Mets Sign Top International Prospect to Franchise Record Bonus

The New York Mets have signed Elian Peña, the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 international class, to a franchise-record bonus.

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Despite being told they were out of the Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes, the New York Mets still made a big splash in the international free-agent market as soon as the signing period opened.

On Wednesday, the Mets officially signed 17-year-old shortstop Elian Peña from the Dominican Republic. Peña's deal, worth $5 million, is the largest bonus the Mets have ever awarded an international free agent. Many outlets rank him No. 2 in the 2025 class, trailing only Sasaki.

The Mets have officially signed Dominican SS Elian Peña for $5,000,000. This is the largest IFA bonus in franchise history and the largest for a Latin American player this period

Peña ranked as the No. 2 prospect for @BaseballAmerica and No. 3 for @MLBPipeline

📸: @BenBadler pic.twitter.com/fSwwZGQ4Y2

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) January 15, 2025

A left-handed hitter, Peña is highly regarded by scouts for his advanced pitch recognition, solid plate discipline, and patience to work deep into counts and draw walks. According to Baseball America, he also possesses remarkable bat speed that has the potential to develop into 25-30 home run power.

The 5-foot-11 shortstop has even drawn comparisons to Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, as noted by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. However, scouts have cautioned that Peña may not hit quite as well as the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner.

MLB Pipeline ranked Peña as the No. 3 prospect in the 2025 international signing period, placing another 17-year-old Dominican shortstop, Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez (signed with the San Francisco Giants for $3 million), slightly ahead of him. Still, they had high praise for Peña, the newest addition to the Mets’ system.

"Evaluators rave about his off-the-field makeup and in-game savvy, believing he has legitimate five-tool impact potential across the board," Jesse Borek of MLB Pipeline wrote about Peña. He added that Peña has shown strong footwork and a natural feel for shortstop, along with smooth hands, making it likely that he will spend the majority of his time at the position.

The Mets finished the 2024 season with MLB Pipeline’s 13th-best farm system. According to their rankings, the organization features five of the league’s Top 100 prospects: Brandon Sproat, RHP (No. 40); Jett Williams, SS/OF (No. 52); Drew Gilbert, OF (No. 74); Ryan Clifford, OF/1B (No. 87); and Carson Benge, OF (No. 99).

Baseball Prospectus took a slightly different approach with their Top 101, but still included the same number of Mets prospects. Their list features pitching prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong while excluding Gilbert and Clifford. Other notable players who narrowly missed both lists include Jesus Baez and Luisangel Acuña, the latter of whom made his MLB debut last season.

Regardless of where they rank now, the Mets' farm system is filled with promising talent. Peña may be years away from making an impact at the big-league level, but with 2024 NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor and breakout infield star Mark Vientos under club control for the foreseeable future, Mets fans have reason to be patient.