January 15, 2025 International Signing Period

[fish]

Deivis Velasquez, C, Venezuela

https://x.com/PhilsTailgate/status/1878958218766168488

[fish]

Marrero

https://x.com/PhilsTailgate/status/1878954272433521118/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1878954272433521118&currentTweetUser=PhilsTailgate&mode=profile

[fish]

I know it’s too early to dump on a signing class for this year and even last, but it’s two straight years where their top guy would have been a solid second guy. I like izzaguire- I see a lot of improvement in bat speed that now looks impressive. Not much size projection though. Last year Arias was a fine signing, but he looked like his legs were already starting to get thick. You want to see a few athletic, projectable kids with bat speed and some idea with the bat- like somehow the dodgers and brewers always seem to find. The Phils seem to end up with a bunch of kids that either look too narrow to project more good weight, or who are already thickening at 17.

[Squire]

Agree on last year though in this year I think they legit thought they would have a shot at Sasaki and wanted to keep their powder dry maybe? I am hoping that they have allocations to trade or to pounce on another team's broken deals.

[andyb]

We have a bigger allocation this year. It should be a better class. I am OK with not getting the top guys if we end up with more $500K guys and at least a few pitchers near the top of that inexpensive market.

[fish]

Agree on last year though in this year I think they legit thought they would have a shot at Sasaki and wanted to keep their powder dry maybe?

That would have required them to make that decision 2-3 years ago. But they do seem to be in on top guys next year (Francisco Renteria) and the year after (Acuna). So it makes me wonder if something happened between now and 2021/2022 that caused them to be out on the top tier…or maybe they committed to a kid they found out was older and bailed on. And maybe that thing is why Derek Chung was hired.

[allentown]

or maybe they committed to a kid they found out was older and bailed on. And maybe that thing is why Derek Chung was hired.

Getting sucked into a near repeat of Yhoswar would be truly damning of the LA org we had in place. It's understandable very occasionally to get the wrong age for one of the lower bonus guys who likely receive scrutiny, but two guys sought at a high bonus would be unforgivable and should lead to some people being fired. Again, this is just speculation, which I'm responding to in kind by drawing the inevitable conclusion if the speculation is indeed correct.

[Matt_Winkelman]

It also could be simply they didn't think this year was good, I think BA said it (it was Eric at FG), but maybe it was elsewhere that outside the top 5-ish guys it isn't considered a top class and so it would make sense to instead go for a bunch of smaller deals. I also think that they have had to account for the possibility that they thought they might sign some QO guys that would have knocked down the pool. They would have known that answer 10-12 months ago, but that certainly could have affected some deals. Maybe they also thought Sasaki would cause chaos and they could get guys who broke commitments or trade money. It seems based on what Eric Logenhagen indicated yesterday they just might have a bunch of 6 figure guys this year instead of a big guy.

[andyb]

Cuban OF Eduardo Guillen officially signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Bonus deal: $65k.

A strong left-handed contact hitter from Havana. Trained at Mickey's, Ysbel Medina's Academy. pic.twitter.com/PAOdpUg3xq

— Francys Romero ( @francysromeroFR ) January 15, 2025

[fish]

I also think that they have had to account for the possibility that they thought they might sign some QO guys that would have knocked down the pool.

Maybe, but if you need to line up top guys 3 years in advance, I don’t think you plan on not having budget because maybe free agents or Sasaki. You prepare like normal and adjust after. Especially when you can potentially deal for millions in additional space.

That said, they have lots of open budget and I presume they have a plan for it.

[Squire]

Phillies sign RHP Filippo Sabbatini from Italy

https://x.com/BenBadler/status/1879595775581376786

[andyb]

Coverage out there is pretty bad this year outside of Baseball America. The Athletic used to have several dedicated minor league prospect writers beyond Keith Law and that all seems gone today. They only have a couple of Sasaki articles up and that is really major league related. Fangraphs posted a top 50 (no Phillies) but only one article so far.

MLB has some coverage up, but really trust their scouting reports less on stuff like this and we'll probably get one Zolecki article tomorrow and that is it.

[andyb]

He kind of dominated the Italian League at age 17:

Filippo Sabatini Career Stats Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com

[allentown]

I would be quite happy either adding a bunch of 6-figure guys or scarfing up guys set free from commitments by the Sasaki winner. I still want a handful of 6-figure pitchers. Hard to evaluate young pitchers, but I think the Phillies scouts do an above average job evaluating young pitchers and a far below average job evaluating young OFs, an area where they spend far more than they do on pitching.

[andyb]

This article from September has another player we will supposedly sign eventually in Patrick Silva. He turns 16 in February so he'd be in the January 2026 class theoretically. Both players went to Dominican instructional league this year.

https://www.fibs.it/en/news/filippo-sabatini-e-patrick-silva-pronti-a-spiccare-il-volo-verso-gli-stati-uniti

Picture of Silva here:
https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/wbsc-u-15-baseball-world-cup-all-world-first-baseman-patrick-silva-to-sign-with-mlbs-philadelphia-phillies

[julio]

I'm not certain, but (having looked at the ML Rules), it's not clear to me that the Phils couldn't sign Silva to a Future Services contract (i.e., for 2026), any time after July 1st of 2025. The rules don't say that they can do this, but they don't prohibit it - and the eligibility language in Rule 3 specifies that the player must be 17 by September 1 "of the first season covered by the contract."

[andyb]

I don't think that is how that works. He is not eligible to sign this period so he has to wait until next period. The signing period governs the age range. Players who were 16 by September 1, 2024 can sign this year. Silva will have to wait a year even if there is a handshake agreement. Otherwise we'd have already signed the Acuna kid.

[julio]

You're correct, andyb. I was looking at a prior-year copy of the MLB Rules. The current (2024) Rules read:

(ii) is 16 at the time of signing, but will attain age 17 prior
to September 1 of the calendar year the player signs the
contract.

This is what I get for not printing out the 2024 Rules...

[andyb]

Silva could actually be the more interesting prospect if he is playing Serie A ball at age 15 and holding his own. Only a 645 OPS last year there, but it is probably rare for a 15-year-old to even get playing time at the top level.

[owaistabish]

o he has to wait until next period. The signing period governs the age range. Players who were 16 by September 1, 2024 can sign

They actually reach agreements years in advance to sign with teams I believe.