Mike Salas
On January 15, 2024, marked the opening of MLB’s 2024 international signing period. There are two ways teams sign minor league players. First is the MLB draft, this is for players born in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Second are players who are not from previously mentioned locations fall into international free agency.
About 30% of the current MLB players were originally signed as international free agents, including Shohei Ohtani. Some teams like the Dodgers usually pick late in the draft and use international free agency to add high-end prospects to the farm system.
International free agency remains free agency because MLB and the MLB Players Association did not agree to an international draft in 2022. MLB has been wanting an international draft for years, but the union has resisted because it would hinder players the freedom to pick their team and limit their earning potential. The league recently offered to eliminate the qualifying offer system in exchange for an international draft, but MLBPA declined the offer. The current international free agency system is valid through 2026, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
International bonus pools, the money teams can spend on players, are tied to revenue and market size. Small-market teams get the biggest bonus pools and large-market teams get the smallest. There are bonus pool penalties for signing major-league free agents who have a qualifying offer attached, and teams can trade for an additional 60% of their original bonus pool. The bonus pools are a hard cap. You cannot spend more than you’re allotted.
The Dodgers have already signed 19 international players with Emil Morales being the top ranked.
Emil Morales – Ranked 17 on the top 50 international prospects, SS / Bats R / Throws R.
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Morales is a big-bodied prospect with the potential to develop into a difference-making power bat. He’s shown the ability to manage the strike zone and is patient enough to draw walks consistently. When he gets his pitch, he turns on it quickly and drives the ball to all fields with authority. He flashes home run power and more is on the way.
Like most teenage prospects, he’s working on repeating his mechanics in the batter’s box, but that should improve once he signs with a team and receives daily instruction at the club’s academy. Added strength and muscle could slow him down and move him from the middle infield to third base or a corner outfield spot, but the teen has the ability to play anywhere on the field. His arm strength, soft hands and footwork will help in the transition to another position if necessary.
Scouts have praised Morales’ makeup, high baseball IQ and leadership abilities. He trains in the Dominican Republic with Fausto Garcia and Jaime Ramos, members of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.
With the nineteen players the Dodgers have already signed from the $5,925.000, the team still has $3.152.500 that could be used to sign Roki Saski at the end of the 2024 season.
For Dodgers Beat, I’m Mike Salas
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