Front offices continue to pour more and more resources into their international scouting processes to gain a greater edge on the amateur evaluation front. A year from now, the Padres, Cubs, and Braves will flex their financial muscles during the 2023-2024 international free agent period. Those three teams are each set to sign one of the top three free agents in next year’s market.
The 2023-2024 international free agent market will feature at least three teenagers set to sign impressive deals. Dominican shortstops Fernando Cruz and Leodalis “Leo” De Vries, as well as Venezuelan infielder Jose Perdomo, are considered the three biggest prizes of the class. All three are expected to sign on January 15, 2024.
An international draft was discussed as part of the new CBA, but the league and MLBPA were unable to agree to a process that would work for both parties.
Having spoken with four international scouting directors, the top three players in next year’s class appear to be reasonably undisputed. Cruz, De Vries and Perdomo are premium prospects with considerable upside alongside more polish than their peers. All three players possess top shelf talent and projection, though each player is unique in his own way and different in how they project at the next level.
SS Fernando Cruz – Chicago Cubs
Cruz may be the most famous of the 2023-2024 international free agents, well-known in both private and public scouting circles going back to the early parts of 2020. The 5-foot-11-inch Dominican shortstop currently weighs in at 155 pounds but has seen a growth spurt of late, some scouts saying he’s closer to 6 feet these days. Cruz is a lean, wiry, “true” shortstop with significant athleticism and fluid actions in everything he does.
“Yeah, he’s probably the complete package in this class,” one AL international scouting director said. “If you’re doing a comparison, it’s a bit like Roderick Arias. Just balanced and complete. Nothing weak about his game. He does it all. And it’s polished already.”
An NL international scouting director agreed.
“If there was a draft and we had the No. 1 pick, he’d be the guy, no doubt,” he said. “He’s the consensus best player. And with the history of Dominican players and shooting up boards and the competition he’s seen, he’s the guy.”
For now, Cruz projects a hit-over-power bat with plus to double-plus contact skills and a willingness to take the baseball to all fields. He receives rave reviews for his approach and patience at the plate. Scouts like the power upside, though they admit it may never exceed solid average at peak. Cruz is already an above average runner with a strong throwing arm and firecracker actions with the hands and feet on the dirt.
A showcase standout since before his teenage days, Cruz is lauded in scouting circles for his consistency in front of crowds and against advanced competition. The looseness, ease and fluidity with which he operates has folks excited for how the player will mature as he adds strength and explosion.
The Cubs are the favorites to sign Cruz next January and he figures to command one of the biggest signing bonuses in the class.
SS Leodalis “Leo” De Vries – San Diego Padres
One international scouting director evaluated De Vries quite succinctly.
“Yeah, there’s a huge ceiling there.”
Indeed, of all the players available in the 2023-2024 international class, De Vries may possess the highest upside of any of them. Standing at 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, De Vries is wiry and athletic. He’s a switch-hitter with present strength and bat speed from both sides of the plate. In most cases, especially at this age, players are more accomplished and comfortable from one specific side of the plate. That is not the case here. De Vries has real impact, whip and bat-to-ball skills to project from both sides.
Defensively, De Vries is said to be “really, really athletic and super rangy” though he currently lacks the polish and footwork some of his peers have. That said, two of the international scouting directors I spoke with expect the defensive tools to tick up as he grows into his body and receives more professional instruction. He’s currently only an average runner, but the added strength and training could see that tick up half a grade as well over time.
When asked what the final product might look like, one AL international scouting director had this to say:
“He looks like a potential 5-tool guy,” he said. “I’m not sure if he’ll necessarily have a carrying tool, but it might be solid-to-above (average) in everything if he hits like we think. But he’s got to hit.”
It’s the sort of profile that could anchor the top of a lineup or, if some bulk is added, could hit in the 3-hole as a run producer for a number of years.
The San Diego Padres are expected to ink the talented Dominican shortstop to one of the bigger bonuses in the 2023-2024. Quite a coup for an organization expected to sign catcher Ethan Salas during the 2022-2023 class to the biggest bonus in that class.
SS/3B Jose Perdomo – Atlanta Braves
It’s uncommon for a 15-year-old described as “already more physically mature” to be graded so high in scouting circles. Perdomo bucks that trend as a potential middle-of-the-order thumper with significant offensive tools and strong traits at the hot corner. He lacks the upside and ceiling of Cruz and De Vries, but according to the folks I spoke to, he’s unanimously considered the third-best prospect in the 2023-2024 class.
A 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pound infielder, Perdomo is already much stronger than most of his peers and it shows on the field. He already possesses explosive bat speed with real, tangible impact he showcases in games. Perdomo has ringing gap power and is considered the most dangerous teenage bat in Venezuela. When it is all said and done, Perdomo could grow into a 30-homer bat with average bat-to-ball skills.
Defensively, he’s an average athlete with more strength than twitch on the dirt. Perdomo is an average runner and already features a plus throwing arm; a howitzer for a player his age. He’s still playing shortstop in showcase and tournament settings, though most believe he’s destined to shift over as he grows and adds more strength.
“Perdomo is far more physically advanced than his peers,” one AL international scouting director said. “It’s not bad though. Not a bad body like that. He’s just really strong. Ton of strength. Ton of leverage. Just a solid body guy. Loud.”
Scouts are a bit more split on where the hit tool will eventually end up. He’s got some loft to his swing and one director thinks it may limit his consistency on swings in the zone. He’s shown a patient approach and doesn’t necessarily expand the zone, but Perdomo is looking to do damage and that may eventually cap his batting average on a year-to-year basis. The overarching opinion here is a future fringe-average to average hit tool with plus power. He’s a future lineup anchor, maybe something akin to Eugenio Saurez if it all clicks.