Blue Jays: Analyzing the top international players within the farm system
The Toronto Blue Jays boast a strong farm system, even with the promotion last season of some of the organizations top prospects during the 2019 season.
As it stands, the Toronto Blue Jays currently have two prospects who rank within the top 100 prospects list per MLB.com. Nate Pearson and Jordan Groshans sit 10th and 67th respectively, with both players being acquired through the annual amateur draft.
While these two players did not come through international free agency, the Blue Jays have been very active in this market and have had success through this method of free agency.
For example, former top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was acquired through this method, as well as infielder/outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., both of whom will be key parts of the rebuilding core over the next few years.
International free agency is a bit different than the amateur draft in terms of eligibility and contract status. Each team is given a $4.75 million dollars every year in which they can use to spend on players, and then acquiring more money based on their market (competitive balance) and through trades, where teams can freely trade this ‘pooled’ money throughout the season.
The international signing period begins July 2, and runs until June 15 the following year (roughly 11 and a half months). International players are deemed eligible for free agency if they are 16 years old prior to September 1st (of signing year) and reside outside of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as not having been enrolled in any of these countries in terms of schooling/education.
It gets more complicated when it comes to players who play oversees in Japan and South Korea, as the Nippon Professional Baseball, along with the Korean Baseball Organization, have an exclusive agreement with the MLB. You can learn more information about the agreement here.
Long story short, like many other teams in the MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays utilize this free agent period to bolster their farm system. With the likes of Bo Bichette, Guerrero Jr., and now Nate Pearson dominating the prospect headlines, one must not forget what lies behind these prospects, and how they too can become possible impact players in the rebuild moving forward.
Eric Pardinho
Hailing from Luceila, Brazil, hard throwing right-hander Eric Pardinho was signed to a $1.4 million agreement in the summer of 2017.
Since signing with the Blue Jays, Pardinho has been an absolute sensation in professional baseball. Across the two seasons and over 18 games started, the Brazilian has accumulated a 2.57 ERA along with 99 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 25 earned runs in 87.2 innings pitched.
Part of his 2019 season was spent on the shelf due to injury, where Pardinho experienced elbow tightness in his throwing arm at the beginning of the year and there was speculation this could be a long term injury. While he did miss a significant amount of the season, he would make one spot start for Gulf Coast Blue Jays at the end of June and would spend the rest of the season with the Class A Lansing Lugnuts.
What makes Pardinho so impressive is not only his numbers, but the fact that he has accomplished so much at such a young age. He has already represented Brazil on the international stage, pitching a clean inning against Pakistan during a World Baseball Classic qualifier at just 15 years old. Pardinho has also been on the younger side of every professional league he has participated in, but still finds ways to strike out players with more experience than him.
Pardinho is known for his fastball, which has exceptional command and velocity given his experience and that continues to improve as he continues to fill out his frame. His secondary pitches consist of a curveball, slider, and a changeup, with his curveball being of plus value and his second best pitch in his arsenal. He continues to work on his changeup, which is starting to come along given it is the newest pitch in his repertoire. He currently sits as the Toronto Blue Jays 5th ranked internal prospect.
In the end, Pardinho does have the makeup and potential to slot in the starting rotation. While there is still a significant amount of development to go before fans will see him in the Blue Jays blue uniforms, Pardinho could find himself in Toronto in the next few years if he can stay healthy and if he can continue to produce like he already is.
Orelvis Martinez
During the 2018 international signing period, the Blue Jays spent $3.5 million on signing 16-year-old infielder Orelvis Martinez from the Dominican Republic. He currently sits on the Blue Jays top prospect list at #7.
The Toronto Blue Jays had spent the better part of two years scouting the shortstop/third baseman, with comparisons to Adrian Beltre befitting the 6’1 right hander.
The 2019 season was Martinez’s first taste of professional baseball, where he played in 40 games at third base, shortstop, and also as the designated hitter for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in the Rookie league. He would finish the season with an impressive slash line of .275/.352/.549, as well as crushing seven home runs, 32 RBI’s and 14 walks. He would also strikeout 29 times in 143 at-bats, but also impressed with his ability to hit for extra bases, smacking eight doubles and five triples throughout the season.
The Toronto Blue Jays love the fluidness in Martinez’s swing, and his ability to put the barrel on the ball is on display with his .549 slugging percentage. He turns 18 in just a few days, and still has lots of time to grow into his large frame. This may force him away from shortstop, as scouts are predicting to happen, and third base may be his position moving forward. The hope is that he does not lose his range of motion or speed with this growth, but that is still yet to be determined obviously.
The position movement wouldn’t really be an issue, as he already has time spent on the hot corner but also possess a strong arm to throw quickly across the diamond. His fielding percentage was a bit rough at .889% for the 11 games he played at third base this past season, but the key phrase for Martinez is “room to grow”. His bat will keep him in the lineup, he just needs to fine tune his defensive skills to become a more rounded player in hopes of making the major league stage.
Kind of reminds you of another infield Blue Jays prospect?
Gabriel Moreno
Gabriel Moreno is the perfect example of a player who, when given some time and some added reps, can make a name for himself in ways you could never imagine.
He was signed from Venezuela for just $25,000 in 2016; not the biggest value in the world for a player that screams big league potential.
His first season of professional baseball was in the Dominican Summer League in 2017, where he posted less than spectacular numbers of .248/.274/.296 with five extra base hits, 17 RBI’s and only six walks. He didn’t hit any home runs and went 5-9 when it came to stealing bases, but he did only strike out five times in just 125 at-bats, which is a pretty impressive number given the level of talent he was playing against.
His next season would be his breakout campaign, as he would smash a staggering .359/.395/.575 along with 23 extra base hits (four of which were home runs), 36 RBI’s, and striking out just 20 times in 40 games. He would spend the season between two teams in the rookie league, the Gulf Coast Blue Jays and the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League.
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The 2019 season would see Moreno end up promoted to Class A, where he play in 82 games for the Lansing Lugnuts. While not as impressive as his previous season, the Venezuelan catcher still generated a successful 280/.337/.485, playing in twice the amount of games compared to 2018. Moreno would also smack 12 home runs, 52 RBI’s, and saw his walks hit double digits for the first time at 22. This saw his ranking with the Blue Jays top prospect system rise from 22nd to 8th position over the course of the year.
Looking at his slash line, it is clear to see that Moreno does love to put the ball in play, hence the low strikeout and walks totals. The 2019 season was an improvement for Moreno in these categories, but free swinging types can become an issue once hitters start to play against tougher pitchers in the minor league system. He has proven that his eye at the plate is to be admired, but he’ll need to keep the bat on his shoulder more when border line pitches start to become more difficult to hit the further he moves up the ladder.
His defence and his arm have been described as average, but he makes up for it with his quick catch and release behind the plate. Improving the arm strength would be a great addition to the already successful release point, and the continuous improvement of blocking and framing as a catcher will hopefully transition well in his development through the Blue Jays farm system.
As it sits right now, Moreno is projected to fit in well as a backup catcher on the MLB roster, and it will be up to him if he can prove to be a good fit for the regular day job.
While this list is by no means the only international prospects within the Toronto Blue Jays system, these three are currently the top three ranked within the Blue Jays system. Other notable international players include Miguel Hiraldo, Alejandro Kirk, and Leonardo Jimenez.