Today is the first day that this year's batch of international prospects are eligible to sign with MLB teams, and we've already seen a flurry of major signings.
The Royals kicked things off this morning by announcing that they signed 16-year-old outfielder Elier Hernandez for $3.05 million, which stood as the largest signing bonus ever given to an international amateur outfielder upon being announced. Hernandez is already physically developed and shows major bat speed from the right side- he gives the Royals another elite Latin hitting prospect to join Cheslor Cuthbert, who's thriving at Single-A right now.
Seattle has also announced a signing, as they've given right-hander Helsin Ramirez a $2 million bonus to join the Mariners. Ramirez, like Hernandez, is a right-handed hitting outfielder that offers major power potential, and he'll also be joining some vaunted Latin prospects in the Seattle organization, such as Guillermo Pimentel.
The Tigers also announced an agreement with Dominican third baseman Adelin Santa, giving the Santo Domingo native a $750,000 signing bonus. Santa isn't as highly regarded as Hernandez and Ramirez, but he offers two legitimately impressive tools in his raw power and arm strength, giving him the necessary of components of a star third baseman.