The international signing period began yesterday on July 1 and the Phillies appear ready to make a free agent splash. The Phillies have reportedly have agreed to two new deals. One is for outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz and another for catcher Rafael Marchan.
Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported the deals:
The belief among scouts is that the raw power that Ortiz — ranked No. 6 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list – shows as a 16-year-old is rarely seen on the international market, and the rest of his game is not far behind. The Phillies are also coming to terms with teenage catcher Rafael Marchan of Venezuela for a sum near $200,000, according to industry sources. The club did not confirm the agreements.
The reason that the agreements have not been confirmed is that they are pending physicals, says Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly.
Currently Phillies Carlos Ruiz, Maikel Franco, and Cesar Hernandez all signed as international free agents and have played key roles on the team. Hernandez and Galvis were both signed at the age of 16 and were developed in the Phillies system. So, while the deals are promising, it may be a long time before we see them contribute at the big league level.
