Who The Phillies Are Targeting With MLB’s Top International Bonus Pool

Having the top international bonus pool is beneficial, but it doesn’t offer the same level of advantage as having the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

At least five teams are going over their international bonus pools this year, with the Braves, Padres and Nationals all snapping up multiple top-level talents in the class on seven-figure deals.

The Phillies aren’t one of the teams going, but they won’t need to do so to be able to secure some of the top players in Latin America. At $5,610,800, the Phillies have the largest bonus pool for the upcoming 2016-17 international signing period. That’s more than double what most teams have, with the bottom 15 teams all having pools between $2-$2.5 million.

Last year, the Phillies invested the majority of their pool money into one player, signing power-hitting Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz for $4.01 million. They also were able to sign Venezuelan catcher Rafael Marchan, who ranked as the No. 23 international prospect for July 2 last year, for just $200,000. Marchan got off to an auspicious start last fall in the Liga Paralela, the minor league version of the Venezuelan League, batting .362/.436/.632 with more walks (six) than strikeouts (five) over 55 plate appearances in a league where most first-year players struggle.

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The Phillies are taking a different approach toward international free agency this year. Their 2016 strategy is more in line with what they have done in previous years, spreading their budget around to sign several well-regarded players, likely all for less than $1 million. The players below should come in at a combined price lower than what the Phillies paid Ortiz, yet given the volume of talent and the quality of the players they’re linked to, this year’s approach might have a better long-term payoff.

Here are five key players the Phillies have been tied to this year, with the club expected to be particularly active in Venezuela.

Brayan Gonzalez, ss, Venezuela

Venezuela fielded a talented team in Nicaragua in October 2014 that won the COPABE 14U Pan American Championship. Gabriel Arias, one of the top prospects for July 2 this year and likely to sign with the Padres, was the shortstop, while Gonzalez played second base and homered in the championship game.

Gonzalez, a 16-year-old who trains with Ciro Barrios, is a switch-hitter with a smaller, compact frame (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) who earns praise from scouts for his baseball acumen. He has a quick, short swing that’s more efficient from the right side, with his lefthanded stroke getting more uphill and leading to more swing-and-miss.

“He was one of the best baseball players in the class in terms of knowing how to play the game,” said one scout. “There’s not a ton of power and I don’t think he’ll ever have that, but he showed contact skills, he sees the ball and controls the strike zone well.”

Gonzalez is an average runner with a 55 arm that could tick up to plus, and he’s able to make throws from multiple angles. Gonzalez might wind up at second base, and while some scouts have thought about whether he would be a fit at catcher, he’s expected to sign as a shortstop, with a bonus likely in the high six-figure area.

Francisco Morales, rhp, Venezuela

Morales stands out immediately for his size, already 6-foot-5 with a wide back at 16 years old. It’s a big frame and big arm strength, with his fastball growing from touching 91 mph last fall to 94 mph earlier in the year and even reaching 96 most recently, extremely rare for that age. He can get underneath the ball at times, but he generates steep downhill plane on his fastball. Some scouts who saw Morales early on had concerns about his pitchability and secondary stuff, but others said his control has improved and his slider has developed into a weapon for him. Morales trains with Yasser Mendez and will likely sign a deal in the $700,000 to $800,000 area.

“He was probably the No. 1 pitcher in the class,” said another scout. “He threw strikes with the fastball and it had some late hop to it. He had feel to spin a good slider too with late shape. His slot naturally fed to good slider action and extension.”

Nicolas Torres, ss, Venezuela

Scouts flocked to Henderson Martinez’s program to scout Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan, but Martinez has a few other prospects generating attention this year. One of them is Torres, a 5-foot-10 shortstop with plus-plus speed. Multiple scouts used the phrase “good little player” to describe Torres, a 16-year-old with minimal power and whose below-average arm will likely limit him to second base, but who has two tools in his speed and righthanded bat that drew praise from scouts. Torres doesn’t stand out in batting practice, but scouts highest on him said he stands out more against live pitching with his bat-to-ball skills. His bonus is expected to end up in the $600,000 to $700,000 range.

Juan Aparicio, c, Venezuela

When the Phillies signed Marchan last year, they got one of the most accomplished hitters in the class. Marchan was Venezuela’s shortstop in 2014 at the 15U World Cup and the best hitter on the team, batting .531/.605/.719 in 32 at-bats to lead the club in all three categories.

Like Marchan, Aparicio has a strong hitting track record, including at the COPABE 15U Pan American Championship last year in Mexico. A 5-foot-10, 170-pound righthanded hitter, Aparicio played third base and batted third in the lineup, he went 12-for-30 (.400), slugged .707, tied for the tournament lead with two home runs and never struck out. And just as Marchan did, Aparicio has moved from the left side of the infield to catcher before signing. Aparicio trains with Emiro Barboza and is expected to land a bonus of around $500,000.

“He’s not a very physical kid, but he can hit,” said a third scout. “He’s one of the better hitters in the class. On that team that went to Mexico, he was the best player on the field. He’s a line-drive hitter who always hits, and then he’s got some surprising pop for a smaller guy.”

Jose Tortolero, ss, Venezuela

Tortolero is another player the Phillies are likely to sign for a bonus in the $500,000 neighborhood. Scouts highest on Tortolero say he stands out for his hitting ability with a line-drive approach from the right side and solid-average speed. Some scouts thought Tortolero might fit better at second base than shortstop, but his defense and arm strength have improved over the past year, with Tortolero showing an average arm now, giving him a greater chance to remain at the position.