Royals sign two Top 50 int’l prospects

The Royals have signed a catcher that resembles a young Salvador Perez and a dynamic outfielder with a good mix of tools to start the international signing period, which opened Jan. 15.

Kansas City on Tuesday announced it had agreed to terms with 28 international free agents -- the largest international free agent class in franchise history -- including two standout prospects in catcher Juan Olmos (No. 25 on MLB.com’s Top 50 International Prospects list) and outfielder Henry Ramos, (No. 45).

Twenty of the newly signed players hail from the Dominican Republic, three from Venezuela, two each from Colombia and Mexico and one from Aruba. Of note, Dominican first baseman Manuel German is the cousin of Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Terms of the deals were not announced, but according to industry sources, Olmos signed for $800,000 and Ramos for for $800,000. The Royals have a bonus pool of $6,262,600.

The big and toolsy Olmos, who is from Colombia, is built like a young Perez and has the potential to be a similar player if he continues to grow and develop at his current pace. He’s a good receiver with good defensive instincts and there’s a thought he could move to right field if needed, or even pitch because of his plus arm potential.

At the plate, the teen has shown plus raw power potential and the ability to hit the ball into the gaps with authority. He is the nephew of Royals scout Rafael Miranda, who has scouted in Colombia for close to two decades and has also coached in the Minor Leagues, including in the Dominican Summer League.

As for Ramos, he is a projectable outfielder with a good mix of tools and a chance to stay in center field as he develops. At the plate, he shows tons of bat speed and is a fast twitch player with some power potential. What’s more, he’s been able to transfer the tools that he displays in showcases into games.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association finalized a deal in March 2020 that addressed the international signing period during the pandemic. The 2022 international signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2022, the second year in a row the period, which previously began July 2, started in January.

The current rules also state that teams are not allowed to trade any of their international pool money. Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 years of age and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.