The Boston Red Sox have just over $5 million to spend on international signings this offseason, and they're putting it to good use.
The Red Sox agreed to deals with three prospects Saturday on the first day of the international signing period, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports. Here are the players and the terms of their deals, according to Sanchez:
- SS Freili Encarnacion, $1.2 million
- SS Fraymi De Leon, $1.1 million
- C Johanfran Garcia, $650,000
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All three players are featured on MLB.com's Top 50 International Prospects list -- Encarnacion at No. 19, Garcia at No. 34 and De Leon at No. 50.
Encarnacion, 16, has the highest upside, projecting to have "plus power" with "the ability to hit high and deep home runs," per Sanchez.
DeLeon, 17, is one of the best defensive shortstops in this year's class, per Baseball America, while the 17-year-old Garcia has "displayed the ability to spray the ball all over the field with authority," Sanchez wrote.
It's much too soon to project whether any of these players can make an impact in Boston's system, but they're certainly worth keeping an eye on. Former international signings who found success with the Red Sox include both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers,