Baseball America has the same 4 in their top 100, in most cases rated higher than BR

Bazzana 18 vs 12
DeLauter 45 vs 62
Chourio 51 vs 83
Genao 70 vs 78

MLB.com will be updating again before spring training, I believe but current list includes

Bazzana 12
DeLauter 41
Genao 64
Chourio 72
Velazquez 98

Guardians sign 25 international free agents, including top catching prospect

Updated: Jan. 16, 2025, 5:48 p.m.|Published: Jan. 16, 2025, 4:21 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Thursday was another busy day for the Guardians as the international free agent market entered its second day of business.

After signing 10 players Wednesday, the Guardians signed 15 more on Thursday to bring the total to 25. They started with a signing bonus pool of almost $7 million and they’re making good use of it.

Their main international target was catcher Hiverson Lόpez. They signed the Venezuelan native Thursday for $900,000.

Lόpez is a left-handed hitter who, according to Baseball America, makes good contact and has shown power to his pull side. He’s 5-10 and 180 pounds and has an above average arm.

MLB.com gave this scouting report on Lόpez:

“At present, he is more of a bat-to-ball hitter who shows a propensity for spraying hits around the diamond, but some evaluators see more pop in there as he continues to fill out. With minimal moving parts to his swing and repeatable mechanics, there’s belief that he can contribute with the stick.

”Lόpez fits the strong-armed, athletic backstop mold to a tee. He also displays soft hands that should work to his benefit as pitch framing becomes more integral as he moves up an organization’s ladder. He profiles as an everyday player due to his advanced instincts and actions from behind the plate, which figure to give him a solid developmental runway.”

Lόpez was ranked 41st among MLB.com’s top 50 international free agents.

Here are the other players who signed on Thursday:

SS Jose Riera, Venezuela.
C Gustavo Baptista, Venezuela.
RHP Daniel Gentile, Venezuela.
RHP Enderson Amaya, Venezuela.
C Robert Alvarez, Venezuela.
RHP Amilcar Teran, Venezuela.
LHP Johander Rivero, Venezuela.
SS Israel Alvarez, Venezuela.
RHP Luis Dorante, Venezuela.
RHP Javier Pedraenez, Venezuela.
LHP Yoshtner Farfan, Venezuela.
SS Rodney Rosario, Venezuela.
SS Jefferson Vargas, Venezuela.
SS Ricardo Romero, Venezuela.

After Lόpez, the top signing bonuses on Thursday, according to Guardians’ Prospective, went to Baptista at $450,000, Riera $400,000, Rosario $230,000, Vargas $220,000 and Romero $110,000. Several players in Thursday’s signing group signed for $10,000, which does not count against the Guardians’ bonus pool.

Here are the 10 players who signed on Wednesday:

SS Heins Brito, Dominican Republic, $825,000.
SS Luis Garcia, Dominican Republic, $775,000.
SS Luis Galan, Dominican Republic, $320,000.
RHP Randy Baron, Dominican Republic.
RHP Jhordari Jimenez, Dominican Republic.
OF Freilyn Rodriguez, Dominican Republic.
RHP Julio Rossi, Dominican Republic.
RHP Wilfi Rodriguez, Dominican Republic.
RHP Josh Perez, Dominican Republic.
OF Marcos Belen, Cuba.

Brito received the second biggest signing bonus from the Guards.

Here’s what MLB.com had to say about the switch-hitter:

“Brito, a native of San Cristobal, D.R. is an all-around shortstop that has the potential to impact the game both with the bat and glove.”

“His wheels are already a tick above average, which should pave the way for him to impact the game on the basepaths, a one-two punch when factoring in his contact-based approach with the bat.”

Brito was ranked 48th among MLB.com’s top 50 international free agents.

Here are the international signing bonus pools for MLB’s 30 teams:

$7,555,550: Athletics, Reds, Tigers, Marlins, Brewers, Seattle and Rays.

$6,908,600: Guardians, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals and Pirates.

$6,261,600: Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Angels, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Padres, Rangers, Blue Jays and Nationals.

$5,646,200: Astros and Cardinals.

$5,146,200: Dodgers and Giants.

The international signing period runs from Wednesday through Dec. 15. Eligible players must be at least 16 or will turn 16 before Sept. 1 of the current signing period.

Regarding foreign professional players, players who are at least 25 and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by MLB for at least six years, are exempt from the international bonus pool. In other words, they can be showered with millions upon millions of dollars.

Jose Ramirez, Emmanuel Clase, Brayan Rocchio, departed Andres Gimenez, Gabriel Arias, Jhonkensy Noel and Angel Martinez are some of the current and former Cleveland players who have reached the big leagues after being signed as international free agents.

The Guardians signed 15 players from Venezuela, nine from the Dominican and one from Cuba.

“We are thrilled to welcome this group of players into our organization and look forward to partnering with them in their development,” said Richard Conway, Cleveland’s director of international scouting.

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Guards sign 2 of Top 50 international prospects as signing period opens

By Jesse Borek @JesseABore

1:42 PM EST

The Guardians have a storied history of discovering backstop talent from Venezuela. Look to 1996, when the organization signed a switch-hitting catcher from Ciudad Bolívar, Victor Martinez. After three All-Star seasons and 900 hits with Cleveland, the club welcomes another talented Venezuelan catcher looking to carve out his own path.

Joining the mix is the left-handed-hitting Hiverson López, the highest-ranked player in the 2025 international class (No. 41) to sign with the Guardians as the signing period opens. The club also added shortstop Heins Brito, No. 48 overall, giving them two members of the Top 50 for the fourth time in the past five years.

López’s deal is worth $900,000, while Brito receives an $825,000 bonus. The club received $6.9 million in pool money this year.

Fruits of the club’s recent international labor have already begun to show: both Jaison Chourio (Guardians' No. 3 prospect, 2022 signee) and Angel Genao (Cleveland's No. 4 prospect, 2021 signee) entered the Top 100 overall prospects list this past season, having previously been high-profile signings on January 15’s in their own right.

López boasts an exciting profile of tools with both the bat and glove. At present, he is more of a bat-to-ball hitter who shows a propensity for spraying hits around the diamond, but some evaluators see more pop in there as he continues to fill out. His swing and frame have the look of a Miguel Montero-type offensive profile.

Behind the dish, López fits the strong-armed, athletic backstop mold to a tee. Equipped with advanced instincts and actions while in the squat, he also displays soft hands that should work to his benefit as pitch framing becomes more integral as he moves up the club’s organizational ladder.

Brito fits the mold of a player that the Guardians have long been captivated by: a hit-over-power, switch-hitting middle infielder. The club handed out its highest bonus in the 2023 class to Welbyn Francisca, who at 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds, mirrors Brito’s 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. All that the Guardians’ No. 9 prospect has done since signing is hit his way up to Single-A Lynchburg as an 18-year-old, where he batted .325 in 29 games this past year.

Naturally a left-handed hitter, Brito focused primarily on that side during his younger years. He’s added the right-handed side, showcasing a quick stroke from both sides of the dish. He suited up for the Dominican Republic at the 15U World Cup qualifiers in June 2022, stealing a base and collecting two hits over his limited run.

Brito’s wheels are already a tick above average, which should pave the way for him to impact the game on the basepaths, a one-two punch when factoring in his contact-based approach. Competition is always fierce for reps up the middle in the Dominican Summer League, but it’ll be Brito’s bat -- and how quickly it comes on -- that’ll be the determining factor in his upward mobility.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.

Additional notable Guardians signees and bonuses:

Luis García, SS, Dominican Republic -- $775,000
Gustavo Baptista, C, Venezuela -- $450,000
Luis Galan, SS, Dominican Republic -- $320,000

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Here are the Top 10 first base prospects for 2025

MLB Pipeline will reveal its 2025 Top 100 Prospects list at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 24, with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com. Leading up to the release of the Top 100, we'll examine baseball's top 10 prospects at each position.

Buoyed by an influx of premium Draft talent and position changes, the pool of prospect talent at first base is stronger than it has been in years. Six first basemen will make our 2025 Top 100 Prospects list, the most in a single preseason ranking since 2009.

Xavier Isaac (Rays) ranked as baseball's best first-base prospect a year ago and still offers tantalizing power potential. But he has been surpassed by Jac Caglianone (Royals) and Nick Kurtz (Athletics), two of the top six picks in the 2024 Draft, and Bryce Eldridge (Giants), a 2023 first-rounder who became a full-time first baseman after spending his pro debut in right field.

Tre' Morgan (Rays) and C.J. Kayfus (Guardians), both 2023 third-rounders, exceeded expectations in their first full pro seasons, which further helped the first-base cause. So did Josue Briceño (Tigers), Ryan Clifford (Mets) and Ralphy Velazquez (Guardians) becoming primary first basemen after seeing more time elsewhere in the past.

The Top 10 (ETA)

1. Jac Caglianone, Royals (2026)
2. Bryce Eldridge, Giants (2026)
3. Nick Kurtz, Athletics (2026)
4. Xavier Isaac, Rays (2026)
5. Tre' Morgan, Rays (2026)
6. Josue Briceño, Tigers (2027)
7. Ryan Clifford, Mets (2026)
8. Ralphy Velazquez, Guardians (2027)
9. C.J. Kayfus, Guardians (2025)
10. Tyler Locklear, Mariners (2025)

Highest riser: Kayfus
Kayfus didn't make our preseason Guardians Top 30 a year ago, then slashed .291/.393/.511 with 17 homers in 107 games while moving to Double-A in his first full pro season. He did a better job of hunting pitches he could do damage against early in counts and of driving them in the air to his pull side in 2024.

Humblest beginning: Kayfus
Kayfus received the lowest bonus of this group, signing for $700,000 as the 93rd overall choice in the 2023 Draft. He performed well in two seasons as a starter at Miami and in the Cape Cod League, but he still had a hit-over-power tag that isn't the most desirable at first base.

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