Update: Orioles sign 17 international players highlighted by Basallo and Hernandez

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

If it is true that the Orioles signed an above average international class, as at least one pundit suggested, I’d say they did that a year ahead of when I thought it would be possible.    So, much credit to Elias and Perez for their efforts.    Now I’m hoping to see these prospects actually make their mark on the field.    I’m looking forward to the day when I look at an Orioles top 30 list and 7-10 of them came from international signings.   

Elias is great, but I suspect after it's all said and done that Koby Perez is going to be the best part of this era when it comes to bringing in talent.  

That's my Friday hot take, I'm off to have a cigar.

[Yossarian]

I like it - fill your (non-pitcher) roster with catchers, shortstops, and centerfielders.  They can learn to play other positions. 

[Brooks The Great]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Elias is great, but I suspect after it's all said and done that Koby Perez is going to be the best part of this era when it comes to bringing in talent.  

That's my Friday hot take, I'm off to have a cigar.

But it was Elias who decided to hire Perez, so both Elias and Perez will deserve any and all credit for bringing in international talent.

It was also Elias who identified international scouting and operations as a dire need, and made it a priority. So if any one person deserves/will deserve any credit, it's Elias.

[LookinUp]

16 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

But it was Elias who decided to hire Perez, so both Elias and Perez will deserve any and all credit for bringing in international talent.

It was also Elias who identified international scouting and operations as a dire need, and made it a priority. So if any one person deserves/will deserve any credit, it's Elias.

Yeah. Elias hired him and Elias is also visiting these places to meet the players.

Truth be told, John Angelos is the one who deserves the credit.  :ducks:

[Frobby]

Melewski has updated his article with some new quotes.

Elias:

“I do think we’ve got guys here that immediately enter the conversation for some of our top prospects. And I think it’s going to be exciting to see some of these guys play well and then rise up the ranks. So big step for us.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2021/01/basallo-and-hernandez-head-up-os-international-class.html

[linedrive]

Lots to be excited about! I've been waiting a long time to see something like this. And not only are we rated in the top-tier, but the Yankees are in the bottom tier! 🙂

[foxfield]

9 hours ago, linedrive said:

Lots to be excited about! I've been waiting a long time to see something like this. And not only are we rated in the top-tier, but the Yankees are in the bottom tier! 🙂

Wonderful day for the Orioles. Atta boy Mike. 

[Frobby]

Another article from Melewski on the international signings, notable because it provides virtually no new information or quotes but pretty much just recycles yesterday’s information.   And honestly, yesterday really just confirmed what we already knew was going to happen.    But hey, we’re on the map in the international market so we may as well wallow in it.

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2021/01/another-look-at-a-landmark-day-for-the-os-organization.html

[Roll Tide]

17 hours ago, weams said:

Thanks!

 

17 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Orioles sign 17 International Free Agents

Per Melewski:

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2021/01/basallo-and-hernandez-head-up-os-international-class.html

"The Orioles today announced a signing class of 17 international amateurs, including the club’s first two players signed for seven figures. Per industry sources, the club has contract agreements with catcher Samuel Basallo from the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million and with Venezuelan shortstop Maikol Hernández for $1.2 million.

The Orioles announced that 11 more from this group are six-figure agreements. Of the 17 agreements, 13 are from the Dominican Republic and four are from Venezuela

 

Catcher Samuel Basallo, L/R, 16, Dominican Republic

Basallo, once linked to the New York Yankees, got the largest signing bonus ever given to an international amateur by the Orioles. Basallo, who turned 16 on Aug. 13, has plus arm strength and some solid raw power. Some scouts have put a 60 grade on his arm. At 6-foot-3 and 198 lbs., it’s possible he could outgrow the catcher position.

Shortstop Maikol Hernández, R/R, 17, Venezuela

At 6-foot-4 and 175 lbs., Hernández has several impressive tools with a strong arm and power. He’s drawn some comparisons to bigger shortstops at young ages like Carlos Correa and Manny Machado. He was previously linked to St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Six players, per industry sources, signed with the Orioles for bonuses between $300,000 and $400,000. Here is that group:

Outfielder Wilmer Feliciano, L/R, 16, Dominican Republic

He is a lefty batter with some solid raw power and it is believed got the third-highest bonus among this group.

Shortstop Victor Celedonio, S/R, 17, Dominican Republic

A switch-hitter, it is believed he got the fourth-highest signing bonus in this class.

Outfielder Teudis Cortorreal, L/L, 17, Dominican Republic

A lefty batter who is a center field prospect.

Shortstop Eruviel Castillo, R/R, 17 Dominican Republic

Shortstop Anderson De Los Santos, R/R, 17, Dominican Republic

Catcher Yasmil Bucce, L/R, 16, Venezuela

The following players signed six-figure bonuses, believed to range between $100,000 and $225,000.

Catcher Aneudis Mordán, R/R, 16, Dominican Republic

Shortstop Angel Tejada, R/R, 16, Dominican Republic

Center fielder Junior Lara, L/L, 16, Dominican Republic

Left-hander Deivy Cruz, L/L, 16, Dominican Republic

Center fielder Ángel Peña, L/R, 16, Dominican Republic

These four signings round out this class.

Outfielder Héctor Jiménez, R/R, 16, Dominican Republic

Left-hander Elvis Polanco, L/L, 17, Dominican Republic

Catcher Carlos Rodríguez, R/R, 17, Venezuela

Outfielder Grabiel Salazar, R/R, 19, Venezuela"

There is progress being made.....I was in the DR 4 or 5 years ago in Punta Cana when some local people approached my group. I was wearing my bright Orange Orioles cap with O’s on the front. They knew exactly what it was and my 2X Orioles tank top that was over the beach chair. Roughly an hour later they came back with a pocket full of money between the 3 of them. They asked if they could buy my stuff offering crazy money for it. $50 each for each item. I asked how they would split my two items three ways and they asked if I had anything else. As it turns out I had a pair of Orioles sunglasses from one of the give always at the stadium that were in pretty good shape. Pulled them out of my bag and they were obviously happy.

I wound  up giving them the items for free as I didn’t feel good about taking their money. So I asked when they were finished their work and told them to come back. I told them I’d give them the items for free if they would talk some baseball for a while.

At 3:30 they showed up and we got to talk as long as I wanted! They love the Orioles because of their ties to Tejada, Cruz, and a few others that played for the Orioles. I remember everybody’s favorite player was Big Pappi who was very generous with his money in the DR.

It was a great time! They walked through the beach part of the resort the rest of the week wearing the Orioles stuff. They also stopped several times to offer us cigars and Rum. I finally accepted a bottle on the last day and they were able to get my friend  a El Presidente beer sign to put on the wall in his man cave bar. 
 

Great experience and for the most part nice and friendly people.

Anyway, I never told this story before now on this sight. But, they definitely like the Orioles.

[LookinUp]

So the most expensive signing was a catcher and Elias says some guys now rank up with our top prospects.

What's the over/under on the trade Rutschman threads? I say they begin in January 2022. Wildcard starts the thread but SG comments about 27 times.   🤣

[VaBird1]

2 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

So the most expensive signing was a catcher and Elias says some guys now rank up with our top prospects.

What's the over/under on the trade Rutschman threads? I say they begin in January 2022. Wildcard starts the thread but SG comments about 27 times.   🤣

He won't be ready until AR is in arbitration 😀

[LookinUp]

I wonder if we're still only the 4th most improved system...

[billw76]

Hopefully this is just the beginning, and we get signings like this or better every year. Elias and company need to keep the pipeline flowing with as much talent as possible.

What's the possibility of Basallo or Hernandez cracking the Top 30 prospects? 

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, billw76 said:

Hopefully this is just the beginning, and we get signings like this or better every year. Elias and company need to keep the pipeline flowing with as much talent as possible.

What's the possibility of Basallo or Hernandez cracking the Top 30 prospects? 

By their signing bonuses alone they belong in the 20-30 range, but there is just so little on them and no statistics that it really would be on that alone. They basically are two mid to late second round talents by signing bonus.

Looking at my list and based off the comments, signing bonus and what little we know, I'd probably drop them in the 17 and 18 on the list right behind Mayo and Baumler. But again, that could be way low or way high. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

By their signing bonuses alone they belong in the 20-30 range, but there is just so little on them and no statistics that it really would be on that alone. They basically are two mid to late second round talents by signing bonus.

Looking at my list and based off the comments, signing bonus and what little we know, I'd probably drop them in the 17 and 18 on the list right behind Mayo and Baumler. But again, that could be way low or way high. 

I'd say maybe even higher given the differences in the two.