International guys

[Guardians]

There are a handful of guys who have signed with MLB teams (either major league or minor league deals) who came back to the States from foreign leagues. If you want to bid on any of them, post here. In 24 hours, they will become free agents

[Guardians]

Twins signed RHP Adam Plutko to a minor league contract.

The 32-year-old veteran is back with a major league organization following two seasons in the KBO where he went 26-8 and posted a 2.40 ERA with a 250/69 K/BB ratio across 285 1/3 innings. Prior to his stint in Korea, Plutko spent time with the Orioles in 2021, but most of his time in MLB came with Cleveland from 2016-2020. Plutko has a career 5.39 ERA, 1.38 WHIP in five major league seasons.

https://www.nbcsports.com/adam-plutko/0 ... fd86bf0135

[Mets]

There are a handful of guys who have signed with MLB teams (either major league or minor league deals) who came back to the States from foreign leagues. If you want to bid on any of them, post here. In 24 hours, they will become free agents

Is this with the leftover budgets from ZiPS bidding?

[Guardians]

There are a handful of guys who have signed with MLB teams (either major league or minor league deals) who came back to the States from foreign leagues. If you want to bid on any of them, post here. In 24 hours, they will become free agents

Is this with the leftover budgets from ZiPS bidding?

Yes, I believe these guys would need to be bid on

[Padres]

Giants signed OF Jerar Encarnacion to a minor league contract.

The deal is pending a work visa and physical. The outfielder had been with Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Mexican League, where he had a ridiculous 19 home runs in only 107 plate appearances. The 26-year-old came up with the Marlins, but was outrighted off their roster last season. The Giants have four outfielders currently on the injured list so it’s not hard to see why they might give Encarnacion another chance in the majors soon.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jerar-encarnacion/49137

[Padres]

Tomoyuki Sagano intends to pitch in MLB after becoming a free agent this winter, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Long one of Japan’s best pitchers, Sagano was posted by Yomiuri after the 2020 season and had several suitors, but he wound up signing a four-year, $40 million deal to stay put. That contract had a clause that allowed him to explore international free agency after the 2021 season, but following something of a down year, he declined to exercise it. Even accounting for the low offense environment in Japan right now, Sagano has had a terrific 2024, going 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA and a 111/16 K/BB in 156 2/3 innings. He turns 35 later this month, and his fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range, so he probably won’t land a huge contract an MLB team this winter. There will be significant interest, though.

https://www.nbcsports.com/tomoyuki-suga ... fdd42a000f

Note: This signing will occur within the IBC 2025 ZiPS bidding process ...

[Rockies]

Why would Sagano be part of Zips and not the draft? Because he isn't being posted?

[Padres]

Why would Sagano be part of Zips and not the draft? Because he isn't being posted?

I suppose it depends on when he signs ... This just seemed like the right area to post this update on him ...

[Guardians]

Why would Sagano be part of Zips and not the draft? Because he isn't being posted?

I suppose it depends on when he signs ... This just seemed like the right area to post this update on him ...

He should be a draft eligible international guy

[Reds]

Why would Sagano be part of Zips and not the draft? Because he isn't being posted?

I suppose it depends on when he signs ... This just seemed like the right area to post this update on him ...

He should be a draft eligible international guy

He should be in the draft.

[Padres]

Another probable IBC draft guy ...

Middle-infielder Hyeseong Kim wants to sign with an MLB team after playing in the KBO last season.

Infielder Hyeseong Kim, who stars for the Korea Baseball Organization’s Kiwoom Heroes, has hired CAA Baseball to represent him ahead of his expected move to Major League Baseball in the upcoming offseason, reports Jeeho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. (Kim’s name is commonly written as Kim Hye-Seong or Hye-Seong Kim, but Yoo further notes via X that CAA specifically informed him the infielder will go by Hyeseong Kim if he indeed moves to North American ball.)

Kim, who’ll turn 26 next January, is old enough and has enough experience in a major foreign league to be considered a “professional” under Major League Baseball’s international standards. He’ll be exempt from international amateur free-agent bonus pools and thus able to sign a major league contract for any length and dollar amount with an interested team.

The former double-play partner of current Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim 김하성, the younger Kim is a lifetime .301/.361/.398 hitter in 876 games with the KBO’s Heroes.

…
Prior to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser ranked Kim ninth among the top-ten MLB prospects for fans to track (landing behind current big leaguers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jung Hoo Lee 이정후 and Yariel Rodriguez). Glaser called Kim a plus defender at second base (and a capable defender at short) with a “preternatural feel for contact,” good pitch recognition and the ability to catch up to good velocity. At the very least, he could profile as a utilityman with high-end speed and contact skills, though it should come as little surprise if there are clubs who view him as a potential regular at second base. Given his age, Kim should find big league interest — particularly if he can continue his newfound power output.

https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/mining-the-news-10-28-24/

[Padres]

Another probable IBC draft guy ...

Francys Romero reports that Cuban slugger Pedro Revilla has been declared a free agent by the MLB Commissioner’s Office.

That means that the 25-year-old is now eligible to sign with any team. Revilla led the Cuban league with 29 homers over 110 games during the 2022 campaign. He spent his last two professional seasons playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Western League. In 2023 he struggled to a .188/.235/.305 slash line with just three homers, 14 RBI and a 48/7 K/BB ratio over 136 plate appearances. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll be able to land anything other than a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/pedro-rev ... db25f80000

[Padres]

May appear in ZiPS when O's released ...

Orioles signed LHP Raul Alcantara to a minor league contract.

Alcantara made 13 appearances (nine starts) for the Athletics from 2016-2017 and hasn’t made it back to the big leagues ever since. The 31-year-old righty has spent the past six seasons overseas between Japan and Korea. He’ll presumably open next season at Triple-A Norfolk as emergency starting pitching depth.

https://www.nbcsports.com/raul-alcantar ... fd86bf0246

[Padres]

Another blast from the past who show in the O's ZiPS release:

Orioles signed INF/OF Franklin Barreto to a minor league contract.

Barreto was universally-regarded as the centerpiece of the Josh Donaldson blockbuster trade between the Blue Jays and Athletics back in 2024 [pretty sure this date is wrong ... try, 10 years earlier*] but never blossomed into the high-impact fantasy contributor many envisioned. The 28-year-old former top prospect hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign when he got into 21 contests between the Athletics and Angels. He spent all of last year in the independent Mexican League, batting .343 with 16 homers and 11 steals in 76 games. He’s merely a long-shot lottery ticket at this stage of his career, but he’ll be in camp this spring with the Orioles battling for a bench spot.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/franklin-barreto/50355

* https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-get- ... c102689988

[Padres]

Another likely IBC draftee ...

Hyeseong Kim told reporters that he’s expected to be posted by the Kiwoom Heroes in the coming days.

Kim said the announcement will come sometime after thanksgiving, and then the 25-year-old will travel to the United States. The infielder has been one of the better hitters in the KBO, and he’s coming off a season where he registered an .841 OPS and 30 stolen bases for the Heroes. He’s expected to draw significant interest, with the Mariners being one of the teams showing interest in Kim early on.

https://www.nbcsports.com/baseball/hye- ... ff81ea0000

[Padres]

Will likely be in the upcoming IBC draft:

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization have officially posted Hyeseong Kim.

With Kim officially posted, teams can begin negotiating with the infielder beginning Thursday. There will now be a 30-day window for Kim to work out a deal with an MLB club, so the deadline to sign the 25-year-old will be January 3. He’s considered one of the top infield options on the market, and it would be very surprising to see him not playing in the majors. His ability to hit for average and steal bases will make him worthy of fantasy consideration.

https://www.nbcsports.com/baseball/hye- ... ff81ea0000

[Padres]

This guy may be included in Padres ZiPS release:

After spending a year in South Korea with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO, former Cubs outfield prospect Yonathan Perlaza has agreed to a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres, including an invite to big league spring training, sources tell Just Baseball.

Originally signed out of Venezuela as an infielder in 2015 for $1.3 million, Perlaza moved to the outfield full time ahead of the 2021 season as he continued to fill out. Around that time is where Perlaza started to see his power tick up as well, launching a career-high 15 homers in 99 High-A games in 2021 before hitting 23 home runs at both Double-A and Triple-A in each of the next two seasons.

After his 2023 campaign with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs where he slashed .284/.389/.534, Hanwha signed Perlaza to a one-year, $1 million deal. The 26-year-old switch hitter maintained a very similar level of production with the Eagles, hitting .275/.364/.486 with 24 home runs.

Beneath the hood, the batted ball data points towards above average pop, running a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 MPH last season, the same figure he posted in Triple-A the year before. Perlaza has made a living feasting on fastballs along with a solid approach.

While equally productive from both sides of the plate, there’s concern about his ability to handle higher quality breaking stuff. Even with his solid performance in the KBO, he did not necessarily combat that narrative, posting an OPS around .660 against spin.

Perlaza should provide some solid depth for the Padres, who still have some outfield gaps to fill on the big league team both in the starting lineup and on the bench.

https://www.justbaseball.com/prospects/ ... go-padres/

[Padres]

Maybe a 5th rounder in the upcoming IBC draft:

Koyo Aoyagi has been officially posted by the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Aoyagi will have a 45-day window to negotiate a contract with big-league teams. The 30-year-old side-winding righty posted a 3.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 35/21 K/BB ratio across 61 innings last year in the Pacific League. Given his underwhelming strikeout totals, he’s unlikely to make an impact for fantasy purposes. He’ll likely have to settle for a minor league contract, if he’s set on coming over from Japan.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/koyo-aoya ... 6b7fc50000

[Padres]

Seattle's ZiPS have already been published so this guy MAY show up in Dan's final spread sheet ...

Mariners signed RHP Dauris Valdez to a minor league contract.

The 29-year-old hurler hasn’t pitched in affiliated ball since the 2022 season. He resurfaced with the Caneros de los Mochis in the Mexican Pacific Winter League where he has posted a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and a 4/5 K/BB ratio in his 5 1/3 innings of work. He’ll add organizational bullpen depth for the M’s.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/dauris-va ... fddfab00a1

[Padres]

May appear in Mets ZiPS release:

Mets signed RHP Yuhi Sako to a minor league international amateur free agent contract.

The 25-year-old from Japan has played professionally in the Australian Baseball League, Frontier League, and Mexican Winter League. In his most recent Independent Ball season, he registered a 3.23 ERA with a 92/28 K/BB ratio in 103 innings (17 starts). He figures to be in a minor league rotation in either Double-A or Triple-A to begin the season.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/yuhi-sako ... ffd96e0000

[Padres]

Another potential player in the upcoming IBC draft:

The Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball officially posted left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara.

Ogasawara will now have 30 days to sign with an MLB team. The 27-year-old is often compared to Shota Imanaga because of his ability to command above-average stuff, and while he doesn’t have the ceiling of a Roki Sasaki or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, his ability to come in as a high-floor hurler will obviously draw plenty of interest from major-league suitors.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/shinnosuk ... 7f2fdc0000

[Padres]

Seattle's ZiPS have already been released so if he shows up it will be in the final spread sheet probably:

Former AL Rookie of the year Neftali Feliz is signing a minor league deal with the Mariners.

Feliz, who recorded 107 major league saves from 2009-17, has spent the past three years pitching in Mexico and also toiling for Estrellas in the Dominican Winter League. The 36-year-old has a 3.55 ERA in 393 1/3 career innings as a major leaguer.

https://www.nbcsports.com/neftali-feliz ... fd79a0036a

[Padres]

Ranger's ZiPS have already been released so if he shows up it will be in the final spread sheet probably:

Rangers signed RHP Daniel Missaki to a minor league contract.

The 28-year-old right-hander returned stateside in 2024 after spending a pair of seasons in Japan and a year in the Colombian Winter League, posting a 4.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 44/23 K/BB ratio over 32 2/3 innings across three minor league affiliates for the Cubs. He has looked sharp in the Dominican Winter League and will add organizational bullpen depth for the Rangers.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/daniel-mi ... fd65c200ba

[Padres]

Maybe included in Blue Jays ZiPS release:

Blue Jays signed LHP Eric Lauer to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

The 29-year-old southpaw was released by the Astros in early August and latched on with the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization where he went on to spin 34 2/3 innings of 4.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP baseball with a 37/12 K/BB ratio across seven starts. Lauer had plenty of success with the Brewers at the big league level in 2021 and 2022, so the Jays are hoping that he can return to that form. Either way, you can never have enough pitching and Lauer makes for a quality depth addition.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/eric-lauer/48836

[Padres]

He may appear in the Padres ZiPS release which has not been released yet:

Padres signed RHP Jose Espada to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

The 27-year-old right-hander spent a pair of seasons in the Padres’ organization from 2022-2023 and even broke through and made his lone big league appearance with the Padres in 2023. He spent the 2024 season pitching in Japan for the Yakult Swallows, registering a 2.73 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 63/24 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings in 56 appearances out of the bullpen. He’ll compete for a spot in the Padres’ Opening Day bullpen.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jose-espada/69548