Pirates Set to Sign International Prospect Duo
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have another important part of the offseason coming up with the international signing period.
The international signing period starts on Jan. 15, which allows amateur international players to sign with MLB teams and become professionals.
Pittsburgh has added some top players through the international signing period, with the likes of prospects in outfielders Edward Florentino and Esmerlyn Valdez from the Dominican Republic.
There are two players that the Pirates are linked to this international signing period, that are amongst the best available.
Duo the Pirates May Sign During the International Signing Period
Ben Balder of Baseball America has the Pirates signing two players on their top 100 in shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. and outfielder Jeancer Custodio.
He ranks Guerrero at 19th and Custodio at 54th, but MLB Pipeline has higher rankings for both players, with Custodio at seventh and Guerrero at 17th.
Guerrero is the son of former MLB player Wilton Guerrero Sr. (1996-2004), with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals. He is also the nephew of Hall of Famer Vladmir Guerrero Sr.
He stands 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and turns 17 years old on May 29 and is a right-handed batter.
Guerrero has incredible speed, with MLB Pipeline giving him a "70" grade, which is "well above average. He also reportedly has gotten to first base in 4.1 seconds and his quickness makes him a better defensive shortstop.
He shows good contact already and has the potential to develop his power. He'll also look to improve upon his arm strength to become an even better fielder.
Custodio gives the Pirates a bat they will hope turns into one of the better parts of their lineup in the next few seasons.
He also stands 5-foot-10, but 185 pounds, and is a strong hitter, with MLB Pipeline giving him a "65" hit grade and a "55" power grade.
Custodio featured with the Dominican Republic at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2024. He slashed .333/.429/.375 for an OPS of .804, with four stolen bases, eight hits, a double and three RBI.
His best skill set right now is his approach to hitting, with good vision that makes him a hitter that can go for power. Scouts see this as an area that, if he works on, will become a top bat for the future.
What is the International Signing Period
This includes players that are already 16 before they sign and not older than 17 before Sept. 1 of the next year, meaning they have to be born between Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009
MLB teams have a certain amount of money to spend, a bonus pool, based on a variety of factors like revenue, market size and money earned from trades. Teams can only spend what they're allotted pool and nothing more.
The Pirates have the highest pool of $8,034,900, which the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals all have as well.
Deals for $10,000 or less don't count against the bonus pool, so teams can use that money on just one player, like the Los Angeles Dodgers did with Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.
The Pirates will sign two big free agents like Guerrero and Custodio, but also invest some money in other players in the $100,000 range or higher as well.
Some of the better players for the Pirates came from international signings, like catcher Manny Sanguillen, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Aramis Ramírez.
Whether the Pirates will make that signing is unknown, but the promise of landing a top player is why teams spend their money like they do in the international signing period.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.