What used to be International Amateur Signing Day on July 2 is now International Amateur Signing Day on January 15, and the Dodgers have brought in some new prospects.
Each team has its own bonus pools through which they can ink talented kids from around the world who could one day play a Teoscar HernándezAn Andy PagesA Brusdar Grateroletc. This year the Dodgers have $6.679 million to play with, which is the largest bonus pool the club has received in the IFA bonus pool era (for a glossary and rules of this entire deal, click here).
Without further ado, here are some of the most notable signings:
OF Rubel Arias
Arias, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, is the headliner of the class and will receive a $997,500 signing bonus to put pen to paper for the Dodgers. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 178 pounds, Arias hits and throws from the left side, and he projects into a corner (probably left because his arm is average), and he has been praised for his hitting sense. He’s widely considered a potential hit-over-power at this point, though he certainly has room for mass on his skinny frame, and he should develop a bit of pop as he fills out:
Arias ranks 24th in the class of FanGraphwho gave him a grade of 40, which would put him somewhere between 19th and 35th in the loaded and touted Dodger farm system. He was also ranked 46th in the class at Baseball Americaand was not ranked by MLB Pipeline.
SS Ezequiel in Melbourne
Hailing from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Melburne (whose name also appears as Melbourne in some places, but I’m using the spelling of MLB Pipeline) signed for $747,500. He is a 16-year-old switch-hitting shortstop who stands a slender 6-foot-4 and weighs 170 pounds, and despite his size, he is expected to remain at the position due to his smooth athleticism and big arm. Like Arias, it’s currently a hit-over-power profile, though he’s showing pop that’s at least a whole grade better from the right side than the left:
Melburne was ranked 29th in the class at MLB Pipeline75th Op Baseball Americaand was not on the rankings FanGraph.
LHP Tom Apfelbaum
A left-hander originally from Cologne, Germany, Apfelbaum (whose last name means apple tree in German) is a tall and lanky guy at 6 feet tall and 190 pounds. It wasn’t until last April that he received more widespread notice, when he traveled to the Dominican Republic in an effort to train and improve his speed. Now 17, he tops out at 94, his changeup is considered his best secondary, and he also has a fringed slider, all coming from a low slot on the left arm that Chris Sales to think:
(No one is proverb he is Chris Sales(but just to be safe, hide the scissors and the V-neck sweaters)
SS Ariel Reynoso
Reynoso, another switch-hitting Dominican shortstop, has a more offensive profile. Reynoso, listed at 6-foot-1 and 174 pounds, appears to have since been ticketed to the Dodgers 2023 (assuming the date on that IG post is correct), so it appears the club has been high on the now 16-year-old for a while. He is ranked 86th Baseball America‘s class, noting that he shows extra base pop from both sides of the plate, though he could end up at second base down the stretch.
AS Jose Victorino
Although Victorino is trained as a shortstop, he’s listed as just an infielder, likely due to his size – he’s 6-foot-4 (no weight listed yet, but he’s skinny), and it already looks like he might have to slide to the hot corner where he can make good use of his plus arm and plays. There’s a lot of physical projection and power potential, and he was ranked 92nd Baseball America.
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In addition to the five notables above, the Dodgers also signed:
- LHP Miguel HerreraVenezuela
- BY Jose RequenaVenezuela
- RHP Luis RicardoDominican Republic
- c Oliver ChapmanDominican Republic
- BY Helvin MendozaVenezuela
- RHP Anderson CariasVenezuela
- c Haram HernándezVenezuela
That list will certainly grow as the day, month and year progresses, but here’s where things stand right now.
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IFA classes are virtually impossible to estimate at this point – as noted with Reynoso above, these kids often agree to deals from the age of 13, so it could be a full decade from agreement to discovering whether someone has even a remote chance of making an impact at the big club. But it does happen. Pages made a World Series-saving catch seven and a half years after signing. Has anyone done that? know what would happen when he hit dingers in the Pioneer League for the Ogden Raptors? No. But he dreamed about it on those long bus rides, and so did these kids. A million kilometers away, but still taking the first step. Congratulations to them all, and good luck to them.
#Rubel #Arias #Ezequiel #Melburne #Highlight #Dodgers #IFA #Acquisitions #Dodgers #Digest