Blue Jays sign top international outfield prospect: report

Jan 15 2023, 7:55 pm

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly adding another outfielder prospect into the mix.

“According to industry sources, the club has agreed to a $4.1 million deal with outfielder Enmanuel Bonilla,” Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com wrote on Sunday. “The Blue Jays, who have a base signing pool of $5,284,000, have not confirmed the agreement. The deal is pending a physical.”

Bonilla is the No. 7-ranked player on the Top 50 International Prospects list. A 16-year-old outfielder from Sabaneta de Yasica, Dominican Republic, Bonilla is listed at 6’1″, 180 pounds.

“A corner outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Bonilla already shows plus raw power and is one of the best sluggers in the class,” his MLB.com profile reads. “Physically, he’s strong and mature with room to develop even more. And while his hit tool is a work in progress just like other prospects his age, Bonilla shows superior bat speed and the ability to hit fastballs hard to all fields. He has the potential to make an impact on the game each time he steps into the batter’s box.”

International free agents are one of the ways teams can stock up their prospect cupboards, along with the annual MLB draft each year.

Most notably on the current roster, the Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as an international free agent in 2015 before he made his MLB debut four years later.

Per TSN’s Scott Mitchell, the deal is the largest international bonus handed out by the team in team history.

While Bonilla won’t crack the MLB for at least a few seasons yet, he’ll likely be one to keep an eye on as he works his way up through Toronto’s minor league system.

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

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