Sunday marked the new signing period of time for qualified worldwide free of charge agents, and the Toronto Blue Jays arrived absent with one particular of the finest out there hitters on the sector.
In full, the Blue Jays signed 5 players — 4 situation gamers and 1 pitcher — with outfielder Enmanuel Bonilla as their most notable acquisition. The 16-yr-old corner outfielder signed for $4.1 million, the greatest bonus in franchise history.
Toronto highlighted $5.284 million in international spending this winter season, allocating 77.6 percent of that pool to Bonilla. That restricted the organization’s potential to invest means in other places, though they have not shied in any case from putting all their eggs in a person basket in prior decades.
The Blue Jays have been penalized for surpassing their bonus pool right after signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $3.9 million offer in 2015, which means they couldn’t sign any player for a lot more than $300,000 all through the 2016 signing time period. But it’s risk-free to say that go labored out rather well.
Bonilla’s bonus also exceeds the volume offered to Adeiny Hechavarria ($4 million in 2010) and Orelvis Martinez ($3.5 million in 2018), generating him a person of the most prolific worldwide free-agent signings in franchise history.
The appropriate-hander is regarded as a person of the best prospects in this year’s class, ranked No. 4 by Baseball The united states and No. 7 on MLB Pipeline’s leading 50 list. Most scouts think the youthful slugger has a bright upcoming, offensively and defensively.
At 6-foot-1, 190-lbs ., Bonilla features “high-stop bat velocity and the skill to drive the ball with effect, providing him a possibility to be a 25-plus home run danger,” an specialist from Baseball The usa explained. MLB Pipeline also graded him with “good instincts with a stable arm,” believing he has what it takes to be an affect defender.
It should not get Bonilla quite extensive to make waves during the Blue Jays corporation, especially thinking of how considerably tricky make contact with his bat generates.
Amid the Blue Jays’ existing aggressive cycle, building as numerous standout gamers as attainable via the global industry will be essential, as they’ll probably be choosing in the bottom 3rd of the MLB Draft for various seasons.
Bonilla is not associated to former MLB All-Star Bobby Bonilla.
Extra from Yahoo Sports