Dodgers Reportedly Sign Three More International Prospects

With a surplus of money, the front office of the Los Angeles Dodgers hasn’t been shy in spending money in what they believe are valid investments for the farm system to develop.

According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the Dodgers have signed a shortstop ranked 21st:

Source: #Dodgers agree to a $2M deal with IF Ronny Brito, #21 on @MLB Top 30 Int’l Prospects list http://t.co/YduPYJGNy2 @MLBPipeline

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) July 2, 2015

The right-handed player has been described as having quick feet, good hands, and a strong arm, which are all quintessential assets for a player who aims to be a Major League shortstop. At the plate, Brito can be described as a line-drive hitter who has remarkable plate discipline. On the defensive side of the plate, international scouts exclaimed that Brito has great instinct and first steps, which display a high sense of I.Q. for the potential signee.

The switch-hitting player comes in at 6-feet and around 160 pounds. His narrow figure may be an issue, but with a sufficient time in the Minor Leagues, he can build upon his frame.

Sanchez also reported another signing by the Dodgers:

Source: #Dodgers agree to a $950K deal with IF Oneal Cruz from the DR. http://t.co/YduPYJGNy2 @MLBPipeline

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) July 2, 2015

The 6-foot-1, 150-pound player has grown up as a shortstop, but could outgrow the position since he is still only 16 years old.

Cruz has been mentored under Raul Valera, who runs the Banana Baseball Academy. The left-handed hitter shows athleticism with his slender frame, so his speed and movement on defense are a strong suit. Cruz’s strongest asset on defense are his hands, where scouts have reported he shows a great understanding of placement and how to handle the position.

Finally, Ben Badler of Baseball America reported another deal the NL West champions have made:

Dodgers have a $500,000 deal with Dominican OF Christopher Arias http://t.co/14WeHjTjXg

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) July 2, 2015

Badler describes Arias in detail:

Raw power is the calling card for Arias, who is 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, though he’s still learning to make more contact in games. He’s close to an average runner now and projects to add significant size and strength, so he should fit defensively in left or right field. Arias trains with Amauris Nina and played in the International Prospect League.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, each Major League team is allotted a base of $700,000 to spend, plus a bonus pool that complies with how many victories the team received in the previous season. For this international signing period, the Dodgers came away with a total of $2,020,300. The Dodgers have been reportedly active this period, which means any amount over the total will push the team into the max penalty.

When going above the max-penalty, teams have to pay a 100-percent tax for every dollar spent above the assigned bonus pool. Another downgrade from going over the max penalty is that the Dodgers will not be able to spend more than $300,000 in next year’s international signing period.

The Dodgers clearly feel that this year’s class has a surplus of talent that the ball club does not want to miss out on. With all the reported signings, the club is flourishing their farm system with talent that should translate to the Major League level in the upcoming years.