By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
While the month of July is most commonly known in baseball circles as the month of the non-waiver trade deadline, it's also home to the beginning of the international signing period, which will probably prove to be more important to the Philadelphia Phillies long-term future.
July 2 is the first day that teams can sign international free-agents, and the Phillies opened by signing Luis Garcia (not that one), a shortstop from the Dominican Republic. According to Baseball America's Ben Badler, Garcia is the No. 12 overall international prospect available this year. He said this in a recent scouting report of Garcia:
He’s among the best defensive shortstops this year and some scouts consider him the best fielder in the group.
Scouts highest on Garcia thought he was a well-rounded player who had a chance to hit at the top of a lineup, though several others thought he was more of a defensive-oriented player who was more of a bottom-of-the-order hitter.
Garcia won't turn 17 until October, but his strong fielding ability, mixed with the fact that scouts have cooled on J.P. Crawford, make him an interesting name to watch for next decade.
In addition to signing Garcia, Badler is reporting that the Phillies have signed Columbian RHP Carlos Vargas, Venezuelan RHP Carlos Betancourt, Venezuelan catcher Cesar Rodriguez, Dominican RHP Israel Puello and Venezuelan RHP Christian Hernandez. That list has grown since the start of writing this article, and figures to grow throughout the day.
As mentioned, Garcia is the No. 12 overall international prospect, per Baseball America. That means that the Phillies have signed four players rated in the top 50, with Vargas at No. 25, Betancourt at No. 41 and Rodriguez at No. 42.
Around the rest of the National League East, the Miami Marlins have signed two shortstops ranked in the top 35, while the New York Mets have already agreed to terms with two prospects ranked inside the top 16. Thus far, the Phillies have made the most signings of any team in their division.
