International Signings - 2025

JM3

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View: https://twitter.com/BenBadler/status/1879601538378915967

Rivas, a 6'2 SS from Anzoátegui, Venezuela, doesn't turn 17 until May.

Physical Description: Elite athleticism and projectable frame. Needs to get stronger.

Hit: Quick hands and pronounced leg kick. Explosive swing and has above-average bat speed already. In the early stages of developing an approach and struggles against secondary pitches, but has shown a solid ability to handle fastballs.

Power: Produces impressive exit velocities for his age and already shows solid raw power. How his hit tool actualizes will determine future power output, but likely to end up around average.

Run: Plus speed.

Field: Extremely advanced defensive profile for his age. Solid instincts and range in center field, where he should be able to stick long-term as long as he maintains his athleticism.

Arm: Plus arm strength with the chance for more as he gets stronger.

Career Notes: Received the second-largest bonus in the Red Sox 2025 international free agent class.

Summation: High-risk, high-reward profile at the plate with a strong defensive profile to fall back on. Produces big exit velocities and bat speed already, but there are major questions about how his hit tool will develop. Potential plus-to-better defensive profile already, which puts less pressure on his bat, but if he hits, could develop into a high-end, two-way player.
Harold Rivas | SoxProspects.com
 

JM3

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Dorian Soto:

View: https://twitter.com/ggeiss_mlb/status/1879600623446007877

Soto is a 6'3 SS from San Cristobal, DR who turns 17 next month, signed to the largest deal in the class for the Red Sox at $1.4m.

Physical Description: Tall, athletic frame. Long limbs and extremely projectable frame. Has already filled out some and is heavier than listed.

Hit: Switch-hitter with a pronounced leg kick and loose swing. Solid bat speed already and does a good job utilizing his lower half in his swing. Strong barrel control for his age and contact skills are trending in the right direction. Swing decisions are relatively advanced for his age.

Power: Already shows average raw power that is very advanced for his age. Has the frame to add power as he physically matures. Potential for substantial power potential in the future if he fills out as expected.

Run: Average speed, but could trend down as he fills out.

Field: Solid actions and soft hands. Unclear if he will be able to stick at shortstop long-term given his current size and that he is already growing, but will start off his career there.

Arm: Plus arm strength. Plenty for the left side of the infield.

Career Notes: Received the highest bonus in the Red Sox 2025 international free agent class. Was reportedly generally regarded as trending up between the time he agreed to sign with the team and his signing date.

Summation: Very intriguing prospect with a high-upside offensive profile. Ideal frame with solid athleticism and plenty of remaining projection. Strong makeup and work ethic and is reportedly already getting better. Long-term defensive home remains to be seen, but should be able to stick in the infield and provide plenty of value at the plate.
Dorian Soto | SoxProspects.com
 

JM3

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Dorian Soto's $1.4m is the same amount Yoeilin Cespedes received in '23. The last Red Sox IFA to receive more was Miguel Bleis in '21 when he got $1.5m. Before that it was a few guys in July 2017.
 

JM3

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View: https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1879648652290924849

Will chalk this up to some Elon Musk thing...

Hector Gomez says...

From washing cars to becoming a professional baseball player: Christopher Cordero signs a contract with the Boston Red Sox for a $350,000 signing bonus.

In a stunning turn of his life story, Christopher Orlando Cordero Tejeda, a 16-year-old talent, has signed a professional contract with the Boston Red Sox worth $350,000. This achievement marks a milestone in the career of Cordero, who began his baseball career in an unconventional way.

Born in Baní, DR, Cordero was raised in an environment where hard work was essential to survive. From the age of 12, he dedicated himself to tasks such as washing cars and delivering merchandise to grocery stores, activities that he shared with his father and brother. However, his true passion was always baseball. At that same age, Cordero joined Lenny Pimentel's academy, where he trained as a baseball player.

Initially, Cordero played as an outfielder, but it was his coach who, seeing his talent, converted him into a pitcher. In a record time of less than four months as a pitcher, Cordero reached a preliminary agreement with several organizations. Today, his efforts have been rewarded with a multimillion-dollar contract with the Boston Red Sox, establishing himself as one of the most promising prospects in Dominican baseball.

Christopher Cordero's story is proof that, with dedication, discipline and a good opportunity, the biggest dreams can become reality.
 
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BringBackMo

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@JM3 Always appreciate your work to help us all stay informed about the minor league doings, but never more so than during the draft and the IFA signing period Big thanks.

Looks like there’s plenty to dream on here. Excited to see how these new guys do in the DSL.
 

JM3

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@JM3 Always appreciate your work to help us all stay informed about the minor league doings, but never more so than during the draft and the IFA signing period Big thanks.

Looks like there’s plenty to dream on here. Excited to see how these new guys do in the DSL.
Thank you, sir. It's always fun to get a big batch of new prospects to root for at once.
 

Chainsaw318

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I don't hate it at all if they chase more arms in IFA. Not that either route is relatively expensive but it's cheaper than going all in on arms in the draft, where someone like Tolle (our pick at 50) gets a bonus more equivalent to a top 10 IFA. And no other player acquisition path has more potential for untapped transformative upside via literal physical growth. Sure, a ton of room for guys to miss completely but that is true of any IFA and it is worth more bites at the apple if there's a chance of hitting pitching gold for what is ultimately a financial rounding error. With how much money is thrown at guys who never even make it stateside, I don't mind if we don't leave any IFA period without throwing half a mil or more to at least one arm.

That all assumes things we don't have or know yet, such as trust in the whole pitching development project under Breslow, but I prefer any path doesn't just pay lip service to pitching talent. For example I liked the theory of Chaim's draft strategy, i.e. avoid pitchers due to natural volatility, bring in guys with good feel and maybe a present ceiling of good reliever who—with some tweaks and some luck—could find themselves as a surprising starter (thinking of guys like Dalton Rogers, Noah Dean, Isaac Coffey) you've acquired for peanuts.

But it didn't really bear fruit, whether through dev issues, not enough time for Chaim, or just prospect randomness. Breslow has clearly put his money where his mouth is so far when it comes to overhauling the system's pitching ranks, though of course it takes a long ass time to find out if it'll work (but he's also committed more to pitching at the ML/high minors level via FA/trade/Rule-5 so there is breathing room while guys develop in a way that there hasn't been).

This was a longer mid-day treatise than I meant it to be when I could have just said "$ for pitching = good" but alas.
I like it as well.

It’s a bit of a shift from what they were doing, which was a lot of lesser bonuses to a lot of pitchers in international free agency. They still aren’t dropping 1/2 the pool on one arm, but I’m fine with them middling this, and spending $400K-$1M on a couple pitchers and still also doing the handful of guys with bonuses of $40k or less.

Once you hit on 1 Bellon with one of those little bonuses, I imagine it’s hard to stop looking at the potential in those lottery tickets.
 

Yo La Tengo

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They really seem to be investing more in higher $$$ IFA arms under Breslow between Sadbiel ($500k), Dalvinson ($450k last year), Cordero ($400k), & Yhoiker ($400k from the White Sox last year).

Who were the last Red Sox IFA pitchers to get that much prior to Breslow?

2021 - Jedixson Paez $450k
2019/20 - CJ Liu $750k
2014/15 (wild year where Moncada got $31.5m) - Anderson Espinoza $1.8m, Christopher Acosta $1.5m, Junior Espinoza $400k
Do you have a general sense of whether this is a trend unique to the Sox or are other teams looking to invest more in IFA arms?

Asking in part due to this article from last year about trends in player development in latin america, with the general thought that the 2016 cap on international signings resulted in teams being more risk averse (and therefore targeting hitters rather than pitchers).

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5538774/2024/06/05/latin-american-mlb-starting-pitchers/

"On the international market these days, teams tend to splurge on a few promising hitters while spreading smaller bonuses to a handful of young pitchers in hopes that one or two will eventually emerge. The handlers, known as buscones, who train and promote amateur Latin American players – and also receive a cut of their signing bonuses – recognize this spending disparity and, according to several executives and players with knowledge of the international market, sometimes push elite Latin American players away from the mound."
 

Mantush

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This is actually the opposite of my OOTP strategy. I always just sign the best guy for my whole budget rather than spread things out.

I do like the apparent strategy shift though. While I think there is merit in signing the best guys for large bonuses, you have to be extremely confident in their outcome; otherwise, multiple bites at the apple is the best way to go.

Take a look at the 2017 class: Daniel Flores (3.1 million, RIP), Danny Diaz (1.6 million), and Antoni Flores (1.4 million). The most valuable guys in that Red Sox signing class are Bello (28,000) and Rafaela (10,000). If you look even more generally at 2017, the highest rated pitcher was Eric Pardinho (1.4 million), and he’s busted.

I know this was written about before, but Flores is an absolute tragedy. I was excited about him when he signed. He was the #2 overall guy in his class behind Wander Franco. Reportedly was an elite defensive catcher and switch hitter with above average power. We wouldn’t be having any debate about Wong right now if he hadn’t gotten cancer. Fuck cancer.
 
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LogansDad

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This is actually the opposite of my OOTP strategy. I always just sign the best guy for my whole budget rather than spread things out.

I do like the apparent strategy shift though. While I think there is merit in signing the best guys for large bonuses, you have to be extremely confident in their outcome; otherwise, multiple bites at the apple is the best way to go.

Take a look at the 2017 class: Daniel Flores (3.1 million, RIP), Danny Diaz (1.6 million), and Antoni Flores (1.4 million). The most valuable guys in that Red Sox signing class are Bello (28,000) and Rafaela (10,000). If you look even more generally at 2027, the highest rated pitcher was Eric Pardinho (1.4 million), and he’s busted.

I know this was written about before, but Flores is an absolute tragedy. I was excited about him when he signed. He was the #2 overall guy in his class behind Wander Franco. Reportedly was an elite defensive catcher and switch hitter with above average power. We wouldn’t be having any debate about Wong right now if he hadn’t gotten cancer. Fuck cancer.
You should join my online OOTP league. Montreal (formerly Miami) is available. Plus you get to watch me freak out on sim days like a main board Mod, as @wibi can attest.

Hit me up if you want details!
 

JM3

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Is this reported somewhere? I assume you must be talking about Yahir Pena who the Red Sox signed for $20k in January & then voided his contract March 1st, but I can't find those details anywhere.

https://soxprospects.com/players/pena-yahir.htm
Turns out they signed him again in 2025.

Scouting Report: Originally slated to sign for $20,000 in January 2024, his contract was voided in March 2024. Eventually signed in the 2025 class.
Yahir Pena | SoxProspects.com
 

bosox1534

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Dec 17, 2022
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Not very familiar with the international bonus pool money, is there a way to know how much the Red Sox have left/how much they would be able to trade? Not sure what guys would be available from LA/SD, but would at least be worth looking into. Dodgers have some really nice young arms like Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan or River Ryan that can’t quite crack the major league roster, but would be really good pieces for the Red Sox to add to farm system, similar to a Quinn Priester type move.
 

JM3

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Not very familiar with the international bonus pool money, is there a way to know how much the Red Sox have left/how much they would be able to trade? Not sure what guys would be available from LA/SD, but would at least be worth looking into. Dodgers have some really nice young arms like Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan or River Ryan that can’t quite crack the major league roster, but would be really good pieces for the Red Sox to add to farm system, similar to a Quinn Priester type move.
So SP says the Red Sox have committed around $5.17m of their $6.26m pool...

Date Range: January 15, 2025 to December 15, 2025
Co-Directors of International Scouting: Todd Claus & Rolando Pino
Bonus Pool: $6,261,600
Bonus Pool Spent: $5,170,000
Traded bonus pool space to San Francisco for Blake Sabol on Jan. 15, 2025
...but the #s here...

layer Pos. Country Bonus Month
Dorian Soto SS Dominican $1,400,000 Jan-2025
Harold Rivas OF Venezuela $1,000,000 Jan-2025
Eliezer Alfonzo SS Venezuela $700,000 Jan-2025
Sadbiel Delzine RHP Venezuela $500,000 Jan-2025
Hector Ramos SS Dominican $450,000 Jan-2025
Christopher Cordero RHP Dominican $400,000 Jan-2025
Stiven De La Cruz OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Adrian Valdez OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Jhorman Bravo IF Venezuela $150,000 Jan-2025
William Montero RHP Venezuela $100,000 Jan-2025
Jhonny Osta OF Venezuela $70,000 Jan-2025
Lester Suarez C Venezuela $50,000 Jan-2025
Maikol Tovar OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Geomaikel Martinez OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Jainer Almanza RHP Colombia $30,000 Jan-2025
Jesus Martinez RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Krizhan Ulacio OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Miguel Welch IF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Gustavo Antunez OF Venezuela N/A Jan-2025
Emmanuel Figuereo OF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Yahir Pena C Venezuela N/A Jan-2025
Louis Andujar IF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Angel Lopez RHP N/A Jan-2025
Juanyerlin Duran RHP N/A Jan-2025
Rauli Ortiz OF N/A Jan-2025
Luis Aular IF N/A Jan-2025


Red Sox International Signings | SoxProspects.com

...add up to $5.57m, not including the 9 guys they don't have bonus info for, yet (which probably means it's not very high). I think it's because they were not counting Christopher Cordero in their initial estimate. There is some disagreement over whether he got $400k or $350k.

They started with a budget of around $6.26m, but reportedly they traded away $250k of that in the Blake trade, so they have around $6.01m for a total budget. So it seems like maybe they have $400k left give or take? Teams are allowed to trade up to 60% of their IFA budget in a season, as well as being allowed to add a maximum of 60% in trades.
 

bosox1534

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Dec 17, 2022
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So SP says the Red Sox have committed around $5.17m of their $6.26m pool...



...but the #s here...

layer Pos. Country Bonus Month
Dorian Soto SS Dominican $1,400,000 Jan-2025
Harold Rivas OF Venezuela $1,000,000 Jan-2025
Eliezer Alfonzo SS Venezuela $700,000 Jan-2025
Sadbiel Delzine RHP Venezuela $500,000 Jan-2025
Hector Ramos SS Dominican $450,000 Jan-2025
Christopher Cordero RHP Dominican $400,000 Jan-2025
Stiven De La Cruz OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Adrian Valdez OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Jhorman Bravo IF Venezuela $150,000 Jan-2025
William Montero RHP Venezuela $100,000 Jan-2025
Jhonny Osta OF Venezuela $70,000 Jan-2025
Lester Suarez C Venezuela $50,000 Jan-2025
Maikol Tovar OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Geomaikel Martinez OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Jainer Almanza RHP Colombia $30,000 Jan-2025
Jesus Martinez RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Krizhan Ulacio OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Miguel Welch IF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Gustavo Antunez OF Venezuela N/A Jan-2025
Emmanuel Figuereo OF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Yahir Pena C Venezuela N/A Jan-2025
Louis Andujar IF Dominican N/A Jan-2025
Angel Lopez RHP N/A Jan-2025
Juanyerlin Duran RHP N/A Jan-2025
Rauli Ortiz OF N/A Jan-2025
Luis Aular IF N/A Jan-2025


Red Sox International Signings | SoxProspects.com

...add up to $5.57m, not including the 9 guys they don't have bonus info for, yet (which probably means it's not very high). I think it's because they were not counting Christopher Cordero in their initial estimate. There is some disagreement over whether he got $400k or $350k.

They started with a budget of around $6.26m, but reportedly they traded away $250k of that in the Blake trade, so they have around $6.01m for a total budget. So it seems like maybe they have $400k left give or take? Teams are allowed to trade up to 60% of their IFA budget in a season, as well as being allowed to add a maximum of 60% in trades.
Great info, thanks. So basically seems like they’ve committed most of their money already, which is fine. Probably looking at acquiring a Blake Sabol type guy then with the remaining trade-able money, not sure who that is on the Dodgers or Padres. Either way, glad they’re making moves to improve the farm and depth. The international free agents are always really exciting to me, because they are so young and you really have no idea how great they can become. Hopefully lots of Raffy Devers and not Rusney Castillos.
 

JM3

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Do you have a general sense of whether this is a trend unique to the Sox or are other teams looking to invest more in IFA arms?

Asking in part due to this article from last year about trends in player development in latin america, with the general thought that the 2016 cap on international signings resulted in teams being more risk averse (and therefore targeting hitters rather than pitchers).

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5538774/2024/06/05/latin-american-mlb-starting-pitchers/

"On the international market these days, teams tend to splurge on a few promising hitters while spreading smaller bonuses to a handful of young pitchers in hopes that one or two will eventually emerge. The handlers, known as buscones, who train and promote amateur Latin American players – and also receive a cut of their signing bonuses – recognize this spending disparity and, according to several executives and players with knowledge of the international market, sometimes push elite Latin American players away from the mound."
I honestly don't know. The Red Sox were not investing in pitching anywhere for a few years & going for quantity rather than quality, so I would think this is more in alignment with how they are allocating more resources in the MLB draft to pitching, free agency, trades, etc., more than an industry-wide change of trend. Their biggest signings are still hitters, though. They just are mixing in a few more nice-sized investments on pitchers.

Let's see what the actual breakdown is between pitchers & hitters the last few years, including the way-too-early look at '25:

2025 - Pitchers $1,050,000 (5); Hitters $4,520,000 (12) - 18.9% budget on pitchers, 29.4% of players
2024 - Pitchers $1,048,000 (22); Hitters $4,040,000 (30) - 20.6% budget on pitchers, 42.3% of players
2023 - Pitchers $1,386,000 (34); Hitters $3,237,000 (22) - 30.0% budget on pitchers, 60.7% of players*
2022 - Pitchers $296,000 (16); Hitters $4,985,000 (15) - 5.6% budget on pitchers, 51.6% of players
2021 - Pitchers $1,423,500 (15); Hitters $3,920,000 (14) - 26.6% budget on pitchers, 51.7% of players
19/20 - Pitchers $1,632,000 (17); Hitters $3,835,000 (21) - 29.9% budget on pitchers, 44.7% of players

So really not a ton to be concluded...except the '22 pitcher class was a bit non-existent. They don't have anyone left they paid over $10k to from that pitching class...it did include 3 guys they've traded, though -- Inmer Lobo ($10k) for Hoy Park, Ovis Portes ($25k) for Lucas Sims, & Yeferson Vargas ($10k) who was part of the Luis Garcia trade (so we got nothing of use back for any of them).

Maybe just a bit more targeting toward some higher upside guys rather than spreading it all out. But they're competing against a lot of teams, so I'm sure it's a whole process of just trying to get the best from the available group possible, whoever they are.

* This year is heavily skewed by the fact that by all indications they had a $1m+ commitment to Tony Ruiz that they backed out of because of how he was recovering from injury so he ended up signing with the Royals for $1.2m & the Red Sox pivoted by making a few bigger investments in pitchers later in the off season: Chansol Lee for $300k in July, Adam Bates for $200k in September & Charlie Zink for $70k in December...& Juan Valera for $45k in April. If you take that $615k of later pitcher money, and replace it with $1m of hitter money, you have a balance wherein it's $771k to $4.2m, which is 18.2% of the budget on pitchers. Ruiz, who recently turned 19, had a 78 wRC+ in 153 PAs in his 2nd DSL season, so they probably dodged a bullet on that one.
 

JM3

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Pipeline has Cordero at $350k as well, so there's an extra $50k probably.

Red Sox
#8 Dorian Soto, SS, D.R.: Red Sox ($1,400,000)
#32 Harold Rivas, OF, Ven.: Red Sox ($950,000)
#46 Sadbiel Delzine, RHP, Ven.: Red Sox ($500,000)

Eliezer Alfonzo, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000
Hector Ramos, SS, Dominican Republic, $500,000
Christopher Cordero, RHP, Dominican Republic, $350,000
Adrian Valdez, OF, Dominican Republic, $300,000

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-international-prospects-signing-day-2025

Looking at that page for big pitcher bonuses...

Raudy Reyes, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $1,797,500 (Braves)
#40 Kevin Defrank, RHP, D.R.: Marlins ($560,000)
#46 Sadbiel Delzine, RHP, Ven.: Red Sox ($500,000)
Anderson Diaz, LHP, Venezuela -- $447,500 (Tigers)
Geremy Villoria, RHP, Venezuela -- $425,000 (Phillies)
Adrian Pena, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $400,000 (Marlins)
Robinson Smith, RHP, Australia -- $400,000 (Pirates)
Yoslaniel Hernandez, LHP, Dominican Republic -- $400,000 (Pirates)
Omar Damian, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $397,500 (Astros)
Daniel Gomez, RHP, Venezuela -- $350,000 (Cardinals)
Christopher Cordero, RHP, Dominican Republic, $350,000 (Red Sox)
Albert Morel, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $300,000 (Angels)

Obviously Roki is going to get a big deal, but so far, it looks like the Red Sox have the 3rd highest paid pitcher & another guy who is tied for 10th.

Of Pipeline's top 50, 13 are not assigned to a team, including 1 pitcher (#39 LHP Carlos Alvarez).
 

JM3

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Rivas is actually $50k cheaper than he was originally listed at, too, & Hector Ramos is $50k more expensive. Also, Pipeline seems to list everyone signed for $300k or higher, & doesn't list Stiven de la Cruz, so he may actually be lower than his listed $300k.
 

JM3

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Louie Andujar took a bunch of pictures in front of a locker that said (L Aular) so I kind of assumed it was just his, but Luis Aular is in fact a different signee.

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DE3hQtURUlo/?igsh=MXNnYTZ0Ym91MWF4MA==
 

JM3

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Considering the Sox left ~$700K unspent in 2024 bonus pool money, I can't imagine that whatever amount they gave up for Sabol is earth-shattering in any way. By rule it can't have been more than $250K.

Maybe the money enables the Giants to outbid the Dodgers for Sasaki. (tongue firmly in cheek on that one)
This conflicted with what AI told me earlier, so I double-checked. It looks like it has to just be in increments of $250,000, not a max of $250k.

CBA also allows international funds to be traded more freely, as teams must now simply trade international money in increments of $250,000, unless they have less than $250,000 remaining in their pool.
International Amateur Free Agency & Bonus Pool Money | Glossary | MLB.com

The Sabol trade was reported to have been for $250k.
 

JM3

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Some much more thorough updates from SoxProspects...

Player Pos. Country Bonus Month
Dorian Soto SS Dominican $1,400,000 Jan-2025
Harold Rivas OF Venezuela $950,000 Jan-2025
Eliezer Alfonzo SS Venezuela $700,000 Jan-2025
Hector Ramos SS Dominican $500,000 Jan-2025
Sadbiel Delzine RHP Venezuela $500,000 Jan-2025
Christopher Cordero RHP Dominican $350,000 Jan-2025
Adrian Valdez OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Emmanuel Figuereo OF Dominican $250,000 Jan-2025
Jhorman Bravo IF Venezuela $150,000 Jan-2025
Stiven De La Cruz OF Dominican $100,000 Jan-2025
Williams Montero RHP Venezuela $100,000 Jan-2025
Jhonny Osta OF Venezuela $80,000 Jan-2025
Lester Suarez C Venezuela $50,000 Jan-2025
Maikol Tovar OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Juanyerlin Duran RHP Dominican $40,000 Jan-2025
Geomaikel Martinez OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Luis Aular IF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Louis Andujar IF Dominican $20,000 Jan-2025
Gustavo Antunez OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Krizhan Ulacio OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Jesus Martinez RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Jainer Almanza RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Angel Lopez RHP Dominican $10,000 Jan-2025
Leosmar Perez RHP Venezuela $10,000 Jan-2025
Miguel Welch IF Dominican $10,000 Jan-2025
Yahir Pena C Venezuela N/A Jan-2025


Date Range: January 15, 2025 to December 15, 2025
Co-Directors of International Scouting: Todd Claus & Rolando Pino
Bonus Pool: $6,261,600
Bonus Pool Spent: $5,690,000
Traded bonus pool space to San Francisco for Blake Sabol on Jan. 15, 2025
Red Sox International Signings | SoxProspects.com

De La Cruz at $100k instead of $300k & Emmanuel Figueroa turned out to be a pretty high bonus player at $250k. Also, I see William Montero is now Williams Montero. Better.

These #s add up to $5,720,000, so they're off by $30k. Including the $250k for Sabol, that means they have $291,600 remaining to spend.
 

JM3

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With that update, this:

2025 - Pitchers $1,050,000 (5); Hitters $4,520,000 (12) - 18.9% budget on pitchers, 29.4% of players

Becomes:

2025 - Pitchers $1,050,000 (8); Hitters $4,670,000 (18) - 18.4% budget on pitchers, 30.8% of players
 

simplicio

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Some much more thorough updates from SoxProspects...

Player Pos. Country Bonus Month
Dorian Soto SS Dominican $1,400,000 Jan-2025
Harold Rivas OF Venezuela $950,000 Jan-2025
Eliezer Alfonzo SS Venezuela $700,000 Jan-2025
Hector Ramos SS Dominican $500,000 Jan-2025
Sadbiel Delzine RHP Venezuela $500,000 Jan-2025
Christopher Cordero RHP Dominican $350,000 Jan-2025
Adrian Valdez OF Dominican $300,000 Jan-2025
Emmanuel Figuereo OF Dominican $250,000 Jan-2025
Jhorman Bravo IF Venezuela $150,000 Jan-2025
Stiven De La Cruz OF Dominican $100,000 Jan-2025
Williams Montero RHP Venezuela $100,000 Jan-2025
Jhonny Osta OF Venezuela $80,000 Jan-2025
Lester Suarez C Venezuela $50,000 Jan-2025
Maikol Tovar OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Juanyerlin Duran RHP Dominican $40,000 Jan-2025
Geomaikel Martinez OF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Luis Aular IF Venezuela $40,000 Jan-2025
Louis Andujar IF Dominican $20,000 Jan-2025
Gustavo Antunez OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Krizhan Ulacio OF Venezuela $20,000 Jan-2025
Jesus Martinez RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Jainer Almanza RHP Colombia $20,000 Jan-2025
Angel Lopez RHP Dominican $10,000 Jan-2025
Leosmar Perez RHP Venezuela $10,000 Jan-2025
Miguel Welch IF Dominican $10,000 Jan-2025
Yahir Pena C Venezuela N/A Jan-2025




Red Sox International Signings | SoxProspects.com

De La Cruz at $100k instead of $300k & Emmanuel Figueroa turned out to be a pretty high bonus player at $250k. Also, I see William Montero is now Williams Montero. Better.

These #s add up to $5,720,000, so they're off by $30k. Including the $250k for Sabol, that means they have $291,600 remaining to spend.
Is there something like in the domestic draft where players at $10k or less don't count against the pool?
 

JM3

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Dec 14, 2019
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Is there something like in the domestic draft where players at $10k or less don't count against the pool?
You are absolutely right...I read about that like 2 days ago & then completely forgot the rule:

However, signing players for a bonus of $10,000 or less does not count against a bonus pool. It's possible, therefore, that a team could spend its entire bonus pool on one player and still sign many other players in relatively small deals.
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-international-prospects-signing-day-2025

So we have $321,600 available to spend.
 

JM3

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01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Williams Montero to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Hector Ramos to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Gustavo Antunez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Miguel Welch to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Jhorman Bravo to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Sadbiel Delzine to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Krishan Ulacio to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Maikol Tovar to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Geomaikel Martinez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Leosmar Perez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Harold Rivas to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Eliezer Alfonzo to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Jhonny Osta to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Louis Andujar to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent C Lester Suarez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Dorian Soto to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent SS Luis Aular to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Stiven De La Cruz to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Jesus Martinez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent OF Adrian Valdez to a minor league contract.

01/15/25 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Christopher Cordero to a minor league contract.
 

simplicio

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Do IFAs typically have a debut ceiling around 30 simply due to age? I thought there was more hype around Soto than that.
 

JM3

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Do IFAs typically have a debut ceiling around 30 simply due to age? I thought there was more hype around Soto than that.
SP doesn't seem to put a lot of thought into the way they incorporate IFAs/DSL...

Example #1: Rivas, Ramos & Sadbiel b2b2b

Example #2: Pinto, Brito & Fermin b2b2b

I feel like as an outlet that's primary purpose is this stuff, they should think harder about it. Then again, I'm like 3 months behind on a rankings update sooooo...

But yeah, I'm probably going to have DSoto around 15 if I had to guess.
 

Granite Sox

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I disagree with the perspective that they don’t spend much time thinking about it. They’ve explained many, many times that when it comes to prospects for which there is very little relevant data, as well as the fact that milb below AA is of poor overall quality, that it is more useful to think of prospects in buckets or tiers. I think the fact that these 16 and 17YO boys with zero professional experience are clustered in and around guys with significant college experience and in some cases a full season of pro experience demonstrates a more sophisticated assessment of the potential/performance ratio.

With this year’s batch they even explained that they “rank” this Big 4 higher than usual based on rep and/or physical projectability but that it basically means nothing until the end of this upcoming season when the first set of performance data hopefully comes in.

The SoxProspects guys are able to clearly define break points in the tiers of prospects and why those break points exist. Detailed explanations seem to make sense for the T10-15 or so; anything beyond that is tomato/tomahto personal preference, imo.
 

JM3

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I disagree with the perspective that they don’t spend much time thinking about it. They’ve explained many, many times that when it comes to prospects for which there is very little relevant data, as well as the fact that milb below AA is of poor overall quality, that it is more useful to think of prospects in buckets or tiers. I think the fact that these 16 and 17YO boys with zero professional experience are clustered in and around guys with significant college experience and in some cases a full season of pro experience demonstrates a more sophisticated assessment of the potential/performance ratio.

With this year’s batch they even explained that they “rank” this Big 4 higher than usual based on rep and/or physical projectability but that it basically means nothing until the end of this upcoming season when the first set of performance data hopefully comes in.

The SoxProspects guys are able to clearly define break points in the tiers of prospects and why those break points exist. Detailed explanations seem to make sense for the T10-15 or so; anything beyond that is tomato/tomahto personal preference, imo.
I just don't think 3 players are in the same "tier" because they are in the same draft class and I do not find that "thoughtful". They are 3 entirely different people with entirely different profiles and entirely different likelihoods of success. By all accounts I've seen, Rivas is a significantly higher rated prospect than Ramos & received a $950k bonus compared to Ramos's $500k bonus.

For example, borrowing from Pipeline:

Red Sox
#8 Dorian Soto, SS, D.R.: Red Sox ($1,400,000)
#32 Harold Rivas, OF, Ven.: Red Sox ($950,000)
#46 Sadbiel Delzine, RHP, Ven.: Red Sox ($500,000)

Eliezer Alfonzo, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000
Hector Ramos, SS, Dominican Republic, $500,000
Christopher Cordero, RHP, Dominican Republic, $350,000
Adrian Valdez, OF, Dominican Republic, $300,000

So why is Ramos between Sadbiel & Rivas? & why is Ramos ranked #38 & Eliezer Alfonzo isn't ranked at all?

Here is their write-up on Ramos:

Scouting Report: Solid athlete. Switch-hitter who has shown feel for hit from both sides of the plate already. Solid contact skills with average power potential, mostly to the pull side. Average speed. Defensively, has above-average potential at shortstop, where he is already reliable. Strong, accurate arm. Strong work ethic and will get the most out of tools. Loves to play baseball and already shows leadership qualities.
& on Alfonzo:

Scouting Report: Switch-hitter with a medium frame and some remaining projection. Solid contact skills. Hit-over-power type at present who may grow into doubles power. Likely to be able to stick in the middle infield with a chance to stick at shortstop. Solid instincts and high baseball IQ. Plus arm and chance to get to plus defense also. Offensive development will determine future potential.
I don't see anything particularly compelling in there to say we are going to take a stand on Ramos being a great deal at $500k & Alfonzo being a bust at $700k.

& here's Rivas...who again, was in a much higher bonus class & made a # of top prospect lists:

Physical Description: Elite athleticism and projectable frame. Needs to get stronger.

Hit: Quick hands and pronounced leg kick. Explosive swing and has above-average bat speed already. In the early stages of developing an approach and struggles against secondary pitches, but has shown a solid ability to handle fastballs.

Power: Produces impressive exit velocities for his age and already shows solid raw power. How his hit tool actualizes will determine future power output, but likely to end up around average.

Run: Plus speed.

Field: Extremely advanced defensive profile for his age. Solid instincts and range in center field, where he should be able to stick long-term as long as he maintains his athleticism.

Arm: Plus arm strength with the chance for more as he gets stronger.

Career Notes:
Received the second-largest bonus in the Red Sox 2025 international free agent class.

Summation:
High-risk, high-reward profile at the plate with a strong defensive profile to fall back on. Produces big exit velocities and bat speed already, but there are major questions about how his hit tool will develop. Potential plus-to-better defensive profile already, which puts less pressure on his bat, but if he hits, could develop into a high-end, two-way player.
Rivas is also ranked other places (& Ramos isn't):

Fangraphs #17
Francys Romero #34

Is there a chance Ramos will be a comparable to/better prospect than Rivas? Of course. There are extremely wide error bars on all these guys, which certainly makes integrating them into the overall system a challenge (one that I am very familiar with). But Rivas's average expected value, based on all available information, is significantly higher than Ramos's. So yes, I find putting them next to each other extremely lazy.

The Ramos thing confuses me as everyone else pretty clearly has it as a big 3, not a big 4 as you mention. I am hopelessly behind on SoxProspects pods...but I simply don't buy putting 3 prospects with almost nothing in common other than their year of acquisition next to each other being a thoughtful choice.
 

RoDaddy

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Albany area, NY
Dorian Soto:

View: https://twitter.com/ggeiss_mlb/status/1879600623446007877

Soto is a 6'3 SS from San Cristobal, DR who turns 17 next month, signed to the largest deal in the class for the Red Sox at $1.4m.



Dorian Soto | SoxProspects.com
Very exciting write-up. Has a Boegarts vibe at his height and position. Also interesting that he's listed at 185 lbs and SP says "Has already filled out some and is heavier than listed". That seems almost heavy for a typcial DR kid
 

JM3

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Here's another example of the Big 3, not Big 4 thing from MLB in article called "Boston Lands Trio of Top Prospects".

Red Sox sign 2025 international prospects Dorian Soto, Harold Rivas, Sadbiel Delzine

On Soto:

Sweet-swinging shortstops with an advanced hit tool are always a commodity on the international market, and Soto fits the bill. Already 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds at age 16, there is considerable hype about the Dominican’s ceiling. His hit tool is one of only a few to be given a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, while he also possesses above-average power that he has tapped into from both sides of the dish.

Viewed as an extremely hard worker, evaluators often first discussed Soto’s off-the-field makeup as much as his exciting tool package on it. He trains with Basilio “Cachaza” Vizcaino at Lluviz Baseball Academy in San Cristóbal, a member of MLB's Trainer Partnership Program.
On Rivas:

In an age of advanced analytics that help decipher the players best equipped to contribute at the highest level, Rivas has impressed in multiple regards. His bat speed as a right-handed hitter is consistently above the Major League average, checking in around 75-76 mph, while also producing exit velocities consistently north of 100 mph.

One evaluator bestowed upon Rivas a comparison to how George Springer looked at a similar age. Much like how Springer came up as a rangy center fielder who could track down balls in the gap, the same goes for Rivas at this stage of his development. He has ripped off 60-yard dash times clocked as fast as 6.5 seconds, a glimpse into the kind of potential he could have both on the basepaths and defensively.
On Delzine:

While prep pitchers are notoriously difficult to project, Delzine fits the mold of everything that an organization could dream about: a three-pitch arsenal, mid-90s velocity and a powerful physique to boot. Already clocked as high as 93 mph as an amateur, Delzine is only scratching the surface of his velocity potential. His 6-foot-5 build portends to there being much more in the tank, particularly as he gains reps, continues to add muscle and works with more advanced data at the club’s complex in the D.R.
On Ramos:

Additional notable Red Sox signees and their bonuses:
Eliezer Alfonzo, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000
Hector Ramos, SS, Dominican Republic -- $500,000
Christopher Cordero, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $350,000
Adrian Valdez, OF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000
So no, I refuse to consider ranking Ramos 8 spots behind Soto, 1 spot behind Rivas & 1 spot ahead of Delzine as anything but lazy ranking. Side note - I feel myself already disliking Hector Ramos as a result of this lazy ranking fiasco & I don't like that for me so I'm going to drop this & not speak of it again.