Toronto Blue Jays sign several international free agents
The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping to land a gem in one of baseball’s more peculiar player acquisition processes.
While most of the fanbase’s attention was focused on the big-ticket signing of outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year deal worth upwards of $90 million, the team’s front office also made a few smaller deals.
On Monday, the Blue Jays officially started the international free agent period, inking four players from the Caribbean and South America, as per Baseball America’s International Signings Tracker.
The Jays stuck to infielders to get things going, reportedly landing four shortstops: Cristopher Polanco and Juan Sanchez from the Dominican Republic, and Elaineiker Coronado and Kennew Blanco from Venezuela.
But if you haven’t heard about any of the new talents, it’s not all that surprising. Polanco and Blanco are both just 17 years old, with most international free agents signing in their late teens before eventually progressing through the minor league system, should they stick around.
According to Baseball America, the Blue Jays ended up with 18 international free agents last year. While most players in North America find their way into the majors via the MLB Draft, the international free agent signing process is a longstanding baseball tradition, unlike any other major sport on the continent.
But the hope for such players isn’t necessarily that they’ll immediately jump to the major leagues; rather, it’s quite the long-term investment. Three current Blue Jays projected to be on the opening roster were signed as international free agents: infielder Leo Jimenez, catcher Alejandro Kirk, and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero.
The latter two have made the All-Star Game and been Silver Sluggers in their careers, which is proof that there can be success stories for the young free agents. For now, it’s time to mostly admire their careers from afar,
- You might also like:
- Toronto Blue Jays finally sign someone good in free agency