Yesterday was the first day of the new International Signing Day cycle. The Giants reportedly signed 23 players including two with 7-figure bonuses. You can find the complete list on NBC Sports Bay Area linked to the left. Here are three names to play particular attention to:
Rayner Arias OF, Dominican Republic. DOB: 4/29/2006. B-R, T-R. 6'1", 180 lbs. Bonus: $2.7 M
Arias is the son of former minor league player and scout, Pablo Arias. He shows prodigious power, winning HR derbys since at least age 13. In addition to the raw power, he reportedly already has an advanced approach at the plate and controls the strike zone. His plus tools are hit, power and arm. Some scouts think he has enough speed to play corner OF with an arm to play RF. Others think he has more of a 1B/DH. Wherever he ends up on the field, the bat is projected to play. Arias is the #15 ranked international prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Yosneiker Rivas SS, Venezuela. B-L, T-R. 5'10", 161 lbs. Bonus $1 M
Very little information on Rivas. Marc Dellucci posted a video taken from the Carlos Guillen Academy Facebook page. From the video, he appears to be a bit taller and leaner than Arias despite their listed heights and bats lefthanded. He shows some speed on the base paths legging out a triple.
Chen-Hsun Lee RHP. DOB: 1/14/2002. 6'4", 210 lbs. Taiwan. $650 K.
Big, athletic looking RHP. Long legs and arms. Has pitched at university level and for the Taiwan national team. Has been on scouting radars for years. TJ surgery in 2019 but has pitched since with return of mid-90's velocity. Slider, splitter, changeup and curveball round out a 5-pitch mix. Could start at a higher level than other international signees and could move up fast in the system.
Thanks for putting this out. It seems that January 15 being on a Sunday before a holiday really buried this. Sounds like exciting prospects
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