International Free Agents

It has been four years since that massive International Free Agent (IFA) class, that has turned out to be something other than successful. They signed 13 players for a total of $46,374,500 led by Yadier Alvarez ($16MM), Yusniel Diaz ($15MM), Omar Estevez ($6MM), Starling Heredia ($2.6MM), Yordan Alvarez ($2MM), and Ronny Brito ($2MM). Oneil Cruz was also in that class with a $950K bonus. Not only did those 13 players cost $46MM+, but it also cost $45.7MM overage tax as a penalty for exceeding their bonus pool of $700K. Before the period ended, the Dodgers also signed RHP Oscar Arzaga (released) for $300K, RHP Dalwyn Lantigua (released) for $300K, RHP Carlos Alejo for $300K, and LHP Jose Hernandez for $200K. Both Alejo and Hernandez are still with the Dodgers (AZL Mota), but Hernandez is on the 60 Day IL. One other potential gem in this class could be 19-year-old Dominican RHP Melvin Jimenez. Jimenez burst onto the scene in 2017 and made it to Great Lakes as a 17-year-old. He is now 19 and started the season at RC, but is now assigned to Ogden where he is becoming a full-time reliever. Jimenez has had a lot of disappointments the last two years, but he also has a gift in his right arm that will hopefully soon be harnessed. Jair Camargo, catcher with Great Lakes, Sauryn Lao, 1B with Great Lakes, and AZL 2B Aldo Espinoza were also signed in this period.

Not only did that class cost an absurd amount of money, but it also precluded them for signing any IFA for more than $300K for the next two years through the 2017-2018 signing period. For a team that does not have premium draft slots because of their recent record, they need to augment their US amateur draft with high potential international amateurs, and for two years that pool of amateurs was diminished because of their bonus cap. This is also at a time when teams are now making multi-million dollar deals with 14 year olds and their trainers, two full years before they can sign professionally. This is one reason why Baseball America stopped with a lot of international signing coverage before the July 2 date.

The 2015-2016 nightmare cost several members of the international scouting department their jobs, including vice president Bob Engle. Other high level department personnel purged included top Latin America scout, Patrick Guerrero, the Dodgers’ scouting coordinator in Latin America; Franklin Taveras, the club’s scouting coordinator in the Dominican Republic; Joseph Reaves, the director of international and Minor League relations; Rafael Colon, special advisor for international player performance; Hidenori Sueyoshi, senior manager of international scouting; and Bruce Hurst, Latin America field coordinator.

In their stead, AF pulled uber international scouting guru Ismael Cruz out of the Toronto Blue Jay organization. While with the Jays, Cruz was responsible for signing among others Vlad Jr., Franklin Barreto (A’s prized SS prospect), and relief pitcher Miguel Castro (now with Baltimore) for $43K. While with the Mets, Ismael was instrumental in signing Jeurys Familia, Juan Lagares, and Wilmer Flores. Cruz may indeed become one of the long-term benefits of bringing Alex Anthopoulos to LAD.

Take one look at the Dodgers MiLB rosters and you will quickly find that they are relying quite a bit on international free agents. They have two full DSL teams, and their AZL teams read more like DSL teams with a few US drafted players. With about 72 AZL players on their two rosters (including IL), 53 are international free agents. 12 of the 32 members of the Ogden roster, 11 members of Great Lakes roster, 6 from RC roster, 10 on Tulsa, and 6 on OKC roster, are IFA. You can find Ismael Cruz’s fingerprints up and down the Dodgers organization.

While still smarting from the 2015-2016 period, the Dodgers gave out only three 6 figure bonuses in the 2016-2017 signing period. They signed Dominican SS Albert Suarez for $300K, Dominican SS Luis Diaz for $130K, and Venezuelan RHP Aldry Acosta for $120K. All three are 19-year-olds still in the organization with AZL Dodgers (Mota). In all the Dodgers signed 34, but none more accomplished or advanced than Dominican RHP Edwin Uceta, now 21 and pitching for Tulsa. Uceta is also the #20 ranked prospect for LAD. Also signed late in this period is perhaps one of the most heralded LHP prospects in the Dodgers organization, Robinson Ortiz (Dodgers #24 prospect) who is pitching for Great Lakes. Other advanced pitchers from this period are RHP Gerardo Carrillo (#18 ranked Dodger prospect now at RC) and Edward Cuello Dominican RHP now pitching for Ogden. There are others still playing in AZL with this class, including 17-year-old CF Yunior Garcia (one of my favorites).

And while the 2016-2017 signing period was not filled with a lot of top talent, it has produced a couple of potential finds. The 2017-2018 signing period also had the penalties attached, but Ismael Cruz and his staff may have uncovered several more potential players that can gravitate to LAD or become trade pieces in larger packages. Amongst the 2017-2018 class are 3B/1B Miguel Vargas (RC), RHRP Guillermo Zuniga (Great Lakes), and power hitting 3B/OF Andy Pages (Ogden). There are several other members on the two AZL teams that came from this class.

Ismael Cruz had the bindings removed for 2018-2019, and he did not disappoint. Top rated catcher Diego Cartaya (Venezuela) is the headliner. Diego is one of the highest rated Dodger prospects and is playing in the US as a 17-year-old in AZL. Diego is joined in AZL with another member of this period, SS/2B/3B Alex De Jesus. The third member of this august group is RHP Jerming Rosario who is dominating in the DSL. All three of these players could become regulars with LAD. They are way too young to include as can’t miss, but they are all awfully good and all eyes should be on all three of them as they progress. Three other members of this period are also on the AZL squads. South Korean RHP, Hyun–il Choi (19), Taiwanese RHP Huei-Sheng Lin (20), and Yujo Kitagita (25) from Japan.

The 2019-2020 signing period has just begun, but Cruz seems to have hit on another fine group led by the top overall Venezuelan player, CF Luis Rodriguez. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the #4 overall international free agent talent. Here is a scouting report on young Luis Rodriguez.

Luis Rodriguez | Rank: 4
Hometown: Lara, Venezuela

Position: OF Age: 16 DOB: 9/16/2002 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6’2″ Weight: 175 lb.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60

Rodriguez is the best overall player from Venezuela in the class of 2019. He’s a pure hitter and natural athlete with solid baseball instincts across the board. He is also known for his physically projectable body and easy actions on defense and at the plate.

Rodriguez has sound approach in the batter’s box and has shown the ability to use all fields with consistent and hard contact. There’s a nice rhythm and balance to his swing and although he’s primarily a line drive hitter now, there have been flashes of power and it could increase as he develops. He has impressed scouts by performing well against pitchers throwing 93 mph to 95 mph during workouts and showcases.
Rodriguez is a quality defender in center field now and he makes all of the plays, but it’s uncertain if that’s where he will stay because he’s not a plus runner. He developed his game in the youth leagues of Venezuela and has a high baseball IQ.

One of the better pitchers in this class (4th overall and #3 from Venezuela) is RHP Kristian Cardoza. He is ranked #21 overall by MLB Pipeline. Here is a scouting report on Kristian.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curve: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Kristian Cardozo | Rank: 21
Hometown: Maracay, Venezuela

Position: RHP Age: 16 DOB: 11/10/2002 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6’1″ Weight: 175 lb.

First of all, Cardozo has the durable and athletic frame evaluators seek in starting pitcher prospects. He also features a lot more.

The young right-hander has an easy, repeatable delivery paired with a loose and under-control arm action. He has shown the ability to throw strikes and his mix of three quality pitches stands out for a player his age.

Cardozo’s fastball usually sits in the 90 mph range for multiple innings and he has been up to 92 mph with good command. More velocity could be on the way as he grows and his body develops. Cardozo’s curveball sits in the low 70s with depth and good tempo and his change hovers in the low 80s with some arm-side fade. Overall, his present pitch abilities and stuff combined with body projection has some scouts believing Cardozo has middle-of-the-rotation upside. He’s a competitor that also known for his good makeup. He’s confident on the mound.

The Dodgers signed yet another 16-year-old catcher from Venezuela, Yeiner Fernandez. Yeiner is perhaps best remembered as a flame throwing RHP on the 2015 LL World Series team for Venezuela. He is no longer a pitcher but instead a catcher with a tremendous arm. He is 5’10” 190 pounds.

Fernandez did not check in on the top 30 list for the MLB Pipeline rankings. Still, he figures to be a top-three to top-five (at the worst) catcher in the international free agent pool.

The International Free Agent market has often been described as a Wild Wild West Show, and it produces some exceptional talent. The latest of which is Vlad Guerrero Jr. We cannot project any of the Dodger free agents to climb to that level, but we cannot rule it out either. Some may turn out to be Vlad Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Yasiel Puig… while others will emulate Yadier Alvarez, Hector Olivares, and Yaisel Sierra. Forrest Gump said it best “International Free Agents are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well I did take a little editorial liberty, but you get the meaning.

DC’s Minor League Lowdown

DSL Dodgers Bautista and Shoemaker – All-Star Break

AZL Dodgers Mota 8 – AZL Reds 5

Two shutout innings by Mitchell Tyranski were sandwiched in between the start by Ryun-il Chio who gave up 3 runs and Michael Martinez who surrender 2.

Kody Hoese owned the first 2 innings with a home run in the first and a RBI single in the 2nd. A 3rd run scored in the 4th on a Jeremiah Vison bunt while 3 came across in the 8th on an Albert Suarez single and a 2-run error by the Reds. Luis Yanel Diaz homered in the 9th.

AZL Lasorda 5 – AZL Indians Blue 9

Max Gamboa, Igor Avila and Gabe Benavides combined to give up 9  runs spread quite evenly among them while Riley Ottesen, Nick Robertson and Juan Gonzalez all tossed a clean inning.

Offensively the Lasorda Dodgers scored all five runs without a RBI hit. A run in the 4th came in on a ground out while 4 in the 9th came across on a SF, 2 bases loaded walks and a WP.

Ogden Raptors 3 –  Idaho Falls Chukars  (Kansas City) 1

The Raptors got a good pitching performance in a rain shortened game. Jeronimo Castro pitched all 5 giving up just one run on 3 hits, with one walk and 6 strikeouts.

The runs scored on an Andrew Shaps single in the first inning and two came across in the 2nd on a botched play by the Chukars when a steal resulted in 2 throwing errors.

Great Lakes Loons 4  – Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis) 7

Teenager Robinson Ortiz started and breezed through 3 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. In the 4th he ran into trouble and left after walking in a run and the bases loaded. Mark Washington was tasked with getting the third out and didn’t do so walking in another run and then serving up a grand slam. Joel Inoa pitched the last 2 innings giving up one more run.

The Loons scored single runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings on a Leonel Valerie single, a James Outman triple and a Luke Heyer single. Heyer got an additional RBI with a ground out in the 9th.

Ranch Cucamonga Quakes  6 – Stockton Ports (Oakland) 4

Andre Jackson had another good start of 4 innings giving up one run on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts. Sven Schueller (1.2IP),Austin Drury (1 IP) and Brett de Gues (I.IP) all gave up a run.

The offense had a simple formula, Earl Weaver style. Niko Hulsozer hit a 3-run homer in the first inning and Donovan Casey followed with a 3-run shot in the 3rd.

Tulsa Drillers 5 – Northwest Arkansas Naturals ( Kansas City) 1

Edwin Uceta started for the Drillers and pitched 6 strong innings on 5 hits, one run and 9 strikeouts. Nolan Long followed Uceta with 2 scoreless innings and Andre Scrubb quickly finished the 9th with 2 strikeouts.

The Drillers scored in 4 of the first 7 innings. Cody Thomas (15) hit a solo home run in the 2nd, Christian Santana drove in 2 with a double in the 3rd, Carlos Rincon chased in one in the 6th with a double and Jared Walked homered in the 7th.

OKC Dodgers 2  – Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis) 3

In the first game of a double hitter Daniel Corcino pitched all 6 innings giving up 3 runs (1 earned) with one strikeout.

The Drillers 2 runs came on a Will Smith ground out in the 1st and a DJ Peters home run in the 7th. Peters had 2 hits in the game.

OKC Dodgers 8 – Memphis Red Birds (St. Louis) 5

The Dodgers took the second game of the double header using 6 pitchers. Caleb Ferguson(2 IP), Josh Sborz (0.2 IP), Jaime Schultz (1 IP)and Kevin Quackenbush (1 IP) combined for 4.2 scoreless innings. Shea Spitzbarth gave up 3 runs in 1.1 innings while Chris Nunn gave up 2 in his inning.

The offense exploded for 7 runs in the 2nd inning on RBI singles by Jon Kemmer and Connor, a 2-run single by Matt Beaty and a 3-run triple by Edwin Rios. Gavin Lux then homered in the 4th inning.