Sources: Blue Jays make 2 key int'l deals

July 2nd, 2017

The Blue Jays have a long history on the international scene, and now they are expanding their reach.

According to industry sources, the club has agreed to a $1.4 million deal with right-handed pitcher Eric Pardinho of Brazil. The deal for the teenager, ranked No. 5 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 30 International Prospects list, includes an additional $200,000 to continue his education.

The Blue Jays also have a deal worth $750,000 in place with Dominican Republic shortstop Miguel Hiraldo, who is ranked No. 17 on the list. Shortstop Leonardo Jimenez of Panama will receive $800,000.

Toronto officially announced the signings of Hiraldo and Jimenez but did not disclose the financial details. The Blue Jays have yet to officially announce the signing of Pardinho.

Complete breakdown of where Top 30 international prospects landed

Considered the new face of baseball in Brazil, Pardinho burst onto the scene last summer when he pitched for his country in the under-16 Pan-American Baseball Championship against the Dominican Republic and struck out 12 batters in the win. He pitched against Pakistan in the World Baseball Classic qualifier last September in New York.

The right-handed pitcher's fastball has touched 95 mph, and usually hovers in the 90- to 93-mph range. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup. He has been praised for his advanced approach on the mound.

As for Hiraldo, he's considered a hit-first prospect and has a chance to be a special player on offense. Some scouts consider him the best overall hitter in the class. Hiraldo is a shortstop and is athletic enough to play multiple infield positions. He also possesses the ability to play in the outfield.

According to the new rules established by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, every team gets at least $4.75 million to spend on international prospects. Any team receiving a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the Draft gets $5.25 million in international bonus pool money. Additionally, teams receiving a Competitive Balance Round B pick get $5.75 million to spend.

A club can trade as much of its international pool money as it would like, but there is a limit -- 75 percent of a team's initial pool -- to how much one team can acquire.

Toronto's pool total for this year's signing period is $4.75 million. The Blue Jays made a move on Sunday afternoon to increase that total by sending Minor League outfielder Lane Thomas to the Cardinals for international amateur signing bonus space. The 21-year-old Thomas was hitting .252/.319/.383 in 73 games for Class A Advanced Dunedin.

Here's a list of players the Blue Jays have agreed to terms with for the 2017-18 international signing period so far:

Leonardo Jimenez, SS, Panama, $825,000

Alejandro Melean, RHP, Venezuela, $775,000

Miguel Hiraldo, SS, Dominican Republic, $750,000

Jose Rivas, SS, Venezuela, $280,000

Ronald Govea, RHP, Venezuela, $200,000

Geyber Jimenez, C, Venezuela, $100,000

Williams Moreno, RHP, Venezuela, $20,000

Jose Ferrer, C, Venezuela, $10,000

, RHP, Venezuela, $10,000

Erick Teran, LHP, Venezuela, $10,000

Alexis Carmona, RHP, Venezuela, $10,000

Luis Pena, RHP, Dominican Republic, $10,000

Jhon Solarte, CF, Venezuela, $10,000