Tigers Welcome Aboard Three More International Amateur Free Agents
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The Detroit Tigers recently made some large-scale deals without much hesitation. In fact, they haven't shown much hesitancy this offseason to begin with.
The MLB international signing period opened on Jan. 15, allowing franchises from across the nation to welcome international stars to their ball clubs. For the Tigers, this meant signing some notable names, including catcher Manuel Bolivar, shortstop Oscar Tineo and outfielder Randy Santana.
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However, Detroit didn't stop there, as they acquired a handful of additional players, along with three recent international amateur free agents from Venezuela.
Tigers’ Latest Addition of Trio
Just a few short days ago, Detroit officially announced its list of amateur free agents. The list mentioned:
- Manuel Bolivar (C)
- Roman Silgado (C)
- Eduardo Tusen (IF)
- Oscar Tineo (SS)
- Douglas Olivo (CF)
- Diego Orro (OF)
- Randy Santana (CF)
- Santiago Ventura (CF)
- Jesus Miranda (RHP)
- Alexander Padilla (RHP)
- Yeuri Ramirez (RHP)
Of course, the news to make headlines as of late was Santana, Bolivar and Tineo, each of whom is reportedly brought on with a seven-figure contract.
As stated by Tigers director of Latin American operations Miguel Garcia in reference to Bolivar, per Jesse Borek of MLB.com, "This kid has a tremendous set of tools. He's got a good body for his position, catcher, and the ability to develop some power down the road, having a plus arm and good defensive skills. We like his makeup, the way that he handles himself on and off the baseball field. We're pretty excited about Manuel Bolivar.”
However, three additional players from Venezuela have been added, including Yojan Coronel, Steve Gutierrez and Edwinyer Martinez. While these rising stars aren't considered top-of-line like the initial trio, there's still great potential and talent coming aboard.
We have signed the following international amateur free agents:
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) January 17, 2026
C Yojan Coronel (Venezuela)
IF Steve Gutierrez (Venezuela)
OF/IF Edwinyer Martinez (Venezuela)
This is the kind of young talent that will carry a ball club far. Focusing too much on already established veterans can provide instant gratification on the field, but it's the development of the younger stars that provides longevity for a franchise.
Signing international free agents now only opens doors for the prospects, but it also allows teams to reach more talent. This year, Venezuela held three of the top four spots in the 2026 international class, as further reported by Borek on Jan. 16, the day after the signing period opened.
Detroit has done a fine job at navigating the offseason in general, but it has acquired some promising international talent in recent days, as well. Ultimately, this will only help propel the franchise in years to come.
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Maria Aldrich lives in the captivating Adirondack Mountains in New York where she can be found scaling cliffs, hiking in the High Peaks and paddling down local rivers. After graduating from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education, Maria began documenting her backcountry experiences through written stories. Over the years, she has found herself drawn to sports journalism and now focuses on MLB, WNBA, NCAA and NHL writing. She can be reached at mariaaldrich20@outlook.com.