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Nats Announce International Signs

Two multi-million dollar signingss from Venezuela headline Washington’s 2025 International Free Agents.

Brayan Cortesia, 17, is a 6’2″, 180 lb. shortstop described as “a plus runner who projects to stay in the infield and has a good shot to remain a shortstop [with] above-average arm.” His bonus has been pegged at $1.92 million.

Daniel Hernandez, 16, is an offensive-minded catcher (have the Nats had a defensive-minded catcher since Sandy Leon?) who’s listed at 5’11” and 168 lbs, but clearly they expect him to put on more weight if not grow another inch or two. While agile behind the plate, his arm is considered below-average. It’s the bat that has Nats scouts typing one-handed: “a loose, easy stroke with good bat control…drives the ball well in the air, showing the signs for his flashes of home run power to continue to trend up.”

Combined with Henrnandez’s $1.1 million bonus, the combined total of $3.02 million is nearly half of the Nats’ $6.261 million allotment.



Twelve other players have signed. We know their names, positions, and their country of origin but not the bonus amount:

  • SS Ronny Bello, 17 (D.R.)
  • RHP Jesus Carrasco, 18 (Ven.)
  • C Junior Castillo, 17 (D.R.)
  • C Edgardo Figueroa, 17 (Ven.)
  • OF Jonierbis Garces, 17 (Ven.)
  • SS Marconi German, 17 (D.R.)
  • RHP Juan Lopez, 20 (D.R.)
  • LHP Hernan Mejia, 17 (Ven.)
  • RHP Manuel Ruiz, 18 (Ven.)
  • RHP Jhondel Salas, 17 (Ven.)
  • SS Adrian Tusen, 17 (D.R.)
  • OF Esnaider Vargas, 17 (D.R.)

The Nats tendency to sign older (presumably overlooked) pitchers continues with three of the five will be 19 or older by the end of the DSL season. Eight of the 14 players were from Venezuela and nine are position players.

Otherwise the observation from one of my followers on BlueSky rings particularly true:”[It’s a] list of names. A bunch of dudes you might hear about in 3 to 5 years.”

29 Commments

    2. Holy Crap , Batman
      Mets give Minter 11 million a year for 2? Well the Mets make their share of blunders

    3. I bet everyone here a hit fudge Sundae that Rizzo hired the Virginian to eventually coach and manage in farm chain maybe even FRED one day
      Roismar Q to Sens to start 2025?
      LeCroy may really enjoy the Virginian working with the young staff @ROcH.

      1. Nick Schnell and Carlos DeLARosa probably start 25 @AA
        Rochester will have April fall backs in Call and Hassell3

    5. Any baseball fan should raise a glass to Jeff Torborg especially Bill singer to a remarkable career on and off the field .

    6. Hey a Florida Gator alum hit the FA market
      Alex Faedo off the Tigers who scooped up Tommy Kaehne
      Maybe Rizzo could give him a NRI ticket to camp ?

    7. Wow you know a NBA trade is huge when it’s posted on MLB trade rumors
      As the Greek philosopher once said
      Bullpens evolve not built .

  2. MLB.com reported a few more of the bonuses:

    Dominican Republic
    Rony Bello, 2B, $450,000, Oscar Disla
    Junior Castillo, C, Abraham Despradel
    Marconi German, SS, $400,000, Federico Pelletier
    Juan Lopez, RHP, Ricardo Vasquez
    Adrian Tusen, SS, Virgilio De Leon
    Esnaider Vargas, OF, $400,000, Pelletier

    Venezuela
    Jesus Carrasco, RHP, German Robles
    Brayan Cortesia, SS, $1.92 million, Juan Indriago
    Edgardo Figueroa, C, $300,000, Despradel
    Jonierbis Garces, OF, $350,000, Robles
    Daniel Hernandez, C, $1.1 million, Salvador Donadelli
    Hernan Mejia, LHP, Indriago
    Manuel Ruiz, RHP, Robles
    Jhondel Salas, RHP, Indriago

    That’s another $1.9m known, for almost exactly $5m of our $6.26m pool. I’d guess the remaining 7 guys, plus presumably another half dozen or so to fill out the roster will have gotten low 6 figure, or modest 5 figure deals to use the remaining $1.2m. Unless, the Nats kept a pot around to try and snag some of the players affected by Sasaki’s posting and domino effect?

    Also interesting that we gave our big bonuses to Venezuelans this year. Without checking, I seem to recall giving all our really big ones to Dominicans in the past, while our Venezuelan scouting has clearly been increasing, we didn’t seem confident/connected enough to entice any of the big names.

  4. Alas, it won’t be a “bunch of dudes” we hear about in three to five years, but only a small handful.

    The signing of “older” guys — pretty much guys who no one wanted last year when they were first eligible — harkens to what the Nats were doing more than a decade ago when they had more (relative) success on the Latin front. I know off the top of my head that Rey Lopez, Difo, Suero, and Marmalejos were “older” signees, and I think several of the other “successful” ones were as well.

    In addition to finding talent, there’s also now the big challenge of properly developing the younger talent through the contracted minors. The quality of play in the DSL seems quite questionable, although we forget sometimes that it is a high school league for nearly all practical purposes.

  5. It will be fun to keep track of these guys. I do recall having the Rule 4 draft described as “being like your birthday, except that you don’t get to find out what you got in the boxes for two years.” The IFA is kind of the same, but the time delay is longer.

    1. Too bad. He was one of my favorite Nats Prospects of the 2020s, and for a couple years (2021-2022), he looked like he might be a useful major league role player. Didn’t turn out that way, and he could never seem to regain the good play in 2023 and 2024. But to have been a 24th round pick and get 175 major league plate appearances is a remarkable, remarkable achievement, something that thousands higher picked players before him couldn’t do.

      Wish him all the best in his post baseball career!

      1. Well said Will .
        Someone disappointing his tool set didn’t fit even into a utility job to catapult from a rebuilding org to another org .
        That’s life in baseball .

        1. Donta Williams a true connection to BC with Orioles drafting
          JDL , Lile , Williams and McKenzie . Nobody else off A plus to start for AA yet in early 2025

    2. I’m sure he is dealing with some serious disappointment right now but I suspect that he has his life in order. I wish him well and congratulate him for being a major leaguer!

    1. Fred md as Bob Trumpey always said on his 700 WLW radio show out of Cincy decades ago
      I’ll bet you a hot fudge sundae that Amos bakes some good sweet results out of ATL bullpen even against Nats
      Yes he’s home being a Ramblin Wrecker .

  8. Hey, Human League, I’ll take that bet. Because either way – hot fudge sundae! There’s a Carvel not far from where I live …

    1. John C I used to listen to Trumpey on WLW 700 out of Cincy and one night he kept a young boy on the radio until authorities could reach him because the boy was talking suicide .
      Then on better nights I’d pick up Pete Franklin out of Cleveland ( so every time Harrisburg plays Akron I think of Pete taking calls from Akron calling them the “ Cheapies from Akron .
      Then of course after baseball at night you’d turn on Art Bell from the desert
      Am radio
      Raised on radio ( Journey ).!

  9. the RHPs are up on the watchlist.

    reading the write-up for Brad Lord it mentions his sinker being his best pitch and I’d agree with that. what’s interesting to me is that he throws it up in the zone, not what I grew up watching from the Derek Lowes of the time.

    it goes to show you that if you can command a pitch it is an effective weapon. even if it’s not plus plus

  10. On second thought Nats probably won’t sign another body for AA outfield . DeLaCruz may just start @ AA with JDL , Lile, Williams , McKenzie , Dugas , Stehly
    Since every body loves the Arizona Wildcat alum at big club
    LeCroy may just have Franchy , Call , Pinckney , Hassell3, super sub Dunn. Nats love to sign IF/OF types for AAAa.
    4 am coffee.

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