January 15, 2025 International Signing Period

julio 2025-01-20 22:20:29 UTC #202

It's a tough business. We have 168 players on the Domestic Reserve List... and maybe a dozen of them will make the show? Two dozen? All the rest of them are going to be released (by the Phillies, or by another team after a trade, or just not signed by anybody after hitting minor league free agency).

Matt_Winkelman 2025-02-13 17:11:03 UTC #203

For those that like to look ahead, Fangraphs put next year's name on their board (1 of 4 2026 players). Expected bonus is a little over $4M

BA wrote him up last spring https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-international-players-u-15-tournament-and-a-broken-signing-system-notes-from-the-dominican-republic/

fish 2025-02-13 17:40:21 UTC #204

I like what I see.

Austinfan 2025-02-13 17:45:53 UTC #205

$4M? He has to a be a "can't miss" to justify blowing your whole budget on him.

fish 2025-02-13 18:17:23 UTC #206

Infielder Omar Manzanillo is lined up for 2027. I don't know anything else about him, or what level of bonus, except that it must be significant enough that he committed this far out.

fish 2025-02-13 18:18:40 UTC #207

I prefer it to selling off budget. but it still would leave them with ~$2 million to spend before considering trading for slots.

andyb 2025-02-13 18:25:45 UTC #208

Interesting that 2025 is really the year that does not fit the pattern. Clearly we are back in the mode of one big signing a year if we have guys from 2026, 2027, and 2028 (Acuna) lined up.

High risk/high reward strategy. I assume scouting is getting better and better so it is highly likely that the stars will disproportionately come from the high bonus signings even if those high bonus signings are not guaranteed to be stars. Renteria looks to be more of a corner outfielder but with power and hopefully a decent hit tool.

CBA was 5 years through the 2026 season but I think that will apply to the January 2027 class. After that all bets are off with regards to a future draft which seems pretty likely IMO.

bigegypt0417 2025-02-13 20:57:27 UTC #209

It's still really early but he seems to be firmly in the top 10 of latin american players and might be top 5.

Still early but he might be the highest rated player I remember them connected to.

fish 2025-02-13 21:00:21 UTC #210

Ortiz was on the same level the year before his signing class. Thankfully Renteria looks better proportioned to put on good size.

andyb 2025-02-13 21:50:48 UTC #211

Caba was almost that level too ($3 million bonus but from a smaller pool since they are adjusted for revenue inflation). Just a completely different type of player though it seems Renteria could be good defensively in addition to the hitting and power. He probably won't have the range for CF but that is OK as he looks to have the power for the corners.

owaistabish 2025-02-14 03:37:14 UTC #212

Some videos of Romeli Espinosa

phillychuck 2025-02-14 12:30:24 UTC #213

Even in the era of bat flips, that flip in the first video was over the top. I wonder if he got drilled in his next AB?

fish 2025-02-17 21:06:26 UTC #214

This feels ...gross? But 2029 prospect Catcher Fernando Rodriguez with a Phillies scout.

andyb 2025-02-17 21:16:59 UTC #215

We do need somebody to take over when Tait hits free agency.

zambonir 2025-02-17 22:04:42 UTC #216

But can he stay at C?

owaistabish 2025-02-17 23:45:55 UTC #217

These are just tryouts.

zambonir 2025-02-18 00:31:48 UTC #218

Yeah but that doesn't mean some team isn't going to sign a secret deal with him soon.

fish 2025-02-18 04:29:09 UTC #219

Granted, it doesn’t say he committed to the Phillies, but when academies post photos of a kid with a team logo in it, you can usually infer what it means.

zambonir 2025-02-18 14:08:39 UTC #220

And that picture is almost a year old! I assume you were looking because of Manzanillo.

fish 2025-02-18 23:28:41 UTC #221

"I think" i'd like to redact my assertion Fernando Rodriguez is connected to the Phillies. The guy wearing a Phillies hat is also wearing a shirt for the MM Academy, so that doesn't make sense. However, in a photo with another player the same guys is wearing a Twins hat. So who knows, maybe they are trying to drop easter eggs before whatever the "acceptable norm" is for the age kids can be connected to organizations.

Geez i need baseball to start.