2024 International Draft - signing period opens 1/15/24

[emmett16]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:57 AM, OriolesMagic83 said:

I assume the "handshakes" also involve some cash for some impoverished families. 

Not a lot, if any.  They are essentially indentured servants to their “academy” who takes ~20% of their bonus.  Teams might find ways to get some money invested in the academies and a player might get thrown a bone or some gear.  The academies/trainers are operating in their best interest to make money.  The academies have multiple players and are trying to max out their earnings.  Players might get food, lodging, “supplements”, and some gear but nothing to help out the family in earnest.  The kids are also often “traded” from academy to academy and used as a source of income for their coach/trainer.   Once they hit 18/19 they are “old” and discarded with nothing to show for themselves, no education, and no training in anything.  They also aren’t really taught the game, but rather skills/tools(hitting for power & throwing hard).  Nothing is regulated so steroids are often used to get the skills/tools to a point where a scout will be interested.    The whole system is really fd up.  These kids stop school around 5th/6th grade and train all day/ everyday for a very small opportunity of making anything.  

Edited January 10 by emmett16

[RZNJ]

On 1/3/2024 at 1:50 PM, RZNJ said:

Baseball Americas Ben Badler

Players on the board are sorted in order of their expected signing bonus. In other words, a player being No. 7 on the board means he is expected to sign for the seventh-highest bonus this year, not that he’s our No. 7 player in the class. 

While the international signing period opens on January 15, international prospects often have agreements to sign in place going back three or more years to when they were 13 or 14. Typically, once a player in the Dominican Republic or Venezuela commits to sign with a team, he stops doing showcases and is no longer scouted much in a competitive environment by other clubs. There are exceptions, but when calling international scouts about players, it’s common to get a response along the lines of, “Here’s what I saw from him, but the last time I saw him was two years ago.”

31. Emilio Sanchez, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: April 13, 2007. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170. 

Team: Orioles

Sanchez blends a good mix of hitting ability and power from the left side of the plate. He has a short swing, keeping his hands tight to his body with the adjustability to make contact at a high clip. He has a good approach for his age with quick hands, fast bat speed and flashes of over-the-fence power now with what some scouts think could be significantly more power to come. Sanchez is a shortstop for now and could start his career there, though his hitting ability stands out more than his athleticism or defensive range, with some scouts projecting him as a future second or third baseman. 
 

42. Stiven Martinez, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Aug. 8, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 185.

Team: Orioles

Martinez brings big raw power from the right side of the plate. The ball flies off his bat already and he has the physical projection to develop plus raw power. It’s a power-over-hit offensive game, with some scouts concerned about swing-and-miss in his game, though others thought over the past year he had made strides with his approach and game performance. Martinez has a strong arm but is limited to an outfield corner, with some risk he ends up at first base depending how he develops physically. 

 

 

76. Elvin Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic (Orioles)

80. Jemone Brown, SS, Jamaica/Dominican Republic (Orioles)

[Just Regular]

Longenhagen published his take on the Top ~50 this afternoon, and he has Emilio S. up at #21.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2024-international-prospect-rankings-and-scouting-reports/

His chart also lists Emilio S. at $1.7mm, and Stiven M. at 950k.

It will be a mnemonic for me learning the new guys that the big bonus baby is the same name as Arantxa Sanchez's brother.

The age sort on the chart has BAL with the #1 and #7 youngest among the mostly 10th grade aged people.

Edited January 12 by Just Regular

[Warehouse]

7 hours ago, RZNJ said:

76. Elvin Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic (Orioles)

80. Jemone Brown, SS, Jamaica/Dominican Republic (Orioles)

Elvin is a lefty shortstop from VIP Academy with decent size (looks slightly larger frame vs. Emilio side by side)

Jerome is a switch-hitter from Pimentel Academy.

[Warehouse]

4 minutes ago, Warehouse said:

Jerome is a switch-hitter from Pimentel Academy.

I believe Jemone (autocorrect misspelled above) turns 17 on Feb 7.

[RZNJ]

48 minutes ago, Warehouse said:

Elvin is a lefty shortstop from VIP Academy with decent size (looks slightly larger frame vs. Emilio side by side)

Jerome is a switch-hitter from Pimentel Academy.

How do you know this stuff?  

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, Warehouse said:

Elvin is a lefty shortstop from VIP Academy with decent size (looks slightly larger frame vs. Emilio side by side)

Jerome is a switch-hitter from Pimentel Academy.

Adding some quality names to the Adley, Gunnar, Cedric, Jackson, Grayson, Enrique, Mac, Colton stable of quality names…

[Warehouse]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

How do you know this stuff?  

Postings by players and academies on Instagram.  Ervin goes by Abra on social media.

[Warehouse]

Here is VIP Academy’s post congratulating Ervin on his Orioles deal in July 2022.

[BohKnowsBmore]

On 11/6/2023 at 7:34 PM, Can_of_corn said:

What's a high hit rate?

I'd sure like Ethan Salas, or Jasson Dominguez. 

The reason more 200K guys hit might be that we have a lot more of 200K guys.

I think the smart move is to adjust the strategy year to year.  If you get a in on a high end guy you shouldn't be afraid to take a risk.

This reminds me of an article a while back (maybe Sports Illustrated) that made a point about college recruiting rankings not really mattering because in the first round of the NFL draft, there were a similar number of guys who were 3-stars as 5-stars coming out of HS.

[Rbiggs2525]

Exciting times. The reports on these guys are hard to find. It’s nice to get some information by November next year from Tony sources. 3 shortstops and a centerfielder to head the class.

[Frobby]

10 hours ago, Rbiggs2525 said:

Exciting times. The reports on these guys are hard to find. It’s nice to get some information by November next year from Tony sources. 3 shortstops and a centerfielder to head the class.

Usually Koby Perez will toss us a few bones on signing day and make a few media appearances shortly afterwards.  

[Warehouse]

Outfielders Argenis Valdez and Angel Gabriel (who looks enormous)

[Warehouse]

Infielders Emilio Sanchez and Saul Gomez

[Warehouse]

Elvin Garcia, Jemone Jones, and Emilio Sanchez