International Free Agency Thread, 1/15/2025 Class

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA noted 12 of the top IFAs for next year’s class: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-international-prospects-preview-12-players-to-watch/

The Cubs are linked to one:

[Tim]

All I ask for is some combination of Oneil Cruz and Elly de la Cruz

[Tim]

I'm being obtuse...

We already got our Oneil Cruz with Fernando.

This is definitely our Elly.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Knowing the Cubs luck, Cruz will be the next Ed Rogers.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Pipeline no longer mentions the team each prospect is linked to so I don't know if any of the others are linked to the Cubs. Wilfri de la Cruz is ranked 12th:

Quote

Wilfri De La Cruz SS/3B

AGE 17

BATS S

DOB 09/15/2007

THROWS R

HT 6' 2"

WT 170

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

When Julian Javier debuted for the Cardinals in 1960, he became the first big leaguer to have been born in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. Nineteen others have followed suit (including his son, Stan), with De La Cruz the next promising prospect to emerge from the “Land of Cacao.” A projectable 6-foot-2 frame has many evaluators believing De La Cruz, who trains with Jose Sanchez in his home city, is gifted with one of the higher all-around upsides in his class.

What stands out most in the box about De La Cruz is how loose and easy his swing looks from both sides. He currently focuses on line-drive contact, but as he gets into the pro ranks and begins to focus on launching the ball, particularly to his pull side, scouts see him being a significant extra-base hit contributor. There is some pop in there now that he derives from having a bit of an upswing at times, while his physicality also helps him compensate against less polished pitching.

De La Cruz currently works up the middle as a shortstop due to his slick fielding repertoire, which includes plus actions and premium footwork. He has quick, soft hands and the better-than-average arm strength to go along with it, making for an exciting package at the six. Some evaluators feel he will eventually outgrow the spot physically, which would enable him to shift to the hot corner, where his arm strength would make him a viable candidate.

Video scouting report » https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-wilfri-de-la-cruz-ss-3b

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The Cubs are expected to sign two top-30 bonuses (BA ranks IFAs by bonus amount):

9. Wilfri de la Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic
22. Juan Cabada, SS, Dominican Republic

Pedro Strop’s son is signing with St Louis.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

On 9/24/2024 at 2:24 PM, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Pipeline no longer mentions the team each prospect is linked to so I don't know if any of the others are linked to the Cubs. Wilfri de la Cruz is ranked 12th:

Video scouting report » https://www.mlb.com/video/top-int-l-prospects-wilfri-de-la-cruz-ss-3b

Pipeline has Cabada 9 in this writeup, ahead of de La Cruz at 12. (Piepline ranks by prospect’s future ability, unlike BA.)

Pipeline is free so let me post their writeup:

Quote

AGE

16

BATS

L

DOB

04/30/2008

THROWS

R

HT

5' 11"

WT

165

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

MVP Baseball Academy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has churned out a plethora of talent year after year. Cabada, who trains with Miguel Batista, is the standout performer from this year’s group, having long been on the prospect radar, with ample video of him as a youngster widely available. Evaluators are impressed by his dedication to the game and commitment to improvement in all facets.

Cabada sports a left-handed swing with significant bat speed that enables him to pepper a variety of offerings to all parts of the field. He starts from a slightly open stance before closing off with his front foot, and when the timing is right, he can really drive the ball. At present, it’s primarily doubles power, but that should continue to blossom as he fills out. 

An above-average runner who has powerful legs on his developing frame, Cabada is a threat on the basepaths as well as a smooth-moving defender up the middle. He has the arm strength to match, which portends for him seeing time at shortstop as he enters a farm system. There is legitimate five-tool talent present for Cabada, who could be a quick mover if his bat makes an immediate impact.

Video scouting report: https://www.mlb.com/video/top-international-prospects-juan-cabada-ss-3b

[CubinNY]

Question: If you could transport these guys to the USA (please don't come at me, Trump) and put them in Southern California, would they be standouts? 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

8 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Question: If you could transport these guys to the USA (please don't come at me, Trump) and put them in Southern California, would they be standouts? 

The problem is they’re 15-16 now and we only ever universally know a very few prep guys at that age so it’s so tough to truly compare.

For example, Moisés Ballesteros is at AAA and would be draft eligible college aged in the 2025 draft.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

23 hours ago, TomtheBombadil said:

North Side Bound mentioned BA has Cabada in their top 10

No, they have him at 22: https://t.co/oEQ8uGBdtk

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA just had a new update and their 34th ranked IFA prospect - Juan Tomas, SS, Dominican Republic - has flipped from the Marlins to the Cubs due to the staffing changes in the Marlins international scouting department. BA also has him designated as a "trending up" player who has generated more positive buzz than his bonus might indicate. MLB Pipeline doesn't have Tomas ranked in their top 50.

Incidentally, BA has dropped every IFA's prospect ranking down 1 after adding Rōki Sasaki at 1 so Wilfri de la Cruz is now 10th. Juan Cabada actually fell two spots to 24th due to the addition of Japanese SS/RHP Shotaro Morii to the rankings at 23 (he's going to the A's).

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Quote

32-SS Wilfri De La Cruz (Dominican Republic) Chicago Cubs ($2,300,000)

DOB: 09/15/2007 (17) / H: 6-3 / W: 175 / B: S/ T: R/

De La Cruz is another exceptional athlete in the 2024-25 international class, with incredible physical power and solid tools like hitting and arm strength, both close to 60 on the 20-80 scale. The Cubs have once again spread their international budget across three big signings over a million, with Wilfri De La Cruz, Juan Cabada, and Juan Thomas. Several scouts envision him beginning his career as a shortstop, with a natural progression to third base as his journey unfolds. De La Cruz combines refined plate discipline with fluid arm extension and exceptional coordination, resulting in powerful, impactful swings. His instincts for the game are extraordinary, and his untapped potential suggests a ceiling that remains remarkably high.

33-SS/3B Juan Thomas (Dominican Republic) Chicago Cubs ($1,100,000)

DOB: 11/28/2007 (17) / H: 6-3 / W: 180 / B: S/ T: R/

Thomas originally had a pre-agreement with the Miami Marlins for approximately $950,000. However, after some shifts in their international department, they decided to move in a different direction, opening the door for the Chicago Cubs. As a switch-hitter with impressive speed and power to all fields, Thomas brings a rare explosiveness to shortstop and third base, complemented by an above-average arm. A dynamic and well-rounded talent, he seems poised to leave his mark on an MLB system sooner rather than later.

 

 

[Bertz]

So we're going to be able to back into who's still legitimately in the Sasaki sweepstakes by who doesn't post a bunch of kid signing pics on 1/15 right?

[JunkyardWalrus]

6 minutes ago, Bertz said:

So we're going to be able to back into who's still legitimately in the Sasaki sweepstakes by who doesn't post a bunch of kid signing pics on 1/15 right?

Gotta have something to look forward to

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

So we're going to be able to back into who's still legitimately in the Sasaki sweepstakes by who doesn't post a bunch of kid signing pics on 1/15 right?

Sasaki has to sign by 1/22 or 1/23 so I bet any team that thinks it has a chance will wait the extra week before formally signing their big time IFAs.

[Regular Show]

Quote

On 1/3/2025 at 2:18 PM, CaliforniaRaisin said:

On 1/3/2025 at 12:36 PM, Bertz said:

So we're going to be able to back into who's still legitimately in the Sasaki sweepstakes by who doesn't post a bunch of kid signing pics on 1/15 right?

Sasaki has to sign by 1/22 or 1/23 so I bet any team that thinks it has a chance will wait the extra week before formally signing their big time IFAs.

 

 

Additionally, it might be possible to sign your IFAs (or have them take a reduced amount) and sign Sasaki. We don't know how much he is looking for, but if he obviously cared about making the most money possible then he would've waited to come over and join MLB (like Yoshinobu Yamamoto). 

Remember, Shohei Ohtani only got a bonus of $2.3M from the Angels. 

I believe MLB teams can trade for additional money for their IFA pools (up to 50%). You would have to trade a premium prospect(s) and other teams would try to extract quite a bit knowing that you need that additional slot pool money to sign Sasaki. But it is possible to sign Sasaki and your high-end IFAs, assuming it doesn't require $4-5M as the signing bonus. Sasaki will obviously make plenty of money off the field like Ohtani so the initial amount to sign isn't too big a deal. 

 

 

[JBears79]

On 1/3/2025 at 1:18 PM, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Sasaki has to sign by 1/22 or 1/23 so I bet any team that thinks it has a chance will wait the extra week before formally signing their big time IFAs.

I read a report somewhere that Sasaki will make his decision on the 20th. He has to sign by the 23rd as you stated.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CubinNY]

Good class.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs signings per Francys Romero and Baseball America:

SS Wilfri de la Cruz, Dominican Republic - $2.3 million
SS Juan Cabada, Dominican Republic - $1.5 million
IF Juan Thomas, Dominican Republic- $1.1 million
SS Jaims Martínez, Cuba - $900,000
SS Luis Santos, Dominican Republic - $135,000
OF Julio Acosta, Dominican Republic - $124,000
RHP Erick Hernández, Venezuela - $75,000
IF Luis Abreu, Dominican Republic - $60,000
SS Elerick Gómez, Venezuela - $60,000
IF Alexander Herrera, Venezuela - $30,000
OF Freiker Betancourt, Venezuela - $25,000
OF Luis Sánchez, Venezuela - $20,000
RHP Tadeo Gámez, Mexico

Current pool is $6,261,600 so either some of these signings aren't official or the Cubs are going to need to trade for pool space.

[allen6510w]

... presumably the same Tadeo who debuted in the Mexican league last summer as a 15 year old ... 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, allen6510w said:

... presumably the same Tadeo who debuted in the Mexican league last summer as a 15 year old ... 

He's listed at 6' on MiLB.com and BA said he is 5'10" but age matches up so I think you're right.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

None of the Cubs signings are official. 

I wonder if a pool space trade is in the works. Obviously they're currently over their pool space so something needs to give. I wonder if they'd let one of their top IFAs go and trade pool space to the Sasaki winner for a good prospect.

[Post Count Padder]

11 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

None of the Cubs signings are official. 

I wonder if a pool space trade is in the works. Obviously they're currently over their pool space so something needs to give. I wonder if they'd let one of their top IFAs go and trade pool space to the Sasaki winner for a good prospect.

I wouldn't be against the latter option. There have been a few pool space trades today already. Imagine we'll see more.