January 15, 2026 International Signing Period

[zambonir]

Has it been pretty bad for years already? Teams pulling out of the country entirely, players not being able to go home or leave, etc.? Certainly it would make things that much worse. And, perhaps, worse for the Phillies since they've always been more connected there.

[julio]

I wonder what a war with VZ would mean to ballplayers.

It could get a lot worse. Consider the amount of collateral damage that has been done in the ongoing drone campaign against "terrorists" in the Middle East. US attacks have mistakenly blown up wedding celebrations, hospitals, etc. There's no reason to believe that, if the Trump administration decides to attack "narco-terrorists" within Venezuela, there won't be equivalent collateral damage. It won't just be the "bad guys" (however Trump, Hegseth, and Rubio choose to define the bad guys) that die; it will be people around them, often only incidentally around them.

As outrageous as the "summary justice" being visited on Venezuelans (and others - the boats being hit in the Eastern Pacific haven't come from Venezuela, which has... shall we say... a very small Pacific coast!) have not impacted random people who "just happened to be there" when the missiles landed. (This is assuming that the boats targeted really did have drug runners aboard, which is completely undocumented and unconfirmed.)

But attacks on land? Random people will get caught up. Children. Old people. Of course, Trump and Hegseth will lie to us, and claim that the dead 5-year-old was really a terrorist.

Maybe it won't come to that; it appears that several US-based oil companies have declined to go into Venezuela in the aftermath of a US invasion, which may have cooled Trump's ardor for the whole idea.

[fish]

Well,besides all those thing which are more important, I was thinking more along the lines of some kind of prohibition of signing players from a country you are at war with, especially if he goes so far as to make venezuelan’ in the US “enemies of the state” for deportation. Then again, it wouldn’t be a real war in the sense that congress authorized it, and things that could impact billionaires have a funny way of finding loopholes that keep their interests untouched.

[zambonir]

This is how Pete Rose is gonna get in the Hall of Fame.

Those are real concerns, I think thus far (and in the first term) the "extraordinary" visas for players have been bumpier, but ultimately unaffected. It could affect the ability of players to see their families too.

[flyers19rw]

I think that we’ve already seen some of the effect that rough irrational relations between the U.S. and Venezuela can cause. Getting the families of players from Venezuelan to the US has been difficult. CIP-the Alvarados. Visa issues are common. It might affect the willingness of teams to sign Venezuelan players in the future. I wouldn’t trust the U.S. government to not refuse Venezuelan players entry and to deport those that are here.

[julio]

I wouldn’t put it past Trump to try to deport the Red Sox, if he decides he’s a Yankee fan.

[fish]

2027 lefty Leonel Rodriguez 93-94 mph

PITCHERS DEVELOPMENT 🔥 on Instagram: "Leonel Rodríguez LHP 2027 PHILADELPHIA...

[fish]

Carlos Reyes- another 2027.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRxfY74idRW/?igsh=azZncDVrcnlxN3Fv

He looks a little bigger in this vid.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNlFy6tRcve/?igsh=MTdwc2d2NjE5OWh6aQ==

[andyb]

Unlike last year when the top of the list was in front of the paywall, Francys Romero has his top 50:

MLB International signing period (2025-2026)

[owaistabish]

Philadelphia Phillies ($6,679,200)

OF Francisco Renteria ($4,200,000) VEN

SS Juan Parra ($650,000) VEN

RHP Justin Burgos ($350,000) DR

He has a strong, physical frame standing at 6’5”, with a fastball in the low 90s and good feel for both his breaking ball and changeup. He is a highly projectable pitcher who will likely need time for all the pieces to come together, but offers significant developmental upside.

He was a member of the Dominican Republic national team at the 2024 U-15 World Cup held in Colombia. Despite some command issues, Burgos stood out in the tournament, striking out six batters while holding opponents to a .115 batting average.

C Sebastian Saenz ($200,000) VEN

Advanced hitting ability, solid behind the plate in fielding, blocking, and throwing, with plus defensive skills overall. Shows power to all fields.

RHP Yilmar Samudio ($100,000) PAN

Samudio was linked to the Yankees beginning in November 2024, but returned to the market in late September. The Phillies signed him, securing a very interesting, fluid arm with velocity peaks of 94 mph and significant room for continued development. He features a natural curveball that generates plenty of strikes and shows command of his pitches. As he continues to develop, his 6’2” frame draws comparisons to former MLB pitcher Jaime Barria.

LHP Samuel Ortiz ($100,000) VEN

Left-hander pitcher with great strength and athleticism. He consistently works in the 88 to 91 MPH range and can reach 93 MPH. He generates a high number of swings and misses, and his changeup, currently his third pitch, has the potential to become elite. Ortiz has the opportunity to develop as a starter.

INF Patrick Silva ($20,000) ITA

Shows potential to develop power as a hitter. Patrick was born in Novara, Italy, and is the son of Conrado Silva, a shortstop who played in Cuba’s National Series between 1990 and 2000 with the Matanzas teams. Patrick has been a member of the Italian national team since the U-12 level and has participated in multiple international tournaments. He competed in the U-18 World Cup held in Japan in September 2025.

RHP Jorge Miranda ($20,000) PAN

RHP Jose Romero ($10,000) VEN

RHP Alexandre Moreti ($10,000) JPN

Eighteen-year-old right-handed pitcher, born in Japan with a Brazilian father. Moreti competed with the Brazilian national team in the most recent U-23 Pre-World Championship, held in Peru in October 2025.

[fish]

$10k for Jose Romero? that's a bit surprising. Good for the Phils!

VZ infielder Daviel Avila is the first 2029 name (at least I assume because he's shown with a Phillies helmet) - good looking swing, obviously needs a lot of strength with plenty of time to get it.

5J Baseball Park on Instagram: "🔥 Daviel Ávila ( INF 2029 ) 🔥 Talento 5J 🚀 📹...

[andyb]

Surprised that Jose Romero is only a $10K bonus from the writeup and video that was posted here awhile back. Burgos does seem to be exactly the type of pitching prospect we want that we have not been able to sign recently (young, tall, and projectible with some present tools).

[owaistabish]

I think their main 2029 signing as of now is Kenny acuna

[andyb]

I thought Acuna was the 2028 class. Not surprised Moreti (the Japanese kid reported on a few months ago) is only $10K. He went undrafted in the Japanese draft. I think the news was we actually are going to sign a Japanese player.

[owaistabish]

Yes sorry. Ismel Cardona for now at $700k linked to phillies for 2029

[fish]

RHP Yilmar Samudio

Samudio sure looks to have a feel for the curve based on this bad video.

[owaistabish]

This class looks to have some high upside players and good value. After a long time it seems.

[flyers19rw]

If any of these guys from Venezuela have real promise, I’d get them out of the country before the political situation turns real sour.

[Docs]

What are the options to pull guys out? Can they go to an academy in the DR?

[fish]

What are the options to pull guys out? Can they go to an academy in the DR

They all do once they sign.