (famously a Phillies signing) is the only Australian. Not to say "Mission Accomplished", but they sort of are doing what you are asking for.

[andyb]

That makes sense. I guess if a player is only going to get $100-$200K to sign their options are better in college or in home country leagues. They might end up on a complex team and not play much for a couple of years over in the U.S.

I am not sure who drove the move to put us in the Australian winter league with multiple players and coaches, but that seems to have given us a leg up in the region for whatever reason. Japan and Korea have more developed major leagues, so that Taiwan/Australia/New Zealand niche might be ours.

[julio]

Added a couple of signings to the table in the top post: Brad Pacheco, 17-year-old RHP signed out of Venezuela in May, and Yonkelvin Polanco, 16-year-old OF from the Dominican, signed two days ago.

[andyb]

Added a 20-year-old from the Mexican League this week:

Orlando Gonzalez Mexican & Winter Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com

[phillychuck]

Looking at Gonzalez' stats he doesn't seem like much of prospect. Must have good mph and spin rate.

[andyb]

They did not have much money left so he is not a high dollar signing (though they do have to pay more to buy him out of his Mexican League contract).

I would not put too much stock in the stats. I am sure they liked his raw stuff some and the fact is that he was not old enough to play much in a relatively advanced league (maybe AA level these days?). He was just added to the DSL roster so he should pitch well there if he is any sort of a prospect.

[phillychuck]

I am sort of surprised he did not end up in a domestic league at his age...it does seem like he has very limited experience, though.

[andyb]

Roster limit - he does not count against the 180 in the DSL. Gives them a month to decide if he is worth it next year.

[Austinfan]

How much have they upgraded DSL facilities and coaching?

Seems a great opportunity to develop LA players for a few years, then only send them north when they're ready for A or A+ (JS) and save roster spots for stateside UFAs, later round picks, waiver wire pickups and foreign players from elsewhere.

[zambonir]

While also paying them less of course.

[fish]

How much have they upgraded DSL facilities and coaching?

They opened a new place with the twins in 2016 for 16 million- under mattingly they expanded the coaching levels down there. Watching the dsl videos it jumps out how big and strong the kids look now. So, it seems like they’ve taken another step forward but they need more guys to progress stateside to call it a success.

[nycphils]

Should get a better set of scouts, starting with Sal.

[julio]

Another international signing:

August 23, 2023:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Jousten Venegas to a minor league contract.

[julio]

A post was split to a new topic: Phillies Hot Stove, 2023-24

[julio]

Another signing, this one an 18-year-old Aussie catcher:

09/12/23 Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C Declan Speirs to a minor league contract.

[andyb]

Small for a catcher though he does seem the type of second tier Aussie signing we try for every year. Looks like he played on the recent under 18 tournament where Australia finished 10th (6-23 for Speirs). And the article notes he was at the DSL camp. Probably working him out there for a few weeks until he gets his work visa so this signing likely happened a month ago or more.

Australia finalise talented roster for XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup

XXXI U-18 Baseball World Cup 2023

[Matt_Winkelman]

Yep, signing back in July https://x.com/BaseballVic/status/1681760645312659456?s=20

[andyb]

Video within that tweet has him playing 3B also though imagine they see him at catcher first.

Awesome job Declan! ️ https://t.co/LZC7ePFbpo

— BaseballVic ( @BaseballVic ) September 11, 2023

[fish]

Phillies tied to 26 year old Cuban free agent pitcher Yariel Rodriguez. His delivery looks like he learned to pitch in asia...in fact his stuff looks similar to Pan.

edit- he pitched in Japan in 2020, that explains it.

https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/emerging-cuban-pitcher-yariel-rodriguez-officially-declared-free-agent-by-mlb