Baseball America Releases Mets International Free Agent Review

I’ve been waiting for this, Baseball America’s review of the Mets International Free Agent signings for the 2018-2019 Signing Period. I asked Ben Badler of Baseball America when it was coming, with him saying “soon”.

I checked the website twice a day, waiting for a chance to read it. While the period technically ends on June 15, BA decided to review some of the signings of each teams in the current signing period, and released their review finally on Monday. Mets have signed 43 players to this point, with Venezuelan catcher Francisco Alvarez, the Mets’ new franchise bonus leader, leading the pack.

Alvarez, trained by Javier Mendoza in Venezuela, was signed on July 2, 2018 for $2.7 million. The 17-year-old has been known for his in-game hitting in trainer’s leagues. The catcher, listed at 5’11”, 220 lbs, is a physically mature player full of bulk. He can impact the ball and drive it for above-average power from the right side with a short, quick swing. He is good at recognizing spin, and is able to hit to center and right with ease. For the bulky guy he is, he also runs fairly well, currently at fringe-average speed, but will likely slow down.

While his hitting is a plus, initial reports state that his fielding will need some work. He has an above-average arm from behind the dish, posting great pop times. However, he will need to reduce some of the stiffness from behind the plate, and work on his lateral mobility. Down in the backfields at St. Lucie this year, Alvarez has been impressing scouts early with both his defense and offense abilities. The right-handed hitter will most likely make his pro debut stateside in the Gulf Coast League or with Kingsport in the Appalachian League.

Francisco Alvarez wasn’t the only million-dollar bonus the Mets paid out, the Mets gave Dominican outfielder Freddy Valdez a $1.45 million bonus. Valdez, who was signed out of the Mejia 10 academy, is known for his plus raw power from the right side. Currently, he has a power-over-hit profile, and needs to shorten up on his swing. A right fielder currently, he has an above-average arm, but is a below-average runner, who may lose a further step as he fills in his frame further, possibly moving to first base. The 17-year-old is likely going to the Dominican Summer League to start his baseball career.

After acquiring more bonus pool money in the Jeurys Familia trade (acquired $1 million in bonus pool), the Mets signed Dominican shortstop William Lugo for $475,000. Since signing, Lugo has grown an extra two inches, from 6’1” to 6’3”. The Mets were confident in Lugo’s ability to hit, despite other clubs’ reservations, due to his long swing, but shows nice plate discipline, and is pretty good at barreling the ball. Lugo isn’t going to spend much time at short, and will likely move to third base. His power has been impressive this spring and he’s expected to debut stateside.

In addition, Baseball America notes two other players in the Mets signing class, including 23-year old Cuban outfielder Gerson Molina, who was signed for $175,000. Molina is known for his athleticism and his excellent defense in center field. Preliminary outfield roster additions show that Molina will not play in full-season this year, and will likely start in short-season leagues.

The Mets also signed 6’6” 18-year-old Dominican pitcher Neraldo Calalina on July 2for $150,000. Catalina already has a big-time arm, pitching in the low-to-mid 90’s and a nice slider.

In addition to the signings, the Mets lost their International director, Chris Becerra, to the Boston Red Sox. To take his place, the Mets brought back their former director, Rafael Perez. He headed the department from 2005-2011. Prior to being re-hired, Perez was the director of Dominican Operations for Major League Baseball, and now heads International Operations for the Mets.

With Van Wagenen’s blessing, Omar Minaya made further hires to the international scouting department. The Mets brought back Luis Marquez to head international scouting. They’ve also added Moises de La Mota as a supervisor of Latin American Scouting. In addition, they have also added Manny Batista as Venezuelan Supervisor, Wilson Peralta to scout in the Dominican Republic, and have shifted Rudy Terrasas to special assignment scouting, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.

The Mets had a bonus pool of $4,983,500 before the trade for an extra $1 million, and our tabulation has the Mets at $5,365,00 (known bonuses) so far this signing period.

All in all, the Mets have signed 48 players during the current IFA signing period which aligns with the new philosophy by Perez, “This is a game of numbers, so I’d rather sign 25 guys than 10 guys and in the international market you can always find some jewels, some late bloomers.”

This will be something to monitor moving forward, with dividends hopefully paying off in international signing periods to come.