Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The 2024 international signing period is here, and the Dodgers were able to officially sign a new batch of international teenage prospects. This year’s class is not as stacked at the top as recent years, with just one consensus top prospect in the 2024 class having signed with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles thrives in the international free agency market every year. Two of the top prospects in the system, Josue De Paula and Joendry Vargas, were signed in the last two IFA periods (De Paula in 2022 and Vargas in 2023). The Dodgers have nearly as many top names in their farm system that came IFA as they do from the draft, with Andy Pages, Thayron Liranzo, Diego Cartaya, Jose Ramos, Yeiner Fernandez and Hyun-Seok Jang representing a few of the top talents that have been acquired this way.
The Dodgers have a base signing pool amounting to $5.284MM for this 2024 period, which lasts until mid-December. With only one player that fetched an expected bonus north of $2MM currently signed, there could be some money left over for later. Rumors will continue to swirl about Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki and his potential decision to come to MLB next offseason, and the Dodgers could be lining themselves up well for a bid at Sasaki if he ends up being posted in late-2024.
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SS Emil Morales
The top player that the Dodgers signed today is 17-year-old shortstop Emil Morales. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Morales has a big frame at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. He was projected for a bonus of $2.4MM, and is the only Dodgers signee who fell on Baseball America’s top 100 projected bonus board.
Power projection is perhaps the best tool in Morales’ profile. He’s built with wide shoulders that FanGraphs’ report likens to an “early-career Fernando Tatis Jr.” in his uniform. That gives a lot of room to fill out his frame with more muscle as he gets older and become a legit power threat.
Morales already has a good feel for the strike zone and being patient, so he should be a solid source of walks and on-base ability, bringing an approach beyond his age into the box. He already is capable of mashing fly balls over the fence to all fields, particularly to his pull side. His swing stays under control better than many teenagers trying to hit for power, and he drives the ball with ease.
Defensively, Morales has solid actions at shortstop and looks decent despite his size. As he gets bigger years into his pro career, he could lose a little mobility and have to move to third base or corner outfield. For now, though, he should remain a shortstop, where he can anchor the infield with his reportedly high baseball IQ and leadership skills.
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OF Rafy Peguero
Dodgers Digest’s own Josh was on the news Saturday night that the Dodgers were signing outfielder Rafy Peguero out of the Dominican Republic. For his player breakdown, check out Josh’s article that is linked above. He was signed for a reported $350,000 bonus.
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The Dodgers signed 17 more prospects aside from Morales and Peguero:
- C Eduardo Rojas, Venezuela
- C Euri Rosa, Dominican Republic
- C Francisco Espinoza, Venezuela
- C Allan Atoji, Uganda
- SS Yojackson Laya, Venezuela
- SS Heudy Peña, Dominican Republic
- IF Reyli Mariano, Dominican Republic
- IF David Romero, Venezuela
- OF Leider Padilla, Venezuela
- OF Erny Orellana, Venezuela
- LHP Michael Ramírez, Venezuela
- RHP Carlos Sardina, Venezuela
- RHP Angel Ramirez, Mexico
- RHP Christian Muñiz, Mexico
- RHP Axel Perez, Dominican Republic
- RHP Alexis Dominguez, Dominican Republic
- RHP Jose Lopez, Venezuela
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Not a lot out there on most of them, but here’s some info on Alexis Dominguez.
Another pitcher – Alexis Dominguez, 6’5, and already up to 95 mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/40TQsIvvKB
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) January 16, 2024
New Dodger prospect Alexis Dominguez side by side with Camilo Doval, full speed and 25%. 18 years old, room for like 20-30 lbs on his frame, and already up to 95, this kid might see triple digits some day. pic.twitter.com/sQCvvTZlVq
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) January 16, 2024
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That does it for a large portion of the Dodgers’ 2024 IFA class. As mentioned near the top of this article, there appears to be some money left over, although exact bonus amounts aren’t announced for every signee. Dodger fans everywhere will hope that money is saved for this IFA class to expand with Roki Sasaki at some point next offseason.
