International Free Agency Thread, 1/15/2023 Class

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The top prospects per FG::

 

CF Brandon Mayea, Cuba - Yankees - 45+ FV

C Ethan Salas, Venezuela - Padres - 45+ FV

SS Felenin Celestine, Dominican Republic - Mariners - 45 FV

SS Hendry Chivilli, Dominican Republic - Twins - 45 FV

SS Fernando Cruz, Dominican Republic - Cubs - might be class of 2024 - 45 FV

RF Emmanuel Bonilla, Dominican Republic - Blue Jays - 40 FV

2B Welbyn Francisca, Dominican Republic - Guardians - 40 FV

C Alfredo Duno, Venezuela - Reds - 40 FV

SS Jesús Starlyn Caba, Venezuela - Phillies - 40 FV

 

I assume this kid will wait for the 2023 class:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

Derniche Valdez, SS, Dominican Republic

Team: Cubs

 

Valdez drew a lot of praise from scouts for his mix of athleticism and hitting ability at a premium position. He has good hand speed with a fast, whippy swing to barrel good fastballs and feel for the strike zone that has led to good game performance with gap power that's trending up as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame. He moves around well at shortstop as well with the ability to stick at the position, with a bonus in the $2.5 to $3 million range.

[Bertz]

I don't sub to BA anymore, so did Badler not list Fernando Cruz at all (essentially confirming he's a 2024 guy), or did he link him to another team?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I don't sub to BA anymore, so did Badler not list Fernando Cruz at all (essentially confirming he's a 2024 guy), or did he link him to another team?

 

Not listed at all. Between two articles, Badler has now mentioned 14 up-the-middle players who will sign for 7-figures, so I think it’s a good sign Cruz is a 2024 kid.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

BA ranked the top 20 IFAs for 1/15/23 by bonus. No sign of Fernando Cruz in this list so I think we can safely assume he’s a 2024 kid. The Cubs have 2 in the top 20 and are the only team with 2 kids in this top 20:

 

11 Cubs Derniche Valdez Dominican Republic SS

Notes:

Born: March 29, 2006. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 165. B-T: R-R.

 

Valdez has quick-twitch actions that show up in the batter's box, where he has fast hands to snap the barrel through the zone with good bat speed. His swing comes through the zone well with a good bat path, which along with his bat speed helps him square up high-end velocity. Scouts highest on Valdez thought he had a good eye and showed the ability to square up breaking stuff, though others thought he would need to become a more selective hitter. He uses the whole field and has surprising impact for his lean, wiry frame thanks to his bat speed, driving balls out of the park in games with more power projection remaining. A plus runner with a plus arm, Valdez also has the bouncy athleticism and tools to be able to handle shortstop.

 

20 Cubs Ludwing Espinoza Venezuela SS

Notes:

Born: Dec. 10, 2005. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 178. B-T: B-R.

 

The Cubs have several siblings in their system with the Hernandez brothers (Cristian and Alexis Hernandez), the Morels (Christopher and Rafael) and the Altuves (Brayan and Carlos) They are set to add another player with family ties to the system in Ludwing Espinoza, whose older brother Leonel is a Venezuelan shortstop the Cubs signed after the 2020 season who spent 2021 in the Dominican Summer League. Ludwing does a bit of everything well with good all-around instincts for the game. He has a sound swing, a mature approach and good bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate with gap power, showing a little more juice from the left side. A plus runner, Espinoza has a chance to stick at shortstop, though he could end up at second base. He has good hands, at least an average arm and is a savvy, fundamentally sound player who reads hops well and shows a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

Pipeline ranks their players by who they think are the best prospects rather than bonus amounts (how BA does it). The Cubs have three in the top 20 including the 6th best prospect in the class:

 

6. Derniche Valdez

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

 

Valdez improved his overall game in the past year and has emerged as one of the top middle infielders in the class because of it. He will sign as a shortstop and will stay at the position for the foreseeable future because of his tools and abilities. Specifically, scouts praise his soft hands and footwork. He also shows good instincts and plus arm potential with natural field presence.

 

He’s best known as a prospect with tons of upside on the offensive side. Valdez projects to be a middle-of-the-order hitter and run producer if he continues to develop and mature physically at a normal pace. He already shows the ability to hit hard line drives to all fields and drive the ball out of the ballpark to all fields. He shows a solid approach at the plate and a feel for the strike zone.

 

Valdez projects to be an average runner and has been praised for his makeup. He trains with Franklin Taveras in the Dominican Republic. The Cubs are the favorite to sign him.

15. Ludwig Espinoza

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

 

Make no mistake, Espinoza is what a teenage shortstop looks like at this age.

 

While he might not be as physically imposing as some of the other prospects, it’s his overall offensive and defensive package that makes him one of the most appealing prospects on the international market.

 

For now, he projects to be an above average hitter who will have average power. He is expected to hit near the top of the lineup – very likely in the No. 1 spot – because of his ability to put the ball in play and drive the ball into the gaps. He’s expected to have average power.

 

A smart player, Espinoza could be a potential base-stealer and is the type of player that makes things happen on both sides of the ball. He projects to be an above-average defender.

 

Espinoza trains with Carlos Yanez. The Cubs are the favorite to sign him. Yanez is a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

19. Angel Cepeda (a new name)

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

 

The team that signs Cepeda will have a lot to think about when he shows up for the first day at the academy. He can play shortstop, second base and third. He’s also athletic enough to play center field. Wherever he ends up playing, he’s also very likely going to make an impact when he’s in the batter’s box.

 

Cepeda is very polished on both sides of the ball for a player his age and can flat out hit. He’s shown an above-average hit tool and has the potential to hit in the middle of a lineup. In addition to his game play in the Dominican Republic, he has experience with travel baseball and the showcase circuit in the United States.

 

His offensive prowess might be ahead of his defense at the moment, but his versatility and athleticism will keep him on the field. He has been praised for his makeup and baseball IQ.

 

Cepeda trains with Marcelo Bermudez. The Cubs are the favorite to sign him. Bermudez is a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CubinNY]

Ludwig Espinoza

 

Great name or greatest name?

[Rex Buckingham]

The top prospects per FG::

 

SS Fernando Cruz, Dominican Republic - Cubs - might be class of 2024 - 45 FV

 

 

seems to be a 24 based on this tweet, that still has the Cubs as favorites to sign him

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The top prospects per FG::

 

SS Fernando Cruz, Dominican Republic - Cubs - might be class of 2024 - 45 FV

 

 

seems to be a 24 based on this tweet, that still has the Cubs as favorites to sign him

 

 

More on Cruz from Joe Doyle: https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/12/20/fernando-cruz-leodalis-leo-de-vries-and-jose-perdomo-highlight-mlbs-upcoming-2024-international-amateur-class

 

Cruz may be the most famous of the 2023-2024 international free agents, well-known in both private and public scouting circles going back to the early parts of 2020. The 5-foot-11-inch Dominican shortstop currently weighs in at 155 pounds but has seen a growth spurt of late, some scouts saying he’s closer to 6 feet these days. Cruz is a lean, wiry, “true” shortstop with significant athleticism and fluid actions in everything he does.

 

“Yeah, he’s probably the complete package in this class,” one AL international scouting director said. “If you’re doing a comparison, it’s a bit like Roderick Arias. Just balanced and complete. Nothing weak about his game. He does it all. And it’s polished already.”

 

An NL international scouting director agreed.

 

“If there was a draft and we had the No. 1 pick, he’d be the guy, no doubt,” he said. “He’s the consensus best player. And with the history of Dominican players and shooting up boards and the competition he’s seen, he’s the guy.”

 

For now, Cruz projects a hit-over-power bat with plus to double-plus contact skills and a willingness to take the baseball to all fields. He receives rave reviews for his approach and patience at the plate. Scouts like the power upside, though they admit it may never exceed solid average at peak. Cruz is already an above average runner with a strong throwing arm and firecracker actions with the hands and feet on the dirt.

 

A showcase standout since before his teenage days, Cruz is lauded in scouting circles for his consistency in front of crowds and against advanced competition. The looseness, ease and fluidity with which he operates has folks excited for how the player will mature as he adds strength and explosion.

 

The Cubs are the favorites to sign Cruz next January and he figures to command one of the biggest signing bonuses in the class.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Longenhagen scouting reports on 2023’s Valdez and Espinoza:

 

Full Report

While he's only of medium build, Valdez is one of the better infield athletes in the 2023 class, as is apparent in his infield feet and actions as well as the way his lower half works throughout his swing. While he's on the smaller side, Valdez does not get cheated at the plate and has a huge, flexible stride that coaxes more power than you'd expect from his little frame. He is quite like Rangers prospect Luisangel Acuña in this way.

 

Full Report

A glove-first utility type, Espinosa is a true shortstop with precocious feel to hit.

 

Less than a month before those two can sign.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

BA ranked the top 20 IFAs for 1/15/23 by bonus. No sign of Fernando Cruz in this list so I think we can safely assume he’s a 2024 kid. The Cubs have 2 in the top 20 and are the only team with 2 kids in this top 20:

 

11 Cubs Derniche Valdez Dominican Republic SS

Notes:

Born: March 29, 2006. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 165. B-T: R-R.

 

Valdez has quick-twitch actions that show up in the batter's box, where he has fast hands to snap the barrel through the zone with good bat speed. His swing comes through the zone well with a good bat path, which along with his bat speed helps him square up high-end velocity. Scouts highest on Valdez thought he had a good eye and showed the ability to square up breaking stuff, though others thought he would need to become a more selective hitter. He uses the whole field and has surprising impact for his lean, wiry frame thanks to his bat speed, driving balls out of the park in games with more power projection remaining. A plus runner with a plus arm, Valdez also has the bouncy athleticism and tools to be able to handle shortstop.

 

20 Cubs Ludwing Espinoza Venezuela SS

Notes:

Born: Dec. 10, 2005. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 178. B-T: B-R.

 

The Cubs have several siblings in their system with the Hernandez brothers (Cristian and Alexis Hernandez), the Morels (Christopher and Rafael) and the Altuves (Brayan and Carlos) They are set to add another player with family ties to the system in Ludwing Espinoza, whose older brother Leonel is a Venezuelan shortstop the Cubs signed after the 2020 season who spent 2021 in the Dominican Summer League. Ludwing does a bit of everything well with good all-around instincts for the game. He has a sound swing, a mature approach and good bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate with gap power, showing a little more juice from the left side. A plus runner, Espinoza has a chance to stick at shortstop, though he could end up at second base. He has good hands, at least an average arm and is a savvy, fundamentally sound player who reads hops well and shows a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

 

BA updated their list to 40 and ranked Angel Cepeda 36th. BA’s list is by bonus amounts so the Cubs will have the 11th, 20th and 36th biggest bonuses this class. Signing day is Sunday.

 

36 Angel Cepeda Dominican Republic SS

 

Born: Oct. 9, 2005. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. B-T: R-R.

 

Cepeda grew up in New Jersey and by the time he became a teenager was drawing recruiting interest from top college baseball programs. Instead, he moved to the Dominican Republic and will sign as an international free agent. Cepeda draws strong reviews from scouts for his hitting ability and all-around baseball savvy. He consistently strings together quality at-bats, working deep counts with a low swing-and-miss rate. Cepeda keeps his barrel in the zone for a long time with the bat speed and power to drive the ball over the fence in games and with impact to all fields. He's an above-average runner who a lot of scouts view as an offensive-minded second baseman. With his strong arm and high baseball IQ, he could be an intriguing catching conversion candidate, though he's expected to continue his development at shortstop.

 

Team: Cubs

[CaliforniaRaisin]

So the overall rankings:

 

BA: Valdez - 11, Espinoza - 20, Cepeda - 36

MLB Pipeline: Valdez - 6, Espinoza - 15, Cepeda - 19

Fangraphs: Valdez - 13, Espinoza - 28, Cepeda not ranked (rankings stop at 30)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The Cubs’ pool is $5,284,000 so they exhausted all but $84,000 this morning:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I’m interested in this Cepeda guy too. I can only think of a couple people who moved to circumvent the draft off the top, Lucius Fox and Alex Reyes (also a NJ guy), and both have seen the MLs. Probably takes some savvy and smart people around them giving good advice. Let’s just say with a ton of confidence Cepeda wouldn’t get $1 million through the draft (The Future!)

 

Candelario did it too

[CaliforniaRaisin]

More names:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://theathletic.com/4093657/2023/01/15/best-international-signings-mlb/

 

Angel Cepeda, one of Almeyda’s close friends, also signed a lucrative contract on Sunday. Another product of MB Academy, Cepeda reportedly received a $1 million bonus from the Cubs. Cepeda is a New Jersey transplant, too, but unlike Almeyda, he has spent most of his life in the Dominican Republic. He returned without his immediate family to the D.R. simply to train under the best coaches he could find. His trainers at MB Academy raved about his work ethic and his leadership ability. One was impressed with Cepeda’s present and future power and his strong defense up the middle, where he is a shortstop.

 

Cepeda honed some of his skills playing in the Dominican Republic’s Campesina league on the weekends. The league features few amateur players; the six teams are primarily composed of players with professional experience released from their major-league organizations. Teens who participate are basically essentially exposed to a High-A level of baseball at a young age.

 

Cepeda was ranked the 19th-best prospect available in this year’s class by MLB.com. The Cubs also agreed to sign shortstop Derniche Valdez (MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 prospect) and shortstop Ludwig Espinoza (No. 14). — Torres

 

[JeffH]

6'0", 115 lb?

 

Has he been diagnosed with AIDS while simultaneously being held as a prisoner of war?

[Thurman Merman]

6'0", 115 lb?

 

Has he been diagnosed with AIDS while simultaneously being held as a prisoner of war?

When I was 21 and training for a marathon, I got down to 135 as a 6 footer, and I was gaunt.

[chopsx9]

6'0", 115 lb?

 

Has he been diagnosed with AIDS while simultaneously being held as a prisoner of war?

When I was 21 and training for a marathon, I got down to 135 as a 6 footer, and I was gaunt.

 

I'm 6ft - the left half of my body weighs more than 115 lbs...of course I remain undrafted.

[Rex Buckingham]

I'm all in on Cepeda based solely on the open collar down like 3 buttons and the chain. If he has an MLB logo tat, I'm declaring him the next Javy

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Jordan Bastian wrote up the 2023 IFA class: https://www.mlb.com/news/cubs-international-prospect-signings-for-2023

 

Detailed notes in that link on some of the smaller names, such as RHP Juan Archibold (Colombia), RHP Eduardo Castillo (Panama), RHP Emannoel Madeira (Brazil) and LHP Santiago Payares (Colombia).

 

Also of note, Jordan has Ludwing Espinoza signing for $1 million while Jesse Sanchez had him at $1.5 million.

[CaliforniaRaisin]