International Reviews: New York Mets — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

See Also: 2015 Mets International Review

See Also: 2014 Mets International Review

See Also: 2013 Mets International Review

Top signing: SS Sebastian Espino, Dominican Republic, $300,000.

Total signings: 34.

The Mets spent most of their 2015-16 international bonus pool on two players, giving $1.5 million to Dominican shortstop Gregory Guerrero and $1.2 million to Venezuelan shortstop Andres Gimenez, with no other signings above $50,000 that signing period. The organization took a different strategy last year, handing out bonuses of $100,000 or more to nine players while staying away from the most expensive talent in the class.

The biggest Mets international bonus last year went to Sebastian Espino, a Dominican shortstop who got $300,000 on July 2. Espino, 16, grew a couple of inches during the tryout process to 6-foot-2, 175 pounds. He’s a defensive minded player as a true shortstop who has good hands and actions, with the potential to develop into a plus fielder. He’s a righthanded hitter with a contact-oriented, line-drive approach and uses the opposite field with occasional doubles power. Espino trained with Juan Herrera, known as “Mon.”

Jose Peroza is a 16-year-old Venezuelan third baseman the Mets signed for $280,000 on July 2 out of Carlos Guillen’s academy. Peroza is a big-bodied 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and his game is built around strength, which comes more from his upbringing on a farm than time in the weight room. He has strong hands and two above-average tools in his raw power and arm strength, with a power-over-hit profile. He should split time between third base and the outfield corners.

Outfielder Ezequiel Pena, who the Mets signed for $200,000 on July 2, was born in Boston and grew up in the United States but moved to the Dominican Republic a couple of years before signing. A 16-year-old with strong, thick frame (6 feet, 200 pounds), Pena has a chance to develop into a power bat from the right side of the plate. He’s a corner outfielder whose 45 arm and speed might lead him to left field.

Luis Santana, a 17-year-old Dominican infielder, signed with the Mets for $200,000 on July 2. Santana had been eligible to sign in 2015, so after signing he was able to play in the Dominican Summer League and hit .293/.354/.400 with three walks and seven strikeouts in 82 plate appearances. Before he started training to sign with a major league team, Santana had been a boxer since he was 9. While he’s small, he has a strong, stout build at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds. He doesn’t project to be a power hitter, but he puts a loud charge into the ball for his size, with a compact swing that results in a lot of contact. An average runner, Santana played second base in the DSL and most likely stays there, though center field might be another option. He trained with “Batata.”

The Mets Wilmy Valdez, a 19-year-old right fielder/first baseman from the Dominican Republic, for $180,000 in July. Valdez is huge—6-foot-6, 205 pounds—with two main tools in his raw power and arm strength. His power is ahead of his pure hitting ability, so if the offensive game doesn’t click, pitching could be a fallback option, as he does have some experience on the mound. Valdez trained with Wilton Guerrero, the same program that had Gregory Guerrero in 2015.

The Mets signed Dominican center fielder Jean Carlos Soto for $150,000 on July 2. Soto is a 16-year-old lefty with a knack for hitting in games. At 6- feet, 160 pounds, he’s strong for his size with big hands and strong forearms that help him drive the ball with authority and catch up to good velocity. He’s more of a pure hitter than a power bat though, showing advanced strike-zone discipline for his age and a compact swing without much wasted movement, allowing him to put the barrel to the ball at a high rate. He’s an average runner who might be able to get faster given his age and lean, athletic frame, though his arm is below-average.

Wilfred Astudillo was originally expected to sign with the Red Sox, but when the commissioner’s office banned Boston from signing players during the 2016-17 signing period just before July 2, he instead signed with the Mets for $150,000 later in July. Astudillo, a 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher, is the brother of Willians Astudillo, the former Phillies and Braves minor leaguer who signed with the Diamondbacks this offseason and has struck out just 62 times in 2,026 career plate appearances, a three percent K-rate. Wilfred has some similarities, both in terms of his offensive-minded skill set and a heavy frame that he will always have to work to maintain. A switch-hitter, Astudillo looks better in games than he does in workouts, performing well against live pitching with frequent contact, a lot of line drives and doubles power, driving the ball with more authority from the left side. He’s 5-foot-11, 205 pounds and some clubs thought he would be a long shot to stick behind the plate, but the Mets saw enough catch-and-throw skills to give him a chance to stay there. Astudillo trained at the Bucaneros academy.

The Mets were aggressive all year in Venezuela and signed a pair of prospects there from Ciro Barrios for low six-figure deals in November, including 17-year-old Alexis Marquez for $135,000. Marquez originally became eligible to sign in 2015 and had been showcased as a shortstop, but the Mets asked Barrios to put him behind the plate and they liked what they saw, so Marquez is making the full-time transition to catching. He’s 6 feet, 175 pounds with the attributes to stay there between his athleticism, hands and arm strength. He’s a righthanded hitter with a line-drive approach and gap power. The other catcher from Barrios’ program they signed was Alejandro Medina, who got $115,000. Medina, 16, is 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, receives the ball well and has a fringe-average arm that should tick up. He’s a defensive-minded player and a righthanded hitter with doubles power.

With the Mets spreading their money around in 2016, they came away with a couple of notable arms for lower prices, including Dominican righthander Michel Otanez for $35,000 on July 2. Otanez, who turned 19 on July 3, pitched in the DSL after signing and had a 4.64 ERA in 21.1 innings with 21 strikeouts and six walks. He’s a big man (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) with a big fastball that consistently registered in the mid-90s and reached 97 mph at Dominican instructional league. Shortly after that, though, he had Tommy John surgery, so he’s going to miss the 2017 season.

Righthander Daison Acosta, 18, also saw brief DSL action after signing for $70,000 on July 2, with a 3.83 ERA and an 8-6 K-BB mark in 11.2 innings. He’s been up to 92 mph with projection in his frame (6-foot-3, 170 pounds) to add to his fastball, good athleticism and a calm, repeatable delivery.