On January 15, the Phillies commenced the international signing period by securing a notable addition to their roster. The team, led by MLB Pipeline’s Jesse Sanchez, finalized a $1.4 million deal with 17-year-old outfielder Jalvin Arias from the Dominican Republic.
According to information provided by Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies successfully negotiated agreements with a total of 21 players as reported on Baseball America’s international signing tracker. The list includes talents like Cesar Mujica (catcher, Venezuela), Julio Polanco Jr. (right-handed pitcher, Dominican Republic), Anderson Nava (catcher, Venezuela), Winifer Castillo (outfielder, Dominican Republic), Yadimir Fuentes (catcher, Cuba), Jorge Guzman (left-handed pitcher, Mexico), Mailerson Casanova (shortstop, Dominican Republic), Ibrahim Ruiz (outfielder, Venezuela), Josueth Quiñonez (outfielder, Venezuela), Jose Familia (shortstop, Dominican Republic), Cristobal Bena (shortstop, Dominican Republic), David Freitas (outfielder, Venezuela), and Rene Yrish (right-handed pitcher, Dominican Republic), among others.
The international signing period, extending until December 15, is open to players residing outside the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico, aged 16 or older at the time of signing and turning 17 or older by September 1 of the following year.
It’s noteworthy that the highest-paid prospect does not necessarily translate to the best player in the class. A case in point is the Phillies’ 2017-18 international signing class, where shortstop Luis Garcia, signed for $2.5 million, was overshadowed by Johan Rojas, who signed for a mere $10,000 a few months later. While Garcia was designated for assignment in September 2022, Rojas is now a leading candidate to be the team’s starting center fielder on Opening Day.
Despite having one of the lowest international bonus pools this year at $4,652,200, alongside the Yankees, Rangers, and Padres, the Phillies faced a challenge due to a one-million-dollar reduction from this year’s pool, attributed to the signing of qualified free agent Trea Turner in the previous offseason.
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