2017 International Signing Thread

[LouisEly]

Baseball America is also reporting the Brewers signing:

 

Luis Valderrama, c, Venezuela

Davison Gonzalez, lhp, Venezuela

Juan Frias, of, Dominican Republic

 

I guess we won't know how much those first two signed for.

 

[sarcasm]Even though they are OFs[/sarcasm], I like the Ernesto and Rodriguez signings. Ernesto is 6'2", 175 - that's pretty good for being only 16. Switch hitter but better from the left side.

[JDBrewCrew]

Updated list per MLB

Larry Ernesto, OF, Dominican Republic, $1,700,000 -- No. 14 on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 list

Carlos Rodriguez, OF, Venezuela, $1,355,000 -- No. 28 on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 list

Jeicor Cristian, OF, Dominican Republic, $340,000

Andres Melendez, C, Venezuela, $325,000

Francis Casado, OF, Dominican Republic, $300,000

Daniel Castillo, SS, Venezuela, $140,000

Alwinson Valdez, OF, Dominican Republic, $80,000

Alberis Perez, SS, Dominican Republic, $60,000

Juan Frias, OF, Dominican Republic, $50,000

Jose Arteaga, SS, Venezuela, $20,000

Leoner Colina, RHP, Venezuela, $15,000

Cristiam Sierra, RHP, Dominican Republic, $10,000

Davison Gonzalez, LHS, Venezuela, $10,000

Luis Valderrama, C, Venezuela, $10,000

[Eye Black]

The Brewers have once again acquired International signing bonus slots from the Orioles, this time for the current signing period. Per MLB Trade Rumors the Brewers have acquired multiple slots from the Orioles in exchange for RHP Aaron Myers.

 

The Brewers have also signed Vitor Watanabe a player out of Brazil who it appears will be joining one of the Brewers DSL teams.

 

A few links regarding Watanabe...

 

Tweets with photos of the signing (Tweet Link #1 and Tweet Link #2)

 

Also, below is a recent article on Watanabe that was translated using Google Translate.

 

Vitor Watanabe to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers

 

http://www.theplayoffs.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vitor-watanabe-mlb-768x576.jpg

 

Vitor Watanabe will be reinforcing Milwaukee Brewers plus a young Brazilian player is close to closing with a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. Marília pitcher Vitor Watanabe has advanced talks with the Milwaukee Brewers and is expected to sign a seven-year franchise agreement. The official signing of the tie is scheduled to take place this Friday (07), in a hotel in São Paulo, with the presence of Luiz Perez, a member of the scout team of the specialized franchise in Latin America.

 

The agreement would be the fourth confirmed of Brazilians in this first week of the window of international signings hiring that turn 16 years in 2017, initiated last Sunday. Before Watanabe, Heitor Tokar and Victor Coutinho signed for seven years with the Houston Astros. Already Eric Pardinho has signed his business for six years and $ 1.4 million ($ 4.6 million) with the Toronto Blue Jays.

 

Like Pardinho, Watanabe's negotiation was carried out through an agent. Previously treated through family members, brokerage through a professional is becoming popular among Brazilian prospects.

 

The pitcher is expected to travel next Sunday (09) to the Dominican Republic, where he will join the new team. In fact, he has already undergone medical examinations by the Milwaukee Technical Commission and there is the possibility to play this year in the minor leagues.

 

Watanabe would be the fifth member of the MLB Academy to transfer to US baseball this year, the fourth only in the current window. The representatives of the North American league in the Country project the negotiation of up to seven players in this cycle of hiring.

 

In May of this year, in negotiation still valid through the previous window, the pitcher Christian Rummel Pedrol had already closed with the Seattle Mariners. In the Dominican Republic just under two months ago, he is already training with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) team and only waiting for the agreement to finally play.

[82brewcrew82]

So it looks like the may have something close to another million with the slots they aquired. Sever top 50 players look to be unsigned according to BA. Are they going after one more big fish, so to speak?

[Austin Tatious]

This is encouraging and bodes well for us IMO. I think we are starting to really turn around our Latin American presence. It starts at the relationship level with the handlers and you couple that with a more fair and equitable system in the money allotment allocated to the franchises.

 

The last couple of years, we've landed some real talent with potential: Abreu, Carmona, Ernesto, Melendez, Martinez, Rodriguez et al. One of these years we may convert a top 1 or 2 guy internationally because one of our relationships will come through that way. We are on that path IMO, but regardless, there are a number of kids we've picked up who could really emerge. The process is really kicking into gear now (notwithstanding Arcia and W. Peralta, who were too few and far between) as those of us on this website can see, but in 2-3 years the more casual fans may be pleasantly surprised by our top ten prospect list having 3-4 of these guys up there. Teams like the Yankees, Bosox, Rangers and others have exploited that in the past, and just maybe we can close that gap. You have to cultivate the relationships with the right folks, and we are seeing that in the DR and Venezuela.

[Jenkins5]

The one area we have really to seem to lack in signing for international prospects is pitching. Not to many arms have been coming in and making it stateside or seen much success. Most of our international arms have all been acquired in trades. Hopefully we are able to bring in some bring in some big arms in the next year or two as we have with the bats. Right now Vassalotti seems to be our diamond right now.

[Austin Tatious]

I’d also like us to hop on some top young international catchers. They are tough to find anywhere as it is. We have a few nice catching prospects but we could use more high level talent there.

[JDBrewCrew]

On the Brewers transaction page, they announced the signings of the following three pitchers.

 

Joandris Tolentino, P B/T: L/L 6' 1" /201 Age: 18, Born: 11/21/1999 in Bayaguana, Dominican Republic

 

Alexis Ramirez, P B/T: R/R6' 2" /170 Age: 18, Born: 7/20/1999 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

 

Claudio Mota, P B/T: R/R6' 3" /194 Age: 20, Born: 7/19/1997 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

[JDBrewCrew]

Notes for BA's Review of the 2017 Signing Class for the Brewers. Posting since its free. Link also below.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/international-reviews-milwaukee-brewers-2017/

 

Total 2017 Signings: 38.

 

Top 2017-18 signing: OF Larry Ernesto, Dominican Republic, $1.7 million.

 

Milwaukee’s biggest bonus last year went to Larry Ernesto, an athletic outfielder from the Dominican Republic who signed for $1.7 million on July 2. Ernesto stood out for an exciting blend of athleticism, speed and a lean, sleek frame (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) with high physical upside. As an amateur, Ernesto showed 70 speed in the 60-yard dash, running it as fast as 6.4 seconds.

 

Ernesto is an explosive athlete, though many clubs considered his baseball skills to still be raw for a 17-year-old. The Brewers saw a player who took quality at-bats and a knack for barreling the ball in games, but other clubs felt Ernesto lacked natural rhythm and timing at the plate, leading to a higher swing-and-miss rate. He had trouble keeping his head locked in during his swing, leading to struggles with pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline with both fastballs and breaking pitches. Ernesto is a switch-hitter who’s more advanced from the left side, with solid raw power for his age. Ernesto moves well in a straight line but not as well laterally, and his reads, routes and overall outfield instincts are still rudimentary. The Brewers were pleased with the progress he has made defensively since signing, though other clubs saw risk he could end up in a corner, possibly left field with a below-average arm. Ernesto trained with Niche.

 

Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Rodriguez signed for $1.355 million, and several scouts preferred him to Ernesto. Rodriguez (5-foot-10, 155 pounds) can’t match Ernesto’s size and athleticism, but he was one of the top hitters and most polished all-around players in the 2017 class.

 

Rodriguez, a 17-year-old represented by Felix Olivo, has a strong track record of hitting well in games as an amateur. Even though he loads his hands deep, to the point of barring his arm, Rodriguez demonstrated excellent bat control, putting the ball in play at a high rate with a slight uppercut and hitting line drives to all fields. With a solid grasp of the strike zone, Rodriguez’s offensive game will center around his ability to get on base. He has a slender build that lacks strength, so it’s unlikely he ever grows into much power.

 

Rodriguez is an average runner who some scouts think could get faster once he gains strength. While Rodriguez’s present speed isn’t ideal for center field, he earns high marks for his defensive instincts. He looks natural in the outfield, where he reads the ball well off the bat, takes clean routes and doesn’t make many mistakes. His arm is below-average. Both Rodriguez and Ernesto are scheduled to debut in the Dominican Summer League.

 

Dominican outfielder Jeicor Cristian, 16, signed with the Brewers for $340,000 on July 2 after training with Fifo and Jaime Ramos. Cristian’s tall, lean frame (6-foot-3, 170 pounds) screams projection. Cristian has a lot of physical upside and should grow into significant lefthanded power, though his feel for hitting is still crude. An average runner, Cristian could rotate around all three outfield spots early in his career, but he’s probably best suited for a corner.

 

Venezuelan catcher Andres Melendez, 17, signed with the Brewers for $325,000 on July 2. Melendez was advanced enough that the Brewers brought him to Arizona for instructional league last fall, where he made a strong impression for his catch-and-throw skills, arm strength and especially his athleticism behind the plate. While Melendez’s defense is what stood out as an amateur, he has shown promising early signs from the right side of the plate as well, putting the ball in play at a high clip with line drives to all fields. He trained with Yerson Arguirre.

 

Francis Casado, a 17-year-old Dominican outfielder, signed for $300,000 on July 2. He has some similarities to Cristian, with a lot of physical projection to add strength to his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. The ball jumps off his bat well now from the right side in BP and he has a chance to hit for power, although he will need to improve his strike-zone discipline and contact skills to get to his power in games. He’s an average runner who is athletic enough to have a chance to stay in center field.

 

The Brewers signed Venezuelan shortstop Daniel Castillo, a 17-year-old who trained with Carlos Guillen, for $140,000 on July 2. An instinctive player, Castillo is 5-foot-11, 155 pounds and projects as a true shortstop. He’s an average runner with good actions, soft hands and good range to both sides. Castillo has a strong arm and the ability to make sharp throws from different angles, with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. At the plate, Castillo doesn’t have much power right now, but he’s a switch-hitter who can spray the ball to all fields.

 

Another Venezuelan catcher, Jesus Chirinos, signed with the Brewers for $130,000 at the end of July shortly after his 16th birthday. He’s a bulky 6 feet, 195 pounds and had been training as an outfielder but moved behind the plate just before signing. Chirinos still has a lot to learn behind the plate, but he’s athletic for his size with a solid-average arm. He has shown a solid bat and power potential for a catcher his age. Chirinos trained with Douglas Aguiar and Jesus Barbosa.

 

Toward the end of the 2016-17 signing period in May, the Brewers also gave $800,000 to Cuban first baseman Ernesto Martinez, who hit .232/.383/.368 with three home runs, 36 walks and 50 strikeouts in 196 plate appearances in the DSL. Martinez, 18, is an enormous lefty at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds with above-average power, but his swing is long, which leads to a lot of holes. He’s remarkably flexible for a big man and he does have a strong arm. He has a pitching background as well, having run his fastball up to 92 mph, and some scouts preferred him on the mound, which could be a fallback option for him down the road.

[Mass Haas]

Rodriguez, a 17-year-old represented by Felix Olivo, has a strong track record of hitting well in games as an amateur. Even though he loads his hands deep, to the point of barring his arm, Rodriguez demonstrated excellent bat control, putting the ball in play at a high rate with a slight uppercut and hitting line drives to all fields. With a solid grasp of the strike zone, Rodriguez’s offensive game will center around his ability to get on base. He has a slender build that lacks strength, so it’s unlikely he ever grows into much power.

 

Rodriguez is an average runner who some scouts think could get faster once he gains strength. While Rodriguez’s present speed isn’t ideal for center field, he earns high marks for his defensive instincts. He looks natural in the outfield, where he reads the ball well off the bat, takes clean routes and doesn’t make many mistakes. His arm is below-average. Rodriguez is scheduled to debut in the Dominican Summer League.

 

***

 

VIDEO

[nate82]

Rodriguez, a 17-year-old represented by Felix Olivo, has a strong track record of hitting well in games as an amateur. Even though he loads his hands deep, to the point of barring his arm, Rodriguez demonstrated excellent bat control, putting the ball in play at a high rate with a slight uppercut and hitting line drives to all fields. With a solid grasp of the strike zone, Rodriguez’s offensive game will center around his ability to get on base. He has a slender build that lacks strength, so it’s unlikely he ever grows into much power.

 

Rodriguez is an average runner who some scouts think could get faster once he gains strength. While Rodriguez’s present speed isn’t ideal for center field, he earns high marks for his defensive instincts. He looks natural in the outfield, where he reads the ball well off the bat, takes clean routes and doesn’t make many mistakes. His arm is below-average. Rodriguez is scheduled to debut in the Dominican Summer League.

 

***

 

VIDEO

 

Are we sure he is 17? He looks a lot younger than 17 more along the lines of 13 or 15-years old.

[Eye Black]

Venezuelan catcher Andres Melendez, 17, signed with the Brewers for $325,000 on July 2. Melendez was advanced enough that the Brewers brought him to Arizona for instructional league last fall, where he made a strong impression for his catch-and-throw skills, arm strength and especially his athleticism behind the plate. While Melendez’s defense is what stood out as an amateur, he has shown promising early signs from the right side of the plate as well, putting the ball in play at a high clip with line drives to all fields. He trained with Yerson Arguirre.

Meant to mention this last month, but Baseball America’s May issue listed nine players that weren’t highly ranked International players at the time of their signings last summer, but are “trending in the right direction” and considered sleeper prospects that could make a big impact. Included in that list compiled by Ben Badler was catcher Andres Melendez.