Cleveland Sports Forum

Cleveland Guardians Offseason Prospect Report 1/1-6/25

Juan Brito continues to handle 1B in Dominican League; Venezuelan League on hold

Matthew Kennell and Arthur Kinney

Jan 7

Guardians Prospects:

Milan Tolentino (starting 2B, Hermosillo - Thursday): 0-2, 1 K - Tolentino started the calendar year for the Guards with a rough night at the plate in the Naranjeros’ postseason opener before being pinch hit for in the seventh.

Juan Brito (1B, Toros - Friday): 2-4, 2 K - Brito provided two of the Toros’ five hits in his first full game of the Round Robin phase of the LIDOM Postseason.

Angel Genao (SS, Aguilas - Friday): 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 E - The Guardians allowed Genao to return to the Aguilas for the Round Robin and the yellow Cibao squad is certainly happy they did as Ange; doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, leading him to later open the scoring in the previously scoreless contest.

Jaison Chourio (RF, Zulia - Friday): 0-5, 1 K - Chourio went hitless in his first action of the postseason and possibly last of this Venezuelan campaign. While the LVBP Round Robin will restart on Wednesday, the question of further participation by MLB-contracted players is an open one, with the Brewers already denying Jaison’s brother and Aguilas teammate Jakcson already having been denied permission by the Brewers to continue his LVBP season.

Johnathan Rodriguez (LF, Carolina - Friday): 0-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Rodriguez drove in the opening run of the Gigantes’ postseason on a first-inning groundout.

Milan Tolentino (2B-SS, Hermosillo - Friday): 3-4, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 E - Tolentino’s three-run homer rapped up an eight-run bottom of the second that all but assured the Naranjeros of a series-evening victory.

Juan Brito (1B, Toros - Saturday): 1-4 - Brito continued his solid start to 2026 with another base hit on Saturday evening.

Johnathan Rodriguez (LF. Carolina - Saturday): 2-3, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Rodriguez hit both of the Gigantes’ Saturday doubles.

Dayan Frias (SS, Cartagena - Saturday): 0-4, 1 BB - Frias reached base via walk despite going hitless to start his 2026.

Juan Brito (1B, Toros - Sunday): 1-for-4, R, 2B - A one-out double to right resulted in a run scored for the Toros squad in the midst of a four-run inning that turned the tide of the game.

Johnathan Rodriguez (LF, Carolina - Sunday): 0-for-2, R, 3 BBs - The on-base percentage for Rodriguez rose significantly but the Guardians slugger was unable to get a hit in the two at-bats where they made him put the ball in play. He walked three times and scored to start a four-run eighth inning.

Milan Tolentino (2B, Hermosillo - Sunday): 0-for-5 - It was a day to forget for the nine-hole hitter Tolentino in an 0-for-5 effort with one strikeout. He was pinch hit for in extra innings.

Dayan Frias (SS, Cartagena - Sunday): 1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 BBs - After the team batted around in a five-run first inning where he led off the frame with a walk, he followed that up with a lead-off single in the second. His final at-bat of the four was a walk in the fifth before he was lifted for a defensive replacement in the blowout win.

Juan Brito (1B, Toros - Monday): 0-5 - Monday saw Brito go hitless for the first time in the new year.

Milan Tolentino (2B-SS, Hermosillo - Monday): 0-3, 1 K - Another hitless night for Tolentino as the Charros tied the series at two games apiece.

Angel Genao (2B, Aguilas - Tuesday): 1-3, 1 BB - Genao continued an incredible Dominican campaign by reaching twice in Tuesday’s Round Robin contest.

Dayan Frias (SS, Cartagena - Tuesday): 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Frias scored the tying run in the Tigres’ top of the ninth comeback.

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Why is Brito playing 1st base?

Best guess is that is his best defensive position. So if you are highlighting him put him at best position !

If that's his best defensive postion, his value has diminished. He is a switch hitter, however, so if he's as solid as a RH as an LH he can provide some balance

Takeaways from FanGraphs’ 2026 Guardians Prospect Rankings

We can’t block any of these guys, remember?

by Quincy Wheeler

Jan 10, 2026, 9:00 AM CST

Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski offered their thoughts on Cleveland Guardians’ farm-hands on FanGraphs yesterday - what can Guardians’ fans gather from their insights?

First, some obligatory caveats - while Longenhagen and Gawlowski are, of course, incredibly talented and insightful writers, they cannot possibly know every farm system as in-depth as they would need to in order to offer the best possible analysis. At the same time, their more broad perspective should offer folks more focused on the Guardians’ system some useful context and challenges to their own thinking. Prospect evaluators are not infallible, we all realize, so it’s best to appreciate the wheat and cheerfully discard the chaff when reading these pieces.

The DeLauter Dilemma

The FanGraphs’ guys rank DeLauter as the Guardians’ best prospect and rave about his hitting, but express concerns about (of course) his injury history and his fielding. This takeaway was particularly worth contemplating:

You do what you have to do in a do-or-die situation, we guess, but going forward, we hope Cleveland takes the bat in the hand here. The Guardians should do everything they can to keep DeLauter in the lineup, and if that means he’s a DH, so be it.

I think Longenhagen and Gawlowski have said out loud what a lot of us have been puzzling about all offseason. Do the Guardians really think an injury-prone outfielder like DeLauter can play centerfield for a full major league season? Or even split time between centerfield and designated hitter? It seems Icarian thinking at best, even if I am a bit more optimistic about DeLauter’s defensive abilities than these writers are. Right now, the other centerfield options on the 40-man (or adjacent) are Nolan Jones, Angel Martinez, Petey Halpin, Stuart Fairchild and Kahlil Watson. Not inspiring. And, we have zero indication the team would ever consider moving Steven Kwan to center, allowing DeLauter and Valera to start in left and right.

Ralphy Velazuez Raving

He has the work ethic and motor to potentially play an outfield corner and

“he enters 2026 as an arrow-up guy with a chance to reach Cleveland as soon as this summer”

according to Longenhagen. Yes, please.

Bamboozled by Bazzana

The FanGraphs folks agree with my own assessment that Travis Bazzana is a second base-only option defensively. They are still high on his ability to pull fly balls and get on-base. I was unsure why Bazzana didn’t get a 55 future value rating, but only a 50 when I read their assessment, but I assume it is limited defensive value and concerns he won’t be able to lower his strikeout rate significantly. Overall, it was a positive scouting report accompanied by a prediction he ends up in Cleveland this summer, though they are higher on Angel Genao than Bazzana, overall.

Pitching Pairs

The FanGraphs’ prospect guys offered some caution about Cleveland’s current pitching depth, but they still like some guys in the system and offered some great comps. Parker Messick is “ultra competitive and sneaky athletic” like a “pitching version of Alejandro Kirk”, Kahl Stephen shares similarities with the Mariners’ Bryce Miller, and Braylon Doughty with a little more command developed could be the next Shane Bieber.

Other Observations:

They really like Tugboat, Gabriel Rodriguez and Robert Arias, interestingly enough. They’ve still got doubts about teenage phenoms Dauri Fernandez and Juneiker Caceres. They’ve bailed on Welbyn Francisca and have significant doubts about Cooper Ingle as a catcher defensively, and think he’s mostly a singles hitter. They wonder if a healthy Daniel Espino could break camp in the bullpen. They’re impressed with how the team has developed lefty reliever Steven Perez. They introduced me to a name I’d never heard of in Kendeglys Virguez who looks to be a reliever who can hit 101 mph, turning 22 years old this season. They are down a bit on Juan Brito whom they see as a bad defender but a guy who can pull the ball in the air reliably against lefties and hit right-handers well enough to still be a 1-2 fWAR guy.

You should read the whole piece, https://blogs.fangraphs.com/cleveland-g ... prospects/ but I think the most interesting parts were at the end where they talked about the system, overall. Are the Guardians losing pitchers they used to target in the draft to teams across MLB who have caught up to their ability to eye market inefficiancies there? Are the Guardians targeting guys with high exit velocity in the draft to make up for an over-reliance on contact hitters in the past or to exploit a new undervalued resource in the draft?

I have my quibbles, but, as I said, I think it’s best to focus on the positives with these lists. The Guardians and their prospects will either disprove some of Longenhagen’s/Gawlowski’s doubts, or they won’t, but it’s fun to dream on some of the exciting tools and potential national writers see in our team’s minor leagues.

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Guardians sign Italian reliever with viral screwball to minor league deal

Updated: Jan. 10, 2026, 2:54 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2026, 2:41 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The next project for the Guardians’ vaunted pitching factory is a hard-throwing “paisan” who features a rare breaking pitch in his arsenal.

Cleveland announced on Saturday the club has signed right-hander Ettore Giulianelli to a minor league contract for 2026, adding the intriguing Italian prospect whose screwball made waves on social media in 2024.

Ettore Giulianelli - 92mph Cutter and a 74mph Screwball
https://youtu.be/saMMjHeRyVo

[ Back in the Day, the screwball was my favorite pitch ]

Giulianelli, a 22-year-old from Rimini, Italy, will report to minor league camp in late February. The 6-foot-3 reliever has drawn attention for his unique pitch profile, particularly his screwball that generated internet buzz when he showcased it during a Florida Coast League game.

Giulianelli’s screwball, a pitch that has become less commonly utilized by major league pitchers in recent years, is especially effective due to his high release point. It plays off his cutter and slider to baffle hitters, who have trouble laying off the pitch. His fastball, meanwhile, has reportedly reached 98 mph, making him a hard-throwing reliever with high strikeout potential.

Giulianelli spent four seasons in the Cardinals’ minor league system after signing at age 16 following an MLB scouting showcase in Europe that featured 17 Italian players. He also pitched for Italy’s under-23 national team last season.

In 37 appearances over his first three pro seasons for the Cardinals’ rookie-level Florida Complex League team, Giulianelli logged 43 innings while striking out 63 batters. However, command issues have plagued his development, as he walked 45 batters during that span.

In 2024 at Low-A Palm Beach, he posted a 3.96 ERA across 20 appearances and 25 innings.

Guardians minor-league reliever injured car crash in Venezuela

Updated: Jan. 11, 2026, 3:30 p.m.|Published: Jan. 11, 2026, 3:20 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Guardians minor league reliever suffered injuries during a car crash early Sunday, according to reports out of his native Venezuela.

Carlos Hernández, 28, who appeared in five games out of the bullpen for Cleveland during the 2025 season, was pulled from the wreckage of an auto accident on the road toward San Felix in Bolivar, in eastern Venezuela.

Hernández and his cousin were pulled from the wreckage, according to reports. The right-hander suffered a fracture in his left arm and his right leg.

Guardians officials were unable to comment on the matter Sunday afternoon, citing privacy concerns and potential HIPAA restrictions.

Hernández, who pitches for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan winter league, has pitched parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Royals, Phillies, Tigers and Guardians.

Cleveland claimed him off waivers from the Tigers at the end of July, a few days after Emmanuel Clase was placed on paid leave due to a gambling investigation. Hernández was outrighted off the roster weeks later and finished the season with Triple-A Columbus, where he appeared in seven games and struck out nine batters across 7 2/3 innings while walking two.

He elected free agency in October, but signed a minor league deal with Cleveland on Nov. 7 with an invite to major league spring training.

Hernández was the first step Cleveland took this offseason toward rebuilding its bullpen, adding right-handers including Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon, Collin Holderman and Rule 5 draft pick Peyton Pallette. Cleveland also signed Codi Heuer and Pedro Avila to minor league contracts with invites to major league spring training.

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Guardians sign right-handed hitter to minor-league deal with spring-training invite

Another blockbuster move

Updated: Jan. 13, 2026, 4:42 p.m.|Published: Jan. 13, 2026, 11:43 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians have signed former first-round draft pick Carter Kieboom to a minor league deal with an invitation to big-league spring training.

This winter the Guardians have spent most of their energy acquiring bullpen arms, while ignoring an offense that finished 28th in runs scored last season. Kieboom, a right-handed hitter, batted .319 (118 for 370) with nine homers, 57 RBI and a .817 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) in 93 games last year at Triple-A Salt Lake City.

Kieboom, after missing a month with a right groin injury, hit .365 (42-for-115) with a .904 OPS in his final 29 games at Triple-A. The hot stretch included a 19-game hitting streak and earned him a promotion to the Angels in September.

The Nationals used their first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2016 draft to select Kieboom out of Walton High School in Georgia. In parts of five big-league seasons with Washington from 2019-23, he hit .199 (88-for-442) with 12 home runs and 42 RBI before becoming a free agent following the 2024 season.

Last year at Salt Lake, Kieboom played 32 games at first base, 13 at second, 13 at third and 36 at DH. He appeared in three games at the end of the season at first base with the Angels.

The Guardians have signed nine players to minor league deals with an invitation to big league camp:

Pitchers: Carlos Hernandez, Steven Perez and Codi Heuer.

Catchers: Dom Nunez and Cameron Barstad.

Infielder: Carter Kieboom and Dayan Frias.

Outfielders: Wuilfredo Antunez and Stuart Fairchild.

The Guardians officially open spring training on Feb. 10 when pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Arizona. The first official workout for pitchers and catchers is Feb. 12. The first official full-squad workout will be Feb. 17.

Pitchers and catchers playing in the World Baseball Classic will report on Feb. 9. Position players playing in the WBC will report on Feb. 12.

The first spring-training game is Feb. 21 against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

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Guardians send bonus pool money to Mets in trade for left-hander

Updated: Jan. 15, 2026, 7:11 p.m.|Published: Jan. 15, 2026, 1:28 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio —The Guardians and Mets completed a minor trade Thursday.

The Mets sent left-hander Franklin Gόmez to the Guardians for international bonus pool money. The Guardians have a bonus pool of over $8 million to sign international free agents. They can use that money in trades, but only in parcels of $250,000.


Gόmez, 20, split the 2025 season between Class-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. He went 3-3 with an 2.76 ERA in 20 games, including 13 starts. He struck out 68 and walked 34 in 71 2/3 innings.

The 6-foot-0, 220-pound left-hander spent the first three months of the 2025 season in the Florida State League with St. Lucie, posting an ERA of 1.85 (10 earned runs in 48 2/3 innings) before a late July promotion to Brooklyn.

Gόmez, a Venezuelan native, signed with the Mets when he was 16. He’s 13-20 with a 3.39 ERA in 69 games in his minor league career.

Baseball America ranked him as the Mets’ 22nd-best prospect. He’ll report to minor league camp with the Guardians in February.

The international signing period started on Thursday. International free agents can be signed through Dec. 15.

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Guardians acquire pitching prospect Gomez from Mets for international bonus pool money

12:58 PM CST

Tim Stebbins

By Tim Stebbins

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians bolstered the pitching depth in their developmental pipeline on Thursday, when they acquired lefty Franklin Gomez from the Mets in exchange for international bonus pool money.

The deal coincided with the opening of the 2026 international signing period on Thursday. Cleveland sent New York $1.5 million in bonus pool money, a source told MLB.com.

Gomez (who will turn 21 on July 6) signed with the Mets out of Venezuela in January 2022 upon the opening of the international signing period. He made his debut in affiliated ball in ‘23, and he had a strong ‘25 campaign spent between Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn.

Guardians stock up on switch-hitting shortstops as int'l signing period opens
In 20 appearances (including 13 starts) this past season, Gomez logged a 2.76 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 34 walks over 71 2/3 innings. He recorded a 1.85 ERA in 48 2/3 innings over 14 appearances (seven starts) with St. Lucie, which earned him a promotion to Brooklyn on July 31. Gomez then turned in a 4.70 ERA in 23 innings over six starts.

Gomez features a five-pitch mix of a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, changeup and slider. According to Statcast, his four-seamer was his most-used offering during his time in Single-A in 2025, and it averaged 92.7 mph.

While 10 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Prospects list for the Guardians are pitchers, just two are left-handed in Parker Messick (No. 11) and Josh Hartle (No. 25). Messick made seven starts down the stretch in 2025 following his Aug. 20 MLB debut, and Hartle logged a 2.54 ERA over 24 starts with High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron.

Gomez adds another intriguing southpaw to the pipeline, which (among those who finished last season with Lynchburg or Lake County) also includes starters Melkis Hernandez, Michael Kennedy and Rafe Schlesinger.

Thursday’s move marks the second straight offseason the Guardians have made a trade involving international bonus pool money -- which they sent to the Blue Jays last January in the Myles Straw trade.

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Guardians sign 22 international free agents, including well-regarded shortstop

Published: Jan. 15, 2026, 7:27 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The signing period for international amateur free agents opened Thursday and the Guardians did not tarry.

The Guardians, armed with a signing bonus pool of over $8 million, signed 22 players. The signing period will remain open until Dec. 15.

The headliner among the signees was switch-hitting shortstop Svert Reinoso. The 17-year-old native of Moca, Dominican Republic, received a reported $820,000 signing bonus.

Reinoso is from the same hometown in the Dominican as big leaguers Willy Adames and Christopher Morel.






Among MLB.com’s top 50 international prospects, Reinoso was ranked 38th.

The rest of the signees included 12 players from Venezuela, eight from the Dominican Republic and two from Cuba.

“This is an incredibly exciting day for these players and their families,” said Richard Conway, Guardians’ director of international scouting. “The opening of the signing period is also a recognition of the efforts of so many across the organization, especially our scouting staff, who have worked tirelessly to help welcome this group of players to our organization.”

Here is a portion of MLB.com’s scouting report on Reinoso:

"There’s an exciting power/hit combo, particularly from the left side, as he has a repeatable bat path and competes in the box each time he steps in. Reinoso shows a feel for loft and evaluators believe he’ll tap into his power more as he fills out his physical and growing frame.

Defensively, Reinoso has a plus arm that makes him an ideal fit to stick on the left side of the infield. While not a burner, he showcases quick feet and fluidity in his movements, attributes that will serve him well even as he continues to add size. His tenacious work ethic will likely lead to him gaining reps at shortstop as his pro career gets underway, and he ultimately could fit the bill as a strong-armed infielder with pop at the big league level if it all comes together.”

Here are the other players Cleveland signed on Thursday:







OF Oswaldo Bracho, Venezuela.
RHP Chistofer Brujan, Dominican.
RHP Anthony Carela, Dominican.
RHP Angel Cordova, Venezuela.
OF Sebastian Espinoza, Venezuela.
INF Diego Fernandez, Venezuela.
RHP Edwing Fernandez, Venezuela.
OF Yhon Guerrero, Cuba.
SS Rafeliz Lara, Dominican.
SS Jhoseph Leta, Dominican.
RHP Victor Marin, Venezuela.
C Carlos Martinez, Venezuela.
INF Jostin Melo, Venezuela.
INF Karel Naranjo, Cuba.
OF Cesar Nivar, Dominican.
RHP Andres Perez, Venezuela.
C Sebastian Puche, Venezuela.
INF Raynel Quezada, Dominican.
INF Wilber Reinoso, Dominican.
C Yorwhuyn Toledo, Venezuela.
RHP Jesus Rojas, Venezuela.

The Guardians were among seven teams with a signing bonus pool of over $8 million. On Thursday, however, they shipped some of that bonus pool money to the Mets to acquire left-hander Franklin Gόmez.

International bonus pool money can be traded only in increments of $250,000.

International amateur free agents are eligible to sign with MLB teams between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. They must turn 16 before they sign and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year. Players have to be registered with MLB in advance in order to be eligible.

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There may be no more exciting type of prospect than a switch-hitting shortstop.

Cleveland believes it has landed one of the best in the 2026 international class as the signing period opens, having agreed to a deal with Svert Reinoso, who checks in at No. 38 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 list.

But that’s not all. The Guardians tapped back into the same market and reportedly handed out six-figure deals in excess of $600,000 to Karel Naranjo and Rafeliz Lara, both of whom were in consideration for spots on Pipeline’s list alongside Reinoso.

Cleveland received $8,034,900 in pool money this year, tied for the highest allotment in the league.

Reinoso comes from a baseball family in the Dominican Republic, giving him a terrific starting point. After serving primarily as a left-handed hitter during his early amateur years, he learned to swing right-handed and has become almost equally proficient from that side. Evaluators say that’s just a small glimpse into Reinoso’s drive, as he’s earned top-of-the-scale marks for his makeup and desire to improve all facets of his game.

Evaluators presently see a solid combination of hit and power for Reinoso, who has an ability to drive off his back leg and make loud contact when he squares the ball up. But his standout tool is his throwing arm. There’s little doubt he’ll stick on the left side of the infield long term, with third base a legitimate possibility, as he’s already filled out to a physical 195 pounds at age 17. Reinoso gets tons of carry on his throws and could be a seamless fit at the hot corner if that loft-oriented offensive profile takes off.

Watch Naranjo and Lara on consecutive days, and your opinion of who’s the better prospect is likely to oscillate a half-dozen times. Both 5-foot-9, the pair of switch-hitting shortstops have surprising power for their size, stepping into the box with the intent to do damage.

Naranjo was born in Cuba but moved to the Dominican Republic to further hone his game as an amateur. He has the advantage of not turning 17 until June, giving him an even further runway to develop. Working with high-end bat speed from both sides of the plate, he knows how to get the barrel on the ball and has a feel for how to work counts in his favor. Evaluators rave about his baseball IQ and his ability to make spectacular plays defensively, backing it up with pro-level body control and a plus throwing arm.

Lara trained with Jaime Ramos, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic and stood out among a star-studded group of amateurs for his hitting ability from both sides of the dish. He has long limbs and is still growing, which might force him off the premium defensive spot one day, but he has the type of throwing arm that will stick on the infield.

Competition is often fierce for reps at shortstop, particularly at the lower levels of the Minors. Bringing Reinoso, Naranjo and Lara aboard will further bolster Cleveland’s already formidable middle-infield prospect crop, which includes Dean Curley (No. 10), Welbyn Francisca (No. 15), Dauri Fernandez (No. 23) and Gabriel Rodriguez (No. 24). The organization’s upper Minors boasts even more talent, with Travis Bazzana (No. 1/MLB No. 17), Angel Genao (No. 3/MLB No. 59) and Juan Brito (No. 14) all knocking on the big league door.

But as Guardians fans are well aware, it’s not always the highest-ranked signees who develop into impact big leaguers. José Ramírez received just a $50,000 signing bonus to sign with the club as an international free agent in 2011. Nearly a decade and a half later, he became the first primary third baseman in MLB history to notch more than 250 home runs and 250 steals in his career.

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, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, 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.

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Guardians' international free agency strategy just delivered the balance they needed

By Henry Palattella

4 hours ago

At long last, baseball’s international signing period for 2026 is officially here, which means countless amateur international prospects from across the world can officially sign with an MLB organization.

Although most of the prospects have already agreed to handshake agreements with the clubs that have been courting them, Thursday’s deadline is a tangible deadline that allows for both players and clubs to be able to build together toward a shared future of success.

The Guardians were no stranger to that deadline, as they inked 22 international prospects to contracts, with signing bonuses ranging from $800,000 to $10,000 (H/T to Guardians Prospective for compiling a list of all the players the Guardians were in on).

While none of the players signed will impact Cleveland's big league picture any time soon considering all of the players signed are 16-or-17-years-old, the Guardians are among baseball’s best at capitalizing on the international signing market.

Not only is their roster is headlined by an international signing (José Ramírez), but their minor league system is filled with talented international players like Angel Genao and Jaison Chourio.

And it seems like the Guardians went into this year’s signing period with that mentality in mind, as they used their $8,034,900 in bonus pool money to build a deep international class.

Guardians spread money around to variety of prospects as international signing period opens
The biggest bonus the Guardians are giving out in this year’s period is $820,000 to Svert Reynoso, a switch-hitting Dominican shortstop.

He’s currently playing at shortstop and is still growing into his six-foot-frame, but there’s been some buzz that he could transition to being a corner infielder or outfielder, which the Guardians seem to consider with almost every prospect who starts as a shortstop.

The next biggest bonus is going to another switch-hitting Dominican shortstop in Rafeli Lara, who signed for $800,000. He seems more likely to shift to a position other than shortstop, but his bat seems legit.

The third player of their Dominican shortstop triad is Karel Naranjo, who signed for $620,000. He doesn’t have a ton of power right now, but he’s been lauded for his ability to get on base and cause damage once he gets on there.

All three of them fit the mold that the Guardians seem to covet in their prospects, and could all quickly move through Cleveland’s system.

Dominican righthander Cristofer Brujan earned the highest signing bonus from the Guardians this signing period, as he signed for $260,000, which is a bit more than Cleveland usually pays for international pitching talent.

His fastball currently sits at 94 miles per hour, and looks more comfortable throwing his slider and changeup, per reports.

Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernandez stood out as the top prospect of this year’s class, and he signed with the Giants for almost all of their $5,440,000 in bonus pool money.

The Guardians are never going to make the biggest splash in free agency, so the international signing period serves as a great way for them to restock their coffers in the hopes of finding the next

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Guardians shrewdly take advantage of international market in trade with Mets

Nice.

By Henry Palattella

6 hours ago

Today is an important day in the MLB calendar, as it marks the first day that teams can sign international free agents from this year’s class of players.

And while the Guardians had more than $8 million in bonus pool money that they could use to sign prospects, they elected to sign a variety of cheaper prospects as opposed to putting all their eggs (and money) in one basket.

And not only did that approach help them build out a balanced class of international free agents, it also allowed for them to net some more established talent, as they traded $1.5 million in international bonus pool money to the Mets on Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Franklin Gόmez.

Last year the Guardians took advantage of the Blue Jays desire to net Roki Sasaki on the international market and were able to trade away Myles Straw’s contract in exchange for bonus pool money.

This year they took advantage of the Mets’ desire to pay top dollar for international shortstop Wandy Asigen and were able to acquire an intriguing young pitcher in exchange for bonus pool money.

Neither deal is a blockbuster, but it’s the kind of marginal moves that winning teams make.

The Guardians did a great job netting pitching prospect Franklin Gόmez from the Mets
The most the Guardians spent on a prospect in this international signing period was $860,000, so it’s clear that they think highly of Gόmez.

Gόmez, 20, is coming off a season where he posted a 2.76 ERA across 71 2/3 innings in Single-A and High-A. Thirteen of his 20 appearances last year came as a starter.

Those performances have been a long time coming for Gόmez, who the Mets signed out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old in 2022. He made one start for Low-A in 2023 as an 18-year-old, but was struggling with upping his velocity.

“A lot of young guys are chasing velocity,” Mets pitching coordinator Kyle Rogers told Baseball America. “Franklin was kind of the inverse of that.

He did that last season by upping his fastball velocity by three miles per hour thanks to a high-intensity throwing program he started during spring training. The Mets decided to space out his appearances during the season, which is why he only threw 71 2/3 innings last season.

While he’s by no means a complete product, Gόmez was a rising star in the Mets’ system and should get even better once Cleveland’s coaches start tinkering under the hood.

Even though he’s still likely a year or two away from helping the Guardians on the big league level, he’s a great depth arm who should fly up Cleveland’s prospect rankings.

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