No. 7 int’l prospect leads Dodgers’ signings
The Dodgers are once again making a big splash on the international market with another big class.
The club agreed to terms with 30 players, including outfielder Samuel Munoz, who ranks No. 7 on MLB.com’s Top 50 International Prospects list, and right-handed pitcher Accimias Morales, No. 37. The Dodgers also signed right-handed pitcher Luciano Romero and shortstop Mairo Martinus of Curacao, considered the top infielder from the island since Ozzie Albies, along with left-handed pitcher Josue De Paula.
The Dodgers have a signing pool of $4,644,000, which is $500,000 less after signing Trevor Bauer last offseason.
Munoz is a left-handed-hitting infielder with an advanced approach at the plate and tons of power projection. He already shows an above-average ability to barrel up the baseball to all fields and the thought is that ability will translate into homers as he fills out his large and developing frame.
On defense, he shows good actions in the infield and displays solid arm strength. There’s still a chance he moves to third base because of his size.
As for Morales, he is a large and durable pitching prospect with plus command potential with all three of his pitches. He’s athletic, features a repeatable delivery and has a presence on the mound.
His fastball has been clocked at 93 mph and he throws a hard slider with a sharp break and a changeup with lots of movement. His ability to mix up his repertoire while still pounding the strike zone stands out for a prospect his age.
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.
Here are the prospects who have agreed to deals with the Dodgers in the 2022 international signing period:
Samuel Munoz, IF, Dominican Republic
Luciano Romero, RHS, Venezuela
Accimias Morales, RHS, Venezuela
Josue De Paula, CF, United States
Jeral Perez, SS, Dominican Republic
Raynerd Ortega, SS, Venezuela
Javier Pena, C, Dominican Republic
Mairoshendrick Martinus, SS, Curacao
Victor Rodrigues, C, Venezuela
Jholbran Herder, RHS, Venezuela
Yorfran Medina, OF, Venezuela
Peter Bonilla, LHS, SpainAlexander Albertus, SS, Aruba
Eduardo Guerrero, SS, Venezuela
Callum Wallace, RHS, Australia
Oswaldo Osorio, SS, Venezuela
Miguel Dominguez, C, Panama
Ilmerson Colon, LHS, Venezuela
Roiger Mujica, RHS, Venezuela
Yoryi Simarra, RHS, Colombia
Sean Linan, RHS, Colombia
Domingo Geronimo, RHS, Dominican Republic
Natanael Castillo, SS, Dominican Republic
Yuliangel De La Cruz, RHS, Dominican Republic
Enrike Sevilya, RHS, Russia
Edgar Aviles, RHS, Mexico
Steven Castillo, RHS, Nicaragua
Daniel Arrias, CF, Venezuela
Edgar Leon, RHS, Venezuela
Kosuke Matsuda, RHS, Japan
Nicolas Cruz, RHS, Venezuela