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Dodgers make waves on international signing day, but talent still available

Chris Cwik
·Staff writer
Photo of pitcher Yadiel Alvarez, who signed with the Dodgers for $16 million. (Image via @LasMayores)
Photo of pitcher Yadiel Alvarez, who signed with the Dodgers for $16 million. (Image via @LasMayores)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have boatloads of cash, and are willing to spend it. They've shown off their spending ability with the major-league roster in the past, but now the club is focusing on prospects.

The Dodgers dominated the first day of the international signing period, grabbing two top-five prospects, according to MLB.com. The club signed pitcher Yadiel Alvarez for $16 million, and outfielder Starling Heredia for $2.6 million.

Alvarez and Heredia are the second and fifth-ranked international prospects respectively, according to MLB.com. Most intriguing is Alvarez, a 19-year-old who has a fastball that touches 98 mph. The club also added infielder Ronny Brito, who ranked 21st on the list.

The Dodgers are no stranger to adding talent via international signings. Over the past few seasons, the club has inked Yasiel Puig, Hector Olivera, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Alex Guerrero, to name a few. 

For those unaware of how the international signing period works, here's a primer via MLB.com:

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between July 2 through June 15 of next year if the prospect turns 17 before Sept. 1 of this year or by the completion of his first Minor League season. Additionally, any prospect who is already 17 or older and has not previously signed a Major or Minor League contract, resides outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and has not been enrolled in a high school or college in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico within the previous year is eligible to sign during the period.

The Dodgers' international talent splurge doesn't come without a penalty, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Due to the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team receives a base amount they can spend on international prospects. That number is then supplemented based on the team's record the previous season. 

The Dodgers were slotted just over $2 million for this signing period (and they spent nearly 10 times that much on Wednesday alone), and now will be subject to the maximum penalty for exceeding their limit. This means the club will pay an 100 percent tax on every dollar spent over their limit, and will not be able to sign an international player for more than $300,000 during the next two years.

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The Dodgers aren't the first club to violate those rules. The Yankees, Angels, Diamondbacks, Rays and Red Sox are currently unable to sign players for more than $300,000 due to going over slot last year.

Despite those penalties, the Dodgers still appear to be active on the international market. They've been heavily linked to outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez, the No. 1 prospect available according to MLB.com. Martinez reportedly won't sign Wednesday, but is actively looking for a deal. The club was also linked to high-ranking shortstop Lucius Fox before the division-rival San Francisco Giants scooped him up.

OTHER SIGNINGS OF NOTE

  • The Toronto Blue Jays picked up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $3.9 million. He's the son of ... you guessed it ... former superstar Vladimir Guerrero.

  • The Guerrero family actually had quite the day. Vlad Sr.'s nephew, shortstop Gregory Guerrero, signed with the New York Mets for $1.5 million.

  • Aside from Alvarez and Fox, the next most expensive player signed was outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz. Ortiz inked with the Philadelphia Phillies for $4.2 million.

  • Pitcher Anderson Amarista, the 20th-rated prospect according to MLB.com, has yet to sign. He's in the same situation as Martinez. Amarista is looking to sign a deal, but he's not expected to do so today.

  • Henry Henry signed with the San Diego Padres for $400,000. Henry didn't appear on MLB.com's list, but his name is Henry Henry, so it's significant to us.

With both Martinez and Amarista still available, there's some talent left on the market. The Dodgers have shown a willingness to go all in despite the cost, so it will be interesting to see if they bite on either prospect. Given that they'll be excluded from making a big splash the next two seasons, the club doesn't have much to lose by spending more.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik