Luis Almeyda, 16-year-old Dominican shortstop could sign for upwards of $2 million w/Orioles

[Frobby]

MLB.com ranks him no. 20:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Almeyda is a familiar name in amateur baseball circles after having performed well in the United States and Dominican Republic.

He runs well for his size and has a chance to be a five-tool player if he continues to develop. As with many large middle infielders, there’s a chance Almeyda will outgrow shortstop and eventually move to third base, but the adjustment to a new position should not be a problem.

He’s a smart hitter with a good approach at the plate and tons of at-bats under his belt thanks to his time in the United States. He plays solid defense, in large part because of his soft hands, good footwork and internal clock. He also projects to have a plus arm.

He’s been praised for his makeup and baseball IQ.

Almeyda is represented by Cesar Suarez of the CJ Baseball Academy. The Orioles have shown interest in him. Suarez is a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2023/international/luis-almeyda-806981

[RZNJ]

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=458863

https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-almeyda-ss

https://m.facebook.com/100063479110954/videos/luis-ayden-almeyda-class-of-2025-working-on-his-craft-in-the-dr-for-the-past-mon/357488719277645/

https://www.instagram.com/luis_almeyda417/?hl=en

Edited December 19, 2022 by RZNJ

[emmett16]

Almeyda looks super athletic.  His hands and footwork look pretty incredible for a 16 y/o.  I like how simple and direct his swing is, too.  

[Frobby]

Jan. 15 signing date is only 10 days away.  I feel like by now we’ve usually heard about 4-5 guys the O’s are likely to sign.   Have we heard about anyone besides Almeyda?

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Jan. 15 signing date is only 10 days away.  I feel like by now we’ve usually heard about 4-5 guys the O’s are likely to sign.   Have we heard about anyone besides Almeyda?

No.  Nada.  Nothing.

[SpOkane]

Hoping Basallo has a younger brother who pitches.

[sevastras]

I would like to see in game footage of him to see if he has the same wasted movement before his throws but a lot of kids his age have that. Looks like soft hands, fluid movements, strong arm. Batting looks nice as well. Short stride, quick hands, bat stays in the zone nicely. Body-strong legs, glutes and calves. Upper body is lagging but should catch up well over the next couple of years. If you told me he was 18 and a top 20 draft prospect, I wouldn’t be hurt taking him in the first round. If his upper body catches up and development continues to go well, I could see him climbing fast. I could also see him getting time in CF if his bat plays over the next year. 
Side note, if there are 20 international players better than him this year, I would eat my hat. 

[btdart20]

Callis/Mayo and crew on the MLB Pipeline podcast had a section on the international draft with Jesse Sanchez.  Jesse said this was a strong class, "strongest since 2012 with Eloy, Dever,...".  Then he joked about how difficult it is to rank these guys by mentioned how low he was on Soto (24th) and Tatis (30th). 

[jabba72]

 

I cant really tell whats happening here but Almeyda came close to getting hit.

 

[jabba72]

8 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

 

I cant really tell whats happening here but Almeyda came close to getting hit.

 

Now with the volume turned on, that is a crazy deflection. Looks like a design flaw to have metal poling or whatever in the field of play. He's lucky that missed. 

[emmett16]

On 1/13/2023 at 2:38 PM, jabba72 said:

 

I cant really tell whats happening here but Almeyda came close to getting hit.

 

 He'll remember to move the L screen next time 

[Frobby]

I didn’t know where to post this, but it serves as a reminder that big-bonus players don’t always pan out:

“The Orioles signed 25-year-old infielder Gilbert Lara to a minor league deal. He doesn’t receive an invitation to spring training, leaving the camp roster at 71 players.

“Lara spent the past four years in the Nationals organization. He’s a career .235/.275/.338 hitter in seven minor league seasons, beginning in 2015 in the Brewers’ system.

“Milwaukee signed Lara out of the Dominican Republic to a $3.2 million bonus in July 2014, the largest in club history, when international free agency opened. He was 16 years old but stood 6 foot 3 and weighed 180 pounds.

“MLB.com ranked Lara as the fourth-best available player in the international class.”

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/lighter-wells-looking-to-haul-heavier-load-for-orioles

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Frobby

[CharmCityHokie]

On 2/17/2023 at 8:43 AM, Frobby said:

I didn’t know where to post this, but it serves as a reminder that big-bonus players don’t always pan out:

“The Orioles signed 25-year-old infielder Gilbert Lara to a minor league deal. He doesn’t receive an invitation to spring training, leaving the camp roster at 71 players.

“Lara spent the past four years in the Nationals organization. He’s a career .235/.275/.338 hitter in seven minor league seasons, beginning in 2015 in the Brewers’ system.

“Milwaukee signed Lara out of the Dominican Republic to a $3.2 million bonus in July 2014, the largest in club history, when international free agency opened. He was 16 years old but stood 6 foot 3 and weighed 180 pounds.

“MLB.com ranked Lara as the fourth-best available player in the international class.”

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/lighter-wells-looking-to-haul-heavier-load-for-orioles

 

Every time I get excited about a big-bonus signing, I remind myself that the Dodgers dropped $31 million on the contract and penalty taxes on Yusniel Diaz, and think about how that has turned out, and then think about how Ronald Acuna Jr. signed for $100K with the Braves in the signing class the year before Diaz. It's such a crapshoot. Either way, I'll be rooting for Almeyda, even if I'm not holding my breath he'll be a star.