Blue Jays spend last of their international bonus pool money on a complete unknown

The Toronto Blue Jays had some money they needed to spend and so they spent in on a 17-year-old left handed pitcher that hardly anyone has ever heard of. 6-foot-6 Celwin Hurkmans from the Netherlands signed a minor league deal with Toronto earlier this month, according to the team's transactions page.

But when you click on Hurkman's player profile, almost nothing comes up - aside from his full name: Celwin Willem Adrianus Theodorus Hurkmans. So what can we find out about the newest Blue Jay?

Blue Jays spend last of their international bonus pool money on a complete unknown

The reason his player profile page is blank is because Hurmans has never pitched in North America. However, he is believed to be one of the biggest prospects playing in Europe, with the other big name being Tjin Fredrikze - who signed with the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays had to spend the last of their 2025 bonus pool allotment by Dec. 15 as it doesn't roll over into the new year, so it was very much a "use it or lose it" situation, and the Blue Jays used it in the most unusual way.

According to reports, Hurkmans played for DSS Haarlem which is the second-highest baseball league in the Netherlands and helped his team win the division championship. He'll be the second player from the Netherlands to play within Toronto's system after Sem Robberse. Robberse was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2023 deadline for Jordan Hicks, and he remains with the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate.

It remains to be seen where Hurkmans will be sent to play as most international signings his age end up getting their first tast of professional ball in the Dominican Summer League, but they could also opt to have him start right in Dunedin and put him in the Florida Complex League to lessen the travel on the teenage southpaw.

We don't have much on his makeup or velocity numbers, but at 6-foot-6 and only 17-years-old, the Blue Jays very much have a long-term project on their hands that could pay off huge down the road. The Blue Jays have already been aggressive in adding to their pitching depth this offseason and they have continued to do that in both the domestic and international markets.