January 15, 2026 International Signing Period

[owaistabish]

Amazing find! I didn't have much luck doing so.

[Squire]

I put this in the transaction thread but its relevant here. The Phillies have traded RHP Griff McGarry to the Dodgers for International Pool Allocation and either a PTBNL or cash considerations

[phillychuck]

That seems surprising, and it’s the kind of move that can look really stupid in a year or two if the Dodgers fix his control issues. It’s pretty unusual for the Phils to trade FOR international money...might be a good sign.

[zambonir]

Well it certainly doesn't seem ideal that it's the Dodgers who wanted him but the Phillies just seemed done with him, and unable to find him a role or path out of the minors. And to get any kind of a return for a guy who was skipped in one Rule 5 and sent back in the other seems kind of impressive. One assumes it started with their need for the $ and then the Dodgers said who they might want, so that's the part you wonder about.

But also I don't think they have a "year or two." He has to make and remain on a 40 by the end of this season or he's a free agent, no?

[andyb]

I think McGarry would be rule 5 eligible again at the end of the year but might need some more time for minor league free agency. That requires 6 full years but he has only had his draft year plus five more.

Whenever he goes on the 40 he would have all of his options left so the Dodgers could fix him in the minors this year and have 3 years starting with next year to use him on options if they wanted to.

McGarry did not have huge value and it is pretty clear we were not fixing him. I am OK with the allocation even if it is only the minimum $250K. Our new international director does seem to be more consistent in signing talent.

[zambonir]

$500K per Romero.

[BostonRoss]

In today's radio pre-game, Preston Mattingly said it was done to get money for someone they wanted to sign.

[Squire]

And here he is

https://x.com/joedoylemilb/status/2046644222330314930?s=46&t=he3G2vIJM4e_Fto6-VuLeg

[andyb]

We might actually have one of the top classes this year. If people thought we were top 5 before we added Rego and this kid and a few others then we might be shooting towards the top now. The previous ranking was based on Renteria but also because a couple of our other top signings like Parra were seen as underrated value.

Maybe Derrick Chung is helping us in Asia also.

[fish]

Maybe Derrick Chung is helping us in Asia also.

While I’ll give Chung credit for having Korean heritage, this was likely more about Middleton’s money.

[andyb]

Bonus is $1.2 million according to Francys Romero. Largest bonus for any international pitching prospect this period.

I am a little torn about this. It is a huge figure for a guy that was not on any big prospect lists before the period. Reminds me a bit of the overpay for that Australian pitcher of $800k we did a decade ago in Josh Gessner. We had to use our pool money that period. Now we clearly went out and got more money here. It is hard to evaluate the wisdom of doing that.

The kid can be a very good prospect but getting 4 Regos may be the better strategy.

[Matt_Winkelman]

They got money for Gessner at the time by trading Thomas Eshelman to the Orioles. It is a balancing act where you are probably overpaying to buy him out of the KBO draft and other teams, and knowing that the Latin market has probably settled out now with players already doing their showcases. It is likely guys that pop in the summer will look to get into the 2027 class. Rego also has gotten good press here because the primary source is plugged into the Cuban players and tends to be optimistic about them.

[Philsmania]

Bonus is $1.2 million according to Francys Romero. Largest bonus for any international pitching prospect this period.

I am a little torn about this. It is a huge figure for a guy that was not on any big prospect lists before the period. Reminds me a bit of the overpay for that Australian pitcher of $800k we did a decade ago in Josh Gessner. We had to use our pool money that period. Now we clearly went out and got more money here. It is hard to evaluate the wisdom of doing that.

The kid can be a very good prospect but getting 4 Regos may be the better strategy.

Don't forget the Seung Lee/Il Kim fiasco in 2001.

[andyb]

None of that means it wasn't an overpay though. I get that Gessner's money came from the Eshelman trade and they had to use it. It just seemed to me that a guy that threw in the low 90s in Gessner with some pitchability should not have gotten any bonus close to that. I never thought much of Eshelman so one can surmise the Phillies just thought Gessner was better, but in that case they should not back themselves into a corner with a deal.

$1.2 million is a lot for an international pitching prospect these days. It is a fair question as to whether it is too much since so many of them are signing for much less. Transactional logic like with Gessner might be fine, but I kind of want an organization that plans in advance rather than reacts to limited choices.

[Matt_Winkelman]

The bonus is about what you are buying the player out of. Gessner was a high schooler who had a commitment to Tulane so it is equivalent of drafted HSer buying the out of college. For Korean player you are buying them out of being a first round pick in the KBO draft. It also sounds like the Pirates and Yankees were in so they outbid teams it wasn’t like a LA kid with a year’s old deal. The Korean market is also strange in that the signing period is essentially now and not the early deals of other LA players. I get what you are saying, but you are also comparing apples to oranges as you are talking about signing a high schooler currently pitching vs their peers or a teenager who you agreed with at 14 or 15 or a guy who has popped up in workouts. Your argument is essentially don’t participate in the Korean market. And really all this cost them is a guy they have been actively shopping since last November

[andyb]

I understand the transactional nature of this. I am only suggesting that we could potentially have acquired more prospect value with our $1.2 million. And remember we are competing with small market teams with larger bonus pools even accounting for the extra $500K.

As for Korea, yes it might be too expensive to participate in the 17-year-old international market. I'd rather sign a 25-year-old free agent as we have seen that those types of Asian free agents are often better values than MLB free agents who tend to be older and more expensive. I think I would prefer the Phillies to acquire the pool space as early as possible and plan how to use it. And do things like trade for competitive balance picks to bolster our overall prospect depth.

Overall I am still a fan of course because every dollar invested in the international free agent pool is probably worth $10 invested in older free agents if not more (understanding the different markets). Draft and international dollars are artificially limited by pool size so the potential WAR return can be great.

[fish]

I am only suggesting that we could potentially have acquired more prospect value with our $1.2 million.

Maybe if they had allocated it a year or two ago, But not likely at this point in the period. I imagine it’s pretty common for teams to keep some dry powder in case an opportunity comes up later in the signing period like this…or if they cut ties with someone they otherwise planned to sign. When the pickings slim out it’s probably a little easier for a kid like this to squeeze some more money out of bidders trying to get good talent from their last dollars.

[owaistabish]

Phillies have just about $636k left per Francys Romero's article today (paywalled)

[owaistabish]

https://x.com/wilberdata/status/2049215671096205524?s=46&t=BSaiWYyV3UpEz8IoQTGVJQ

Phillies scout in Mexico

[andyb]

Kevin Alvarado among the releases from the DSL this year after just signing. We could very well be trending to one DSL team. Elias Marrero who was a $700K signing last year also released after hitting .175 in his only season.