Baltimore Orioles To Add Top International Prospects
The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to deal with two of the Top 30 international prospects as part of the 2024 signing class, per MLB Pipeline.
The Orioles have reportedly agreed to a deal with No. 28 prospect Stiven Martinez, an outfielder, and shortstop Emilio Sanchez, a shortstop and the No. 30 prospect.
Sanchez will get a reported $1.3 million while Martinez will get $950,000.
Baltimore hasn’t formally announced the deals. The Orioles likely are not done spending. The deals for Sanchez and Martinez don’t even account for half of the Orioles’ $7.114 million signing bonus pool.
It’s just more ammunition for the Orioles to continue lining out the best farm system in the game, one that helped them produce key pieces of last season’s AL East champions, who also won 101 games, the first time the team won at least 100 games in a season since 1980.
Last January the Orioles’ most significant international signing was shortstop Luis Almeyda, who nabbed a $2.3 million bonus from the club. That was the largest bonus given out in club history and Almeyda was the No. 20 prospect.
Almeyda spent last summer in the Dominican Summer League and batted .190 with two home runs and 14 RBI. He’s assigned to the Orioles’ Florida Complex League team. He is the Orioles’ No. 25 prospect and not expected to be Major League-ready until at least 2027.
One should not expect Martinez or Sanchez to be stateside anytime soon. Most international prospects play their first season in the Dominican Republic.
Scouts say Martinez has raw power and has the athletic ability to play any outfield position. Sanchez is a more advanced fielder than hitter at the moment.
