International Forecasts For All 30 Teams — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

With the 2016-17 international signing period opening on Saturday, here’s what to expect from each team this year.

Arizona Diamondbacks

You’re going to read hear this one a lot throughout these team-by-team previews: The Diamondbacks, like nine other teams, are in the penalty and unable to sign any players subject to the bonus pools for more than $300,000. It’s the second year of the penalty for the Diamondbacks, who went over their pool in 2014-15 to sign Cuban righthander Yoan Lopez.

The most prominent player the Diamondbacks have been linked to is Venezuelan shortstop Cezar Izturis Jr., whose father had a 13-year major league career as an infielder. The Diamondbacks have also been seen scouting all over Mexico this year, so it would not be a surprise to see Arizona come away with a few signings from that country as well.

Atlanta Braves

Between special assistant Gordon Blakeley, international director Marc Russo and Latin American scouting director Mike Silvestri, the Braves have three highly respected scouts at the helm of what should be a huge year for the organization internationally. The Braves decided early on that they were going to blast past their international bonus pool this year, with a spending plan that should look comparable to what the Yankees did in 2014-15 when Blakeley was with New York.

That decision to be aggressive early on looks like it will allow them to capitalize on securing the top talent on the board, Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan. Their proactive scouting also should get them Venezuelan Abrahan Gutierrez, who is expected to be the second-highest paid player from that country this year. Other seven-figure targets include Dominican shortstop Yunior Severino (No. 8), Venezuelan shortstop Livan Soto (No. 16), Dominican shortstop Yenci Pena (No. 32) and Dominican righthander Juan Contreras (No. 41). At one point, it looked like they might also sign Dominican righthander Yefri Del Rosario (No. 26), though it’s not clear yet where Del Rosario will end up.

And that’s just the first wave. Dominican outfielder Joel Reyes, Colombian righthander Guillermo Zuniga and Venezuelan outfielder Antonio Sucre are all players expected to sign six-figure deals for the Braves. Expect plenty more to come in that group, both on July 2 and deeper into the year.

Baltimore Orioles

Every year, the Orioles are one of the quietest teams in Latin America. Aside from Cuban lefthander Ariel Miranda, during the 2015 calendar year, the Orioles ranked 29th in baseball in international amateur spending, ahead of only the Angels, who were limited to signings of no more than $300,000 and traded away all their slot values. With a bonus pool of $2.54 million, it’s surprising that the Orioles don’t make more of an investment in Latin America, given the relatively minor cost $2.54 million represents in the bigger picture for the franchise.

Boston Red Sox

Under the penalty and unable to sign any players for more than $300,000 for the second straight year, the Red Sox will take a similar strategy to what they did last year, blanketing Venezuela in pursuit of value in a country where many scouts don’t want to spend much time in these days. The player scouts liked the most among players linked to Boston is outfielder Roimer Bolivar, the No. 31 prospect in the BA Top 50 with good tools and physicality. Shortstops Erik Pena and Raymond Mora and catchers Christian Longa and Wilfred Astudillo are also expected to sign with the Red Sox. If the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows teams to spend over their pool next year, expect them to go bananas again with their spending in 2017.

Update, June 30: Well, I guess that’s not going to happen any more. MLB is expected to come down hard on the Red Sox with penalties over their 2015 international signings. Those penalties are expected to prevent them from signing any of the players mentioned above.

Chicago Cubs

When the Cubs went over their international bonus pool in 2013-14, they signed the top two prospects available, Dominican outfielder Eloy Jimenez and Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres. They signed other players too, but those two alone could make for a dynamite class. Even under the penalty in 2014-15, international director Louie Eljaua and his staff found quality players with good instincts for the game.

They’re going to have to do the same again this year after exploding past their international bonus pool in 2015-16, when they spent more money than any team on international amateur players when you exclude Cuban signings. The Cubs are always one of the most aggressive teams scouting players from all over the world, not just in in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, but in Mexico, Panama, Colombia and Asia as well.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have bet big on power bats since Marco Paddy took over. That’s already paid off for them with Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu, while outfielders Micker Adolfo and Franklin Reyes are recent July 2 signings who stood out for their raw power. Dominican outfielder Josue Guerrero doesn’t hit balls quite as far as those two, but he’s another corner outfielder with some thump in his bat. A nephew of Vladimir Guerrero and the brother of Diamondbacks outfielder Gabby Guerrero, Josue is expected to sign with the White Sox for a little more than $1 million. The White Sox are tied to two other big-framed Dominican outfielders, Luis Mieses and Anderson Cosma, who will probably get a little under $500,000 each. In Venezuela, Lenin Sosa might eventually move from shortstop to second base but has performed well at the plate in games. Sosa and Venezuelan righthander Henderson Caraballo are both expected to sign with the White Sox.

Cincinnati Reds

At $5,163,400, the Reds have the second-highest international bonus pool this year. They’re going to exceed their pool, but the question is by how much and whether they will trade for more pool space to avoid any future signing restrictions. Right now, their plan is to sign Cuban free agent shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez for around $7 million. That would put them over their pool, but teams are allowed to trade for up to an additional 50 percent of their original pool allocation by acquiring slot values from other clubs, so they could trade up for as much as $7,745,100 in pool space. That would leave them with an extra $750,000 or so of wiggle room to spend on other international prospects.

As of this point, international sources said the Reds haven’t been linked to any other major international prospects that would indicate they’re going completely over their pool, though that could change if they decide to make a push for more Cuban talent, an area they have found success in with Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias. Jayson Rijo is a defensive-oriented Dominican shortstop who has been linked to the Reds for a low six-figure price.

Cleveland Indians

The Indians are in transition mode internationally. After Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins left Cleveland to run the Blue Jays, Indians president Chris Antonetti and Latin American director Ramon Pena, who had run the team’s Latin American scouting the past six years, agreed to part ways in January. To replace Pena, the Indians promoted Koby Perez, who had been an international crosschecker for the team since November 2013 and previously scouted international players for the Phillies.

The rest of the scouting staff remains intact, but the change signals a new approach. It also means the Indians got off to a relatively late start trying to lock down players for 2016, but they might still come away with some of the top talent this year. As ridiculous as it sounds to call a 16-year-old a “late bloomer,” Dominican shortstop Marcos Gonzalez started showing better tools later in the scouting process and has performed well against live pitching. He’s linked to the Indians and could be a bargain.

What will happen with Dominican righthander Yefri Del Rosario is less certain—he might not even sign on July 2—but the Indians are one of the favorites to get him. Two other players tied to the Indians for low six-figure bonuses are Nehemias Celestin, a power-hitting Dominican third baseman, and Gaspar Palacios, a shortstop from Colombia.

Colorado Rockies

Rockies vice president of international scouting Rolando Fernandez has widespread respect around the game. Under his tenure, the Dominican Summer League Rockies pitching staff has consistently ranked among the league leaders in walks per nine innings, in part because of the team’s emphasis on signing pitchers with feel for pitching. One player who fits that mold this year is Venezuelan lefthander Luis Noguera, the No. 17 international prospect and the top-ranked lefty. Noguera has a smooth, easy deliver and is expected to sign with the Rockies. The Rockies will likely also add another Venezuelan pitcher, righthander Diego Blanco (No. 42). The team’s biggest bonus is expected to go to center fielder Yeikel Blandin (No. 21), who has a good combination of speed and bat control.

Detroit Tigers

Four years ago on July 2, the Tigers signed Dominican shortstop Willy Adames for $420,000. Adames has since blossomed into one of the game’s top shortstop prospects for the Rays, and that $400,000 to $600,000 range is probably the top-end of what the Tigers will pay for a player this year. The player scouts from other clubs liked the most who’s connected to the Tigers is Wencel Perez, a speedy shortstop who is the No. 23 international prospect and should sign for similar money to Adames. Perez is from the same program as outfielder Julio Martinez, whose $600,000 deal in 2014 was their top bonus that year.

They’re also expected to sign Venezuelan outfielder Jhon Sandoval, who is an even better pure athlete than Perez but less refined as a baseball player. Dominican outfielder Jimmy Mojica and Dominican shortstop Kendri Marte have also been linked to the Tigers. Under international director Tom Moore and Venezuela-based Latin American director Miguel Garcia, the Tigers have consistently found under-the-radar gems in Venezuela. One Venezuelan player linked to Detroit is shortstop Frank Veliz.

Houston Astros

For the past few years, the Astros have been one of the worst teams in baseball, which meant they had one of the biggest international bonus pools. That changes this year, but instead of scaling back their spending, the Astros are pushing forward as they’re prepared to blow past their bonus pool. They already have an agreement in place to sign Cuban shortstop Anibal Sierra for $3.5 million. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them come away with other Cuban players subject to the bonus pools as well.

The best player the Astros are linked to is Dominican shortstop Freudis Nova, the No. 5 international prospect. Nova was initially expected to sign with the Marlins until he tested positive for anabolic steroids. Once the Marlins backed away, that hurt Nova’s market significantly, since most teams at this point have already (unofficially, of course) committed the majority of their bonus pool money elsewhere. Astros righthander Michael Feliz is an example of a player who tested positive for anabolic steroids as an amateur and has only gotten better since then, and Nova is considered one of the premium players in the class.

Until they emerged as the leaders for Nova, the Astros’ top target had been Venezuelan shortstop Yorbin Ceuta, who is still expected to sign with the Astros and ranks as the No. 11 international prospect. In all, the Astros have been linked to five of the top 50 international prospects, with Venezuelan righthander Angel Macuare (No. 40), Dominican catcher Nerio Rodriguez (No. 43) and Dominican shortstop Deurys Carrasco (No. 46) all expected to go to Houston.

Two other notable players the Astros are expected to sign are Dominican infielder Jeury Castillo and Venezuelan righthander Jairo Solis, both of whom got Top 50 consideration. Castillo projects as a second baseman and his best tool is his bat, while Solis is a strike-thrower with a projectable starter’s mix. Given that they’re going over their bonus pool, they likely have more signings in store as well.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals are another team that can’t sign anyone for more than $300,000 this year after exceeding their bonus pool last year. At $2,081,200, the Royals have the fourth-smallest pool in the game, so they will have even less flexibility than most other teams under the penalty. They haven’t been linked to anyone yet that I’m aware of, but their recent track record in Latin America is among the best in the game.

Los Angeles Angels

Last year the Angels were under the penalty. Other teams—such as the Red Sox and Yankees who were also in the penalty box—still spend aggressively within their limits, but the Angels went a different route, trading away all of their international slot values and spending less than any time in baseball on international prospects. There’s only so much your scouts can do when that happens.

The Angels are in their second year of being unable to sign a player for more than $300,000, but now Jerry Dipoto is gone and Billy Eppler is in as general manager. Eppler undoubtedly saw the importance that international signings like Luis Severino, Jorge Mateo and Gary Sanchez had to the Yankees farm system, so the Angels could get more active going forward internationally, at least within their current restraints. No big names have been tied to the Angels yet, though Dominican shortstop Adelin Santana is a speedy lefthanded-hitting shortstop who has been linked to them.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Yeah, the Dodgers spent a little bit of money on international free agents last year. They got Yadier Alvarez ($16 million), Yusniel Diaz ($15.5 million), Omar Estevez ($6 million) and Yordan Alvarez ($2 million) from Cuba, plus Starling Heredia ($2.6 million) and Ronny Brito ($2 million) from the Dominican Republic, among others.

They can still sign Cuban players who are exempt from the bonus pools without any restrictions, but for players who fall under the pools, they can’t give anyone more than $300,000. They are in good hands there in their first July 2 under Ismael Cruz, who comes from the Blue Jays after working for the Mets and has one of the best track records in the game. One player the Dodgers have been linked to is Dominican shortstop Albert Suarez, a lefthanded hitter who stands out more for his baseball skills than his raw tools.

Miami Marlins

Under international director Albert Gonzalez, the Marlins have been able to find talent on a budget. After a down year in 2014, Marcell Ozuna has rebounded to become one of the best outfielders in baseball. They signed righthander Francis Martes out of the Dominican Republic for $87,000 four years ago, and while he’s since been traded to the Astros, he’s one of the top pitching prospects in baseball as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Righthander Jose Urena was another low-dollar Dominican signing who has already reached the majors.

This year, it looked like the Marlins were finally ready to open up and spend for talent at the top of the class. They were in line to sign Dominican shortstop Freudis Nova, the No. 5 international prospect, for a little more than $2.5 million. Instead, Nova tested positive for anabolic steroids. In the wake of Dee Gordon getting suspended for steroids in April just after he signed a five-year, $50 million extension three months earlier, owner Jeffrey Loria didn’t want to go through with signing another player linked to steroids.

Where the Marlins go from here isn’t clear. They were willing to spend money, but with Nova likely going to Houston now, the Marlins have a $3,569,600 bonus pool that remains mostly uncommitted. This late in the game, it’s not like there are a bunch of top 2016 players they could spend their money on instead, though there are always players who develop later, which in Latin America means 17 instead of 16, as ridiculous as that might sound. While there are five teams planning to go over their bonus pool and can continue spending the rest of the year, most other teams have either committed their pool money elsewhere at this point or can’t sign anyone for more than $300,000, so it will be interesting to see how the Marlins play their cards. They could be a landing spot for a Cuban prospect who’s subject to the bonus pools and won’t cost north of $3 million, with good value to be had there with the right scouting and timing, as the Rangers showed last year by signing second baseman Andy Ibanez for $1.6 million.

Milwaukee Brewers

There are only three international players originally signed by the Brewers in the 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, the lowest total for any team (the Rangers rank first, with 18). The Brewers are investing in international free agents, though, spending $800,000 each on outfielder Nicolas Pierre and shortstop Franly Mallen in 2013, giving $3,0975,000 to shortstop Gilbert Lara in 2014 and spreading around their bonus pool to several players last year.

This year the Brewers have the fifth-highest bonus pool at $4,098,500. It doesn’t look like they’re going to pay anyone more than $1 million, but they are expected to sign Dominican shortstop Jean Carlos Carmona, the No. 20 international prospect. They might give more money to Dominican outfielder Pablo Abreu, the No. 44 prospect. Beyond those two, Venezuelan outfielder Anderson Melendez, Dominican shortstops Yancarlos Cruz and Victor Maria, and Venezuelan catcher Roberto Molina have all been linked to the Brewers for six-figure prices.

Minnesota Twins

In 2009, the Twins’ international scouts signed Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler. Now all three have reached the big leagues, and while Sano himself makes that year a win for the Twins, if even one of Polanco or Kepler becomes an average everyday player, that would be a tremendous signing class.

Last year, the Twins poured all their pool money into Wander Javier, an athletic, tooled-up shortstop from the Dominican Republic whose biggest question mark as an amateur was his bat, though he has hit well early on in the Dominican Summer League. With a $2.4 million pool, the Twins are taking a different approach this year, spreading their money around to several players rather than going all-in primarily for one guy. The top name linked to the Twins is Dominican infielder Wander Valdez, who garnered some Top 50 consideration and profiles as a third baseman. He’s expected to get around $500,000. Venezuelan catcher Victor Heredia, who went 3-for-3 with a home run at the MLB international showcase in February, is also linked to the Twins.

New York Mets

Last year, the Mets signed the No. 2 prospect (Venezuelan shortstop Andres Gimenez) and No. 6 prospect (Dominican shortstop Gregory Guerrero) without even having to go over their pool. Gimenez is already off to a fantastic start in the Dominican Summer League and could quickly become one of the best prospects in the system. The best prospect in their system right now is Dominican shortstop Amed Rosario, while Dominican righthander Marcos Molina and Venezuelan shortstop Luis Carpio were also top 10 prospects entering the season, though they have both been sidelined with injuries.

Now that the Mets were a good major league team last year, their bonus pool is smaller than previous years at $2,138,200. Rather than going after one or two high-profile players like they did a year ago, the Mets’ strategy this year seems to be to spread their money around more and perhaps wait it out to see who becomes available later in the year once prices drop. In a hypercompetitive market where players are reaching oral agreements at 15 and being looked at as “passed over” guys when they’re still 16 and 17, there’s some merit to that line of thinking, especially when most teams are going to max out their pools as soon as the signing period opens on Saturday. Two players the Mets are linked to in the Dominican Republic are outfielder Sebastian Espino and Ezequiel Pena, both of whom train with Juan Herrera (known as “Mon”) and are expected to sign for around $200,000 to $300,000.

New York Yankees

The Yankees went over their international bonus pool in 2014-15, so they are in the second year of being unable to sign anyone for more than $300,000. Their 2014-15 class included shortstop Wilkerman Garcia, outfielder Estevan Florial, shortstop Diego Castillo and Dominican third baseman Nelson Gomez, all of whom look good so far.

Being under the penalty doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines, however, as the Yankees have shown. During the 2015 calendar year, the Yankees signed 57 international prospects, the most in baseball. They have one of the biggest international scouting staffs in the game and thoroughly cover the globe, with players like Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino and Jorge Mateo all added under the watch of international scouting director Donny Rowland. So while the Yankees can’t offer anyone a seven-figure deal, expect them to be aggressive again like they were last year.

When asked about the best pitchers available this year, several scouts from other clubs brought up Dominican righthander Roancy Contreras. He’s the No. 25 prospect in the Top 50 and is expected to sign with the Yankees. They are also expected to sign Dominican shortstop Jose Devers, a cousin of Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers. Dominican catcher Saul Torres and Venezuelan shortstop Oswald Peraza are two other names that have been tied to the Yankees.

Oakland Athletics

The A’s have been quiet on the international front the last few years. That’s surprising for a small market team that should be relying on its farm system to produce inexpensive, homegrown talent, especially in an arena where spending just $3-4 million gives you access to the top international amateur talent.

That’s going to change this year. The A’s were one of the teams that got a later jump on the 2016 class, but they got more aggressive once February rolled around. Now it looks like they will pay two seven-figure bonuses, the biggest of which will likely go to Dominican shortstop Yerdel Vargas, the No. 24 international prospect. They are also expected to pay a little more than $1 million to sign Dominican shortstop Marcos Brito, the No. 13 international prospect. Dominican outfielder Kevin Richards (No. 39) makes a third Top 50 prospect expected to go to the A’s. It also looks like they will sign Dominican shortstop George Bell, the son of the former major leaguer of the same name, and Colombian third baseman Jordan Diaz.

Philadelphia Phillies

Even with third baseman Maikel Franco having a modest year, Phillies international signings are making an impact around the league. Jonathan Villar has produced 2.1 WAR (via Baseball-Reference) through 73 games for the Brewers, Indians righthander Carlos Carrasco when healthy has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball and Hector Neris has emerged as one of the better relievers in the game in Philadelphia’s bullpen.

The Phillies last year paid Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz $4.01 million, the fifth-highest international amateur bonus of all-time. While the Phillies did also come away with Venezuelan catcher Rafael Marchan and a couple of intriguing sleepers like Dominican shortstop Jonathan Guzman, their strategy of throwing a bunch of money at one player was an aberration for the norm for the organization, which is going to spread its money around more this year.

Most of the team’s top signings are expected to come from Venezuela, with all of them likely to sign for less than $1 million. Righthander Francisco Morales (the No. 12 international prospect), shortstop Brayan Gonzalez (No. 19), shortstop Nicolas Torres (No. 45) and catcher Juan Aparicio (No. 47) are four Top 50 prospects expected to go to the Phillies. So are Venezuelan shortstops Jose Tortolero and Luigi Mujica.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have the second-lowest international bonus pool in the game, but there are few better people in charge of looking for bargains in Latin America than Rene Gayo. The Pirates have two of the best Dominican players in the game locked down in their outfield with Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, two homegrown international signings. Among players age 30 and under, Marte leads all Dominican players in WAR this season, while Polanco ranks third, just behind Diamondbacks shortstop Jean Segura.

Prior to the bonus pools, the Pirates did spend seven-figure bonuses to sign Colombian outfielder Harold Ramirez and Mexican righthander Luis Heredia, but under the pools the team’s strategy has been to stay away from those types of investments and spread their money around instead, usually targeting Dominican players and especially ones from the northern region of the country. The Pirates have signed a bunch of players from Raul Valera (the trainer known as “Banana”) and are expected to get lefthanded-hitting outfielder Jean Rober Eusebio from Banana’s program once Eusebio turns 16 on Aug. 22. Dominican outfielder Pedro Castillo has also been linked to the Pirates.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Braves, Nationals and Padres decided early on last year that they were going to exceed their bonus pool this year. The Cardinals are going over too, though it looks like they made their decision to do so later on in the process and won’t go over to the same extent the Padres and Braves are planning. Their top target is 17-year-old Cuban center fielder Jonatan Machado, who stands out for his speed, defensive instincts and contact skills from the left side, though he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-9.

Machado’s physical opposite, Venezuelan corner outfielder Victor Garcia, has big raw power from the right side and ranks as the No. 10 international prospect. He’s also expected to end up with the Cardinals, as is Dominican outfielder Carlos Soler, the No. 35 prospect. One of the better players in Mexico is Carlos Soto, a catcher who was eligible to sign last year but is still a free agent and is expected to go to the Cardinals on July 2. Some scouts like Soto more than fellow Mexican prospect Tirso Ornelas, the No. 34 international prospect. Another player the Cardinals are likely to get who was expected to sign in a previous class is Venezuelan outfielder Diomedes Del Rio.

The Cardinals have flourished with pitchers under the watch of Moises Rodriguez, signing Carlos Martinez and Alex Reyes, with Sandy Alcantara and Junior Fernandez making noise at the lower levels. Dominican righthander Roy Garcia is one pitcher they’re expected to land this year.

San Diego Padres

From the time A.J. Preller became the Rangers’ international scouting director until he left to become the Padres general manager, few teams in baseball were as productive internationally as the Rangers. No GM spends as much time in the Dominican Republic (Preller was there again this week evaluating Cuban players) or understands the dynamics of the international market as well as Preller. International scouting director Chris Kemp has been seen all over Latin America as the Padres prepare to shatter their bonus pool.

Between players from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico, the Padres are expected to spend around $30 million to $35 million in signing bonuses. That’s before accounting for the 100 percent overage tax they’re going to face for exceeding their bonus pool, and with a full year ahead and plenty of Cuban players still available, that figure might just be their spending floor.

Their top targets are a pair of Cuban players, lefthander Adrian Morejon and Jorge Ona, who train together with Javier Rodriguez. Neither player is a free agent yet, however, so don’t expect them to sign on Saturday.

Outside of Cuban players, the Padres are expected to sign eight of the Top 50 international prospects, the most among any team. That includes three of the top six prospects, with Dominican shortstop Luis Almanzar (No. 2), Venezuelan shortstop Gabriel Arias (No. 4) and Dominican outfielder Jeisson Rosario (No. 6), with Almanzar and Arias in particular drawing consistent high praise from other clubs. Venezuelan catcher Alison Quintero (No. 22), Venezuelan shortstop Justin Lopez (No. 28), Mexican outfielder Tirso Ornelas (No. 34), Dominican righthander Michell Miliano (No. 48) and Dominican shortstop Yordy Barley (No. 50) are also expected to sign with the Padres. Ornelas is with the Mexico City Red Devils, whose owner, Alfredo Harp Helu, is also part of the Padres’ ownership group.

That’s just the top tier of players connected to the Padres. They are also expected to sign Dominican righthander Jose Manuel Guzman, Venezuelan shortstop Tucupipa Marcano, Dominican outfielder Carlos Batista and Dominican catcher Juan Vasquez.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants dropped a $6 million bonus last year—the biggest international amateur bonus of all time, excluding Cuban players—to sign Lucius Fox out of the Bahamas. That put them over their pool, so they can’t sign anyone subject to the bonus pools for more than $300,000 for the next two years. Dominican shortstop Gordi Santos, Dominican third baseman Samuel George, Venezuelan Keiberth Mejias and Venezuelan shortstop Andrew Caraballo are four player the Giants have been linked to for six-figure prices.

Seattle Mariners

Other teams have certainly liked what they’ve seen of the Mariners international signings under international director Tim Kissner. Enyel De Los Santos (Padres), Freddy Peralta, Carlos Herrera and Daniel Missaki (Brewers) have all been used as trade chips, while shortstop Christopher Torres is drawing buzz from other clubs and center fielder Brayan Hernandez is off to a great start back in the Dominican Summer League.

The top player for this year linked to the Mariners is Dominican outfielder Luis Veloz, the No. 29 international prospect. The Mariners are also expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop Alexander Campos, the No. 49 prospect.

Tampa Bay Rays

It’s Year 2 for the Rays under the penalty, but being limited to signing players for no more than $300,000 hasn’t stopped them from being one of the most active teams internationally. The Rays signed 43 international players during the 2015 calendar year, fifth-most in the league during that time. This year, they targeted Diego Infante early on and are expected to sign the Venezuelan outfielder who ranks as the No. 18 international prospect. Angel Lopez from Venezuela and Avizel Ramirez from the Dominican Republic are two shortstops who have been linked to the Rays.

Texas Rangers

From A.J. Preller to Mike Daly to Gil Kim, the Rangers have had a strong run of success in Latin America under multiple international directors. In January, Kim left the Rangers to become Toronto’s farm director and the Rangers promoted Rafic Saab to lead their international department.

Saab is the only international director based in Venezuela, and the Rangers are expected to come away with one of the country’s top players this year in David Garcia, the No. 7 international prospect. Garcia is the highest-rated catcher available but isn’t expected to command a bonus commensurate with for a top 10 international prospect, which would be great value for the Rangers. Garcia is represented by Felix Olivo, whose program is also where the Rangers got Martin Perez from in 2007 and center fielder Miguel Aparicio last year. Another top 50 prospect, speedy center fielder Leuri Mejia, is also expected to sign with the Rangers once he turns 16 on Aug. 30.

Toronto Blue Jays

Spending more than 15 percent over your bonus pool triggers the maximum penalty, which is the inability to sign any international players subject to the pools for more than $300,000 for two years. When teams go over, that’s typically what they do, but the Blue Jays exceeded their pool by just a hair under 15 percent, basically just to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $3.9 million. The penalty for going over your pool by 10-15 percent is a one-year ban on signings of at least $300,000, so unlike the Dodgers and Cubs, the Blue Jays will be back without restrictions in 2017-18. For this year, though, the Blue Jays are under the penalty, and it’s not clear yet who they’re targeting in their first July 2 with Sandy Rosario in charge.

Washington Nationals

Victor Robles is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball, Reynaldo Lopez is suddenly posting double-digit strikeouts in nearly every recent start in Double-A and the Nationals have a promising group of international prospects below them as well despite not having much of a budget until recent years.

Now, the Nationals are ready to spend. The Nationals decided early on they were going well over their pool this year, with Dominican shortstop Yasel Antuna (the No. 14 international prospect) expected to receive their biggest bonus. He could get close to $4 million, but the best player they’re expected to get is Dominican shortstop Luis Garcia. It was hard for anyone not to be impressed with Garcia in February when he hit well at the MLB international showcase and was one of the fastest players and best athletes at the event. He’s the No. 3 international prospect and some scouts preferred him to Dominican shortstop Luis Almanzar at No. 2. Venezuelan shortstop Jose Sanchez (No. 9) makes three of the top 15 prospects expected to sign with the Nationals, with Venezuelan center fielder Ricardo Mendez (No. 30) another player the Nationals are expected to sign. Venezuelan catcher Israel Pineda also garnered some Top 50 consideration and will likely go to the Nationals as well.