Sunday marks the opening of the 2023 international signing period, one of two ways MLB teams can acquire amateur talent each year. The draft you see every summer includes players born in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. All others are subject to international free will.
About 30% of current MLB players were originally signed as international free agents, including stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Julio Urías. Perennial contenders like the Dodgers and Yankees, teams that typically pick late in the draft, are using international free agency to add high-end prospects to their farm system.
Future All-Stars will be signed when international free agency opens on Sunday. Maybe even a future Cy Young winner or MVP. Heck, someone who signs on Sunday might one day end up in Coopertown. Here’s everything you need to know before the 2023 international signing period opens.
Current format
International free agency remains free agency because MLB and the MLB Players Association could not agree on an international draft last year. MLB pushed for an international draft for years (decades, really), but the union resisted because it would deprive players of the freedom to choose their team, not to mention limit their earning potential. The league proposed to eliminate the qualifying offer system in exchange for an international draft, but the MLBPA said no. International free will remains until at least 2026, when the collective agreement expires.
The international signing period used to run from July 2 to June 25 each year, but the start of the 2020-21 signing period was pushed back to January 15 due to the pandemic, and this change is now permanent as part of of the current agreement. The signing period is now carefully limited to a single calendar year and runs from January 15 to December 15. To be able to sign, players must be at least 16 years old and be 17 on September 1 of the following year. This year’s eligible new players were born between September 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006.
Bonus pools
International bonus pools, the money teams can spend on players, are tied to revenue and market size, with teams in smaller markets getting the biggest bonus pools and teams in larger markets the smallest. . There are bonus pool penalties for signing major league free agents who have a qualifying offer attached, and teams can again trade for an additional 60% of their original bonus pool this year. Bonus pool transactions have been suspended for the past few years, during the pandemic.
Here are the bonus pools for the 2023 international signing period, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez:
- $6,366,900: Athletics, Brewers, Sailors, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers, Twins
- $5,825,500: Diamonds, Guardians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies. Royals
- $5,284,000: Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Nationals, White Sox, Yankees
- $4,644,000: Angels, Phillies, Red Sox
- $4,144,000: Dodgers, Rangers
Because they paid a competitive balance tax in 2021, the Dodgers lost $1 million in bonus money to sign Freddie Freeman. The Angels (Noah Syndergaard), Phillies (Nick Castellanos), Red Sox (Trevor Story) and Rangers (Corey Seager, Marcus Semien) each lost $500,000 to sign free agents with eligible offers as payers not CBT (Texas lost $500,000 each to Seager and Semien).
International players under the age of 25 can only sign minor league contracts. Teams cannot entice players by offering to put them on the 40-man roster. When he first came to MLB, Shohei Ohtani had to sign a minor league contract with the Angels because he was only 23 years old. Munetaka Murakami, the record hitter for the Yakult Swallows in Japan, will not be released until 2025, when he turns 25 and is no longer subject to international bonus pools. He will be able to sign a contract of any size at that time.
Top Leads
The consensus top prospect in this year’s international class is Venezuelan wide receiver Ethan Salas. As is often the case with top international prospects, Salas has been on the radar for quite some time, despite being just 16 years old. He signed with the Padres for $5.6 million, according to MLB.com. Here’s an excerpt from Salas’ MLB.com scouting report:
The athletic Salas has a good sense of the strike zone and shows the ability to hit the ball on all courts. He shows good raw power, and is expected to increase as he develops. He has a good loose swing and shows the ability to hit home runs in practices and batting games. In defense, he shows more potential due to his soft hands, blocking ability and receiving abilities. He shows good throwing mechanics and a strong arm. He is already showing leadership and running well for a receiver.
Salas has baseball bloodlines. His older brother, Jose Salas, is a highly regarded Marlins prospect. Baseball America recently ranked the elder Salas as Miami’s No. 4 system prospect and said his “offensive skills will make him a valuable player.” Young Salas has all the tools to be an impact player at the most demanding position in the game.
Accurate information on international players can be hard to come by, but bonus size is usually a good indicator of prospect status. The bigger the bonus, the more the teams believe in the player. That said, bonuses of $10,000 or less don’t count towards the bonus pool, but that doesn’t mean players who receive those checks shouldn’t get some attention either. The Astros originally signed Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez for $10,000 bonuses in 2015.
Here are some of the other top prospects for the 2023 international signing period, listed in alphabetical order:
Dominican SS Felnin Celesten: Celesten, 17, has arguably the best tools seen in international free agency since Wander Franco. He’s a hitter with contact ability, power, and solid defensive chops. MLB.com adds that he “plays with skill and is dedicated to improving.” The Mariners should sign Celesten.
Cuban DE Brandon Mayea: According to MLB.com, an evaluator dubbed 17-year-old Mayea “mini Gary Sheffield” for his explosive batting speed. Mayea also has a good approach in the center of the plate and the man now, although he is likely to settle in a corner on the road. He is rumored to have a deal in place with the Yankees.
Cuban RHP Luis Morales: “(One) of the most interesting and dynamic prospects in the class,” according to MLB.com, Morales already sits in the mid-90s and shows promising secondary pitches, including both curveball and slider . The 20-year-old is seen as a future top starter. Morales has been most closely tied to athletics.
Korean RHP Jun-Seok Shim: Shim, 18, was slated to be the first pick in the Korea Baseball Organization’s amateur draft a few weeks ago, but he retired his name to pursue opportunities with MLB teams. He touched 100 mph, has a wide range of secondary pitches and has been praised for his poise and makeup, by MLB.com. Korean baseball journalist Daniel Kim says Shim is close to signing with the Pirates.
Dominican SS Joendry Vargas: One of the best clean hitters in the international class, 17-year-old Vargas has advanced knowledge of the strike zones and a rare right-handed swing. “Overall, there are plenty of offensive upsides, which is especially valuable at such a premium position,” writes MLB.com. Vargas should sign with the Dodgers.
