Cleveland Guardians 2025 International Signing Day Preview

Here is everything you need to know about the Cleveland Guardians on International Signing Day.
Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing  before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Guardians are currently linked to 26 players for their 2025 international signing class who are set to sign on Wednesday, January 15. The Guardians received a $6,908,600 signing pool by MLB for the 2025 international signing period.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international signing period used to begin on July 2, but now begins on January 15 of every season. An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between January 15 and December 15, 2025. He must turn 16 before he signs. In practical terms, that means players born between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008, are eligible to sign.

Cleveland tends to go with a position player-heavy approach internationally while utilizing the MLB Draft to restock their system with top arms. Position players are considered the safest route usually in the international market especially due to the age and projection as most of the players signed are just 16-to-17 years old.

The Guardians 2025 international class includes 26 players from three different countries. Venezuela leads the way with 16 players followed by nine players from the Dominican Republic and one from Cuba. The class includes 12 pitchers, nine middle infielders, three catchers and two outfielders.

The following 26 players have been arranged in order by their expected signing bonuses from highest to lowest starting with this year's top international sign catcher Hiverson Lopez. Lopez is currently ranked as the 41st-best overall MLB international prospect for this year's class by MLB Pipeline.

Hiverson Lopez - C

Lopez the top international sign at $900K comes out of La Guaria, Venezuela. The 16-year-old catching prospect trains out of MBP Baseball Academy.

Hiverson's best tool is his bat. He already shows good power for his age with potential to add more has he continues to develop and mature. Lopez has good balance at the plate with the abiliity to drive the ball to all fields. His swing is smooth and simple leading to high contact rates while still maintaining the ability to produce impressive bat speed.

Defensively he is still developing but should be able to stick at catching due to his athletic ability and well as an above average arm and accurate throws. He has soft hands and shows the ability to frame pitches as well as a high baseball IQ.

Heins Brito - SS

Brito is from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic and trained at Banana Baseball Academy. The 17-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $825K.

Brito is considered to be well rounded on both offense and defense that can impact the game on both sides of the ball. He is a natural shortstop that possesses above average speed and should be able to stick at the position moving forward.

Offensively he is a switch-hitter with great bat-to-ball skills and strong sense of the strike zone. He is considered to currently be a stronger hitter from the left side but should hit for high average overall from both sides of the plate. He has a smaller frame and lacks power currently but has a chance as he matures to get stronger and drive the ball with more authority in the future.

Defensively Brito shows above average range with soft hands and a strong arm. He is a terrific athlete with great overall instincts for the shortstop position.

Luis Garcia - SS

Garcia is from Santiago, Dominican Republic and trained at Bases Loaded Academy. The 17-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $775K.

The switch-hitter has terrific bat-to-ball skills with high end bat speed and is considered one of the best offensive talents amongst the middle infielders in the 2025 class. Garcia has a strong muscular stocky build with extra base hit ability that lots displays power potential. Defensively he may eventually move from shortstop to second or third base.

Gustavo Baptista - C

Baptista is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at Carlos Rios Baseball Group. The 16-year-old catcher is expected to sign for $450K.

Baptista has a tall athletic wirily body that has good projection with room to grow. He already shows power potential with good balance and hitting ability at plate to go deep into counts.

Defensively he started out as an infielder but moved to the catching and has showed very good progress behind the plate and should be able to stick at the position. He possesses an above average arm with soft hands and the ability to frame pitches well.

Overall, Baptista has a very high ceiling with plus makeup and could be a sleeper in the class.

Jose Riera - SS

Riera is from Puerto Cabello, Venezuela and trained at MVP Ruddy Santin Academy. The 16-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $400K.

Luis Galan - SS

Galan is from Azua, Dominican Republic and trained at Luis Garcia Academy. The 16-year-old is expected to sign for $320K.

On offense Galan brings some power potential from the middle infielder position. On defense he possesses soft hands with good feet and range. He has the chance to stick at the shortstop position.

Rodny Rosario - SS

Rosario is from Maracaibo, Venezuela and trained at RP Baseball Academy. The 17-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $230K.

Jefferson Vargas - SS

Vargas is from San Miranda Carabobo, Venezuela and trained at Caribes Academy. The 17-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $230K.

Marcos Pileta - OF

Pileta is from Santiago, Cuba and trained at Yuan Pino Academy. The 18-year-old is outfielder is expected to sign for $150K.

He is an attack hitter with great bat-to-ball skills who has potential to develop more power as he continues to mature and fill out his frame. On defense he has an above average arm that has touched upper 90's on his throws from the field. Pileta also has above average speed with very good range in the field.

Freilyn Rodriguez - OF

Rodriguez is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and trained at Fausto Garcia Academy. The 16-year-old outfielder is expected to sign for $180K.

At the plate Rodriguez possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with high contact rates. Currently he lacks pop but has the frame to add muscle and strength as he continues to mature. Rodriguez is a center fielder that has very good range and above average speed.

Ricardo Romero - SS

Romero is from Valencia, Venezuela and trained at Star Elite Baseball Academy. The 16-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $110K.

Robert Alvarez - C

Alvarez is from Bolivar, Venezuela and trained at IBL Academy. The 17-year-old catcher is expected to sign for $60K.

Josh Perez - RHP

Perez is from Azua, Dominican Republic and trained at Edison Volquez Academy. The 16-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $60K.

Israel Alvarez - SS

Alvarez is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at JP Estrella Baseball Academy. The 17-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $50K.

Defensively Alvarez has very good instincts with natural actions to be an above average defender at either shortstop or second base. Offensively he possesses above average bat-to-ball skills with high contact rates.

Jhordari Jimenez - RHP

Jimenez is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with Valentin Monero. The 16-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $50K.

Randy Baron - RHP

Baron is from Boca Chica, Dominican Republic and trained at Zorilla Academy. The 17-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $25.5K.

He currently offers a five-pitch mix with a fastball that averages 90-91 mph as well as a curveball, changeup, slider and sinker.

Wilfi Rodriguez - RHP

Rodriguez is from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and trained at Mamacelia Academy. The 17-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $25K.

His repertoire includes three pitches a 93-94 mph fastball, a changeup that sits 85-86 mph and a slider at 79-81 mph. His best pitch overall is the changeup.

Enderson Amaya - RHP

Amaya is from Valencia, Venezuela and trained at Future Prospects 42 Academy. The 17-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $10K.

He has a four-pitch mix that includes a 91-93 mph fastball, a curveball that sits at 78-79 mph, an 85-86 mph changeup and a sinker around 90 mph.

Luis Dorante - RHP

Dorante is from San Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at Pitchers Development Academy. The 18-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Luis currently possesses a fastball that tops out at 93 mph with high spin rates as well as a sweeper with that produces good horizontal movement. He has attack style pitcher who goes after hitters early in the count.

Yoshtner Farfan - LHP

Farfan is from Valencia, Venezuela and trained at Proplayer Academy. The 16-year-old LHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Daniel Gentile - RHP

Gentile is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at MVP Training Academy. The 16-year-old LHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Daniel offers a three-pitch mix that includes an 88-89 mph fastball as well as a curveball and a changeup.

Javier Pedreanez - RHP

Pedreanez is from Caracas, Venezuela and trained at Santa 50 Baseball Academy. The 18-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $10K.

His repertoire includes four pitches a fastball at 89-91 mph, a sinker at 89-91 mph, a changeup that sits at 80-83 mph and a slider at 78-81 mph. The best pitch of the four is his sinker.

Angel Abreu - SS

Abreu is from Maracay, Venezuela and trained at Yorman Rodriguez Academy. The 16-year-old shortstop is expected to sign for $10K.

Angel is and above average athlete, shows great body control and twitchy actions. He is a leader in the infield has proper footwork, quick and secure hands, easy transfer and arm action with average arm strength, can easily manipulate different arm angles with accuracy. Abreu shows flashy defensive actions, covers ground with quickness and always aware on defense.

On offense he has a squared and balanced hitting stance with high leg kick, compact swing with good bat-to-ball skills. Abreu also shows above average barrel awareness and bat speed. He can hit the ball hard when squares it up for line drives spraying the whole field.

Johander Rivero - LHP

Rivero is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at Pitchers Development Academy. The 16-year-old LHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Johander throws a fastball that sits at 88-90 mph, a changeup that fades against left handed batters and a curveball that is his best pitch. Rivero is able to throw his breaking pitches at any pount in the count. He also produces a lot of swing and miss ability and should increase velocity as he continues to mature.

Julio Rossi - RHP

Rossi is from Santiago, Dominican Republic and trained at HR Baseball Academy. The 16-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Rossi offers a three-pitch mix with a fastball that tops out at 93-94 mph as well as a changeup at 83 mph and a curveball at 77 mph. His best pitch of the three is his changeup.

Amilcar Teran - RHP

Teran is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and trained at Pitchers Development Academy. The 17-year-old RHP is expected to sign for $10K.

Amilcar is a strike thrower with a fastball that sits at 90-mph that produces high spin rates as well as a slider that produces many swings and misses and helps combat lefties.


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