Mets Sign 3 Top 50 International Free Agents

The 2024 International Free Agency period is officially here, and the New York Mets have signed three of the top 50 players according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings.

Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote about the top 50 players ranked by the size of their bonuses. The Mets expected to give out the fifth-highest to catcher Yovanny Rodriguez ($2.85 million bonus) and the 43rd-highest to outfielder Edward Lantigua ($950K bonus).

The Mets have also signed one more player in MLB Pipeline’s top 50 prospects for the upcoming class, shortstop Yensi Rivas ($500K bonus). Rivas is No. 31. on their list. The previously mentioned Rodriguez is No. 6 on MLB’s list, and Latingua is No. 41. A reminder that the Pipeline list is ranking players on talent, and the BA list is ranking the players by the bonuses they will receive.

Yovanny Rodriguez

The Mets bonus pool for this IFA class is $5,925,000.

Rodriguez, seen as the top catcher in the class, was born on November 11, 2007. Scouts say both his offensive and defensive skill sets are advanced for his age, and he has a knack for leadership. Here’s what Baseball America says about him:

He’s a true catcher who draws strong reviews for his defense. He has soft hands, a plus arm with a short release and makes accurate throws, cutting his pop times under 1.9 seconds in games on his best throws. Rodriguez has a strong frame with good bat speed and the power to leave the yard now with a chance to develop into a 20-plus home run threat. Scouts highest on Rodriguez felt he was an advanced hitter for his age as well, showing sound strike-zone judgment with good barrel accuracy to help him tap into that power in games.

The 17-year-old Rivas (10/14/2006) is a switch hitter who is one of the most polished hitters in the class. Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say:

On offense, he has shown the ability to be disciplined at the plate and scarcely strikes out. He has good bat-to-ball skills and has shown good pull-side power from both sides of the plate. The athletic Rivas sprays the ball to all fields with hard contact. His natural ability in the batter’s box is part of what makes him a special prospect. He is expected to hone those skills once he signs with a team and receives daily instruction at the club’s academy. Rivas is a good defender with emerging arm strength, soft hands and good footwork. He has been praised for his makeup and work ethic.

Lastly, the 17-year-old Lantigua has already started to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame and added more power to his game. Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say:

Lantigua is an evolving player with premier talent and is already one of the most interesting prospects on the international market. The Dominican teen has drawn comparisons to Mariners superstar Julio Rodríguez in terms of size, speed and athleticism. He has a natural feel for hitting with some pop and easy power at the plate. Overall, he shows a good approach when he’s in the batter’s box, handles the fastball well and might end up as a power bat in one of the corner outfield spots.

Vladi Miguel Guerrero and Vlad Guerrero Sr.

The Mets are expected to sign a long list of other players during the IFA period (20ish-30ish players is pretty typical), and besides the players listed above, we previously reported that they will also sign Vladimir Guerrero’s son Vladi Miguel Guerrero. The bonus for the 17-year-old is expected to be a little bit above $100,000. The top skill for Vladi is his plus-power potential.