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Franklin Barreto, SS/CF, Venezuela

Scouts love history on a player, and nobody has a better or longer track record than Barreto, who has been a standout player in international tournaments since he was 10. In 2006, Barreto helped lead a Venezuelan team to a 10-and-under Criollitos de America championship over Cuba.

In September 2008 at the COPABE Pan American 12-and-under tournament, Barreto led Venezuela to a championship while winning MVP honors and leading the tournament in home runs. Later that month he led an undefeated Venezuelan team to a Criollitos de America title and was named the 2008 athlete of the year by the Corporación Criollitos of Venezuela.

Barreto added another tournament MVP trophy to his collection in July 2010 at the 14-and-under Pan American championship before exploding for the Venezuelan team in Mexico last August at the 16-and-under World Championship. Barreto was Venezuela's best hitter and batted .515/.568/.978 (17-for-33), tied for the tournament lead with three home runs (including two against Team USA) and led the tournament with eight stolen bases in eight attempts. Barreto also played briefly in the Venezuelan Parallel League this winter, going 5-for-11 (.455) with four stolen bases in four tries.

Barreto, a 16-year-old from Miranda, now trains with Ciro Barrios and has continued to draw attention for his righthanded bat. His stature (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) and lack of physical projection are concerns, but his bat makes him one of the top prospects in this year's class. He recognizes pitches well, has great hand speed, has a short path to the ball and uses the whole field. He's small but strong, hitting hard line drives and showing surprising power in game situations, with the potential for 15-20 home runs a season.

With plus-plus speed, where Barreto ends up defensively is still up in the air. He's played both shortstop and center field and has worked out for teams at both spots. While he has spent considerable time at shortstop, his footwork and actions there aren't great, so many scouts believe he'll end up moving to either center field or second base. The most optimistic comparisons range from Rafael Furcal with less defense to Shane Victorino.

Barreto is expected to command one of the biggest bonuses in Latin America this year, possibly in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. The Blue Jays have signed several of Barrios' most expensive players in recent years, and they were believed to be the frontrunner to sign Barreto.

Jose Mujica, RHP, Venezuela

Former big league shortstop Carlos Guillen established a Venezuelan academy in 2010, and he had enough money to build one of the best facilities and attract the best players in the country. His first gem is Mujica, whom many scouts consider the best pitcher in Latin America this year.

Mujica, who turns 16 on June 29, was one of the top performers at the MLB showcase in February in the Dominican Republic, where he threw two scoreless innings with no hits, one walk and a strikeout. His raw stuff isn't quite as powerful as that of Victor Sanchez, the Venezuelan righthander who signed with the Mariners last year for $2.5 million, but Mujica combines quality stuff with clean arm action and loose, fluid mechanics, though he can get a bit upright in his delivery. He's a strike-thrower who has touched 93 mph with heavy action, and he should eventually sit with a plus fastball. He's a bit stiff-wristed and his breaking ball gets slurvy, but he already flashes a good changeup with sink that some scouts think could be a plus-plus pitch in the future.

Mujica should be able to command a bonus just north of $1 million, with the Blue Jays the team most frequently linked to him.

satyr9 wrote:If the #2 guy, by MLB.com's rankings, is speculated at about 1.5m signing, is that because of the new rules or because this group is leaner than recent years?

Avenger wrote:Doesn't the new CBA also allow trading of IFA capspace?

1. Franklin Barreto, ss/cf, Venezuela
2. Luis Torrens, c, Venezuela (video)
3. Jose Mujica, rhp, Venezuela (video)
4. Alexander Palma, of, Venezuela (video)
5. Gustavo Cabrera, of, Dominican Republic (video)
6. Jose Castillo, lhp, Venezuela (video)
7. Luiz Gohara, lhp, Brazil
8. Carlos Belen, 3b, Dominican Republic (video)
9. Luis Castro, ss, Venezuela
10. Wendell Rijo, ss, Dominican Republic (video)
11. Amed Rosario, ss, Dominican Republic (video)
12. Amaurys Minier, ss, Dominican Republic (video)
13. Richard Urena, ss, Dominican Republic (video)
14. David Rodriguez, c, Venezuela (video)
15. Deivi Grullon, c, Dominican Republic (video)
16. Julio de la Cruz, 3b, Dominican Republic (video)
17. Jose Almonte, rhp, Dominican Republic
18. Sergio Alcantara, ss, Dominican Republic
19. Frandy de la Rosa, ss, Dominican Republic (video)
20. Jose Pujols, of, Dominican Republic (video)

After Barreto, Venezuela has a group of polished hitters in catcher Luis Torrens, outfielder Alexander Palma and shortstop Luis Castro. Few think the Yankees will be outbid for Torrens or Palma, but the market for Castro has grown more muddled recently.

There was talk earlier that the Rockies were the leaders to sign Castro, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter who trains with Jose Aguiar. Now word is that the Blue Jays may have passed the Rockies after several sources believe that Toronto has backed off its pursuit of Mujica.

"The guy I think is going to be the biggest impact with the bat is Luis Castro," said one Latin American director. "He has bat speed, he's a physical guy and he's going to have power. He has a good arm and he doesn't run well, so he could play third base. He could even catch. The bat has some bat speed, which in this game you've got to have. I think he's going to hit."

Added another Latin American director: "I liked Castro a lot. I saw him early (in a workout), and when I saw him early, I didn't really like him, but that's why workouts suck. In games, he's strong. He can't run a lick, but he might stay at shortstop. He might be one of the better signs. I like the fact he can pick it and throw it. He's never going to have outstanding range and he's probably a third baseman, but I really like the way he hits. I think he has a chance to hit and hit for power. He's strong for a 16-year-old kid with really strong hitting ability. He was one of my favorite guys I liked."
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Toronto Blue Jays

With Jairo Beras out of the picture, several teams considered Venezuelan shortstop/center fielder Franklin Barreto the top player available for July 2. Barreto is represented by Ciro Barrios, who has had several of his players sign with the Blue Jays, and many believe Toronto is the favorite for Barreto. He should be the top-paid player in Venezuela and has a chance to sign for the biggest international bonus in this year's July 2 class, with expectations just south of $2 million. Many teams figured the Blue Jays would also sign Venezuelan righthander Jose Mujica, the top pitcher on the market this year, but now several sources believe the Blue Jays will go in a different direction instead, most likely Venezuelan shortstop Luis Castro. That would be a big haul for the Blue Jays in their first July 2 under the watch of their chief Latin American scout Ismael Cruz.


1. FRANKLIN BARRETO, SS/CF, VENEZUELA: Alex Anthopolous has made the Blue Jays one of the most aggressive teams in both the draft and the international market since he became general manager. Barreto is the best player available for July 2, and the Blue Jays have long been viewed as the favorites to land him. Nothing here seems to have changed.
Projected Team: BLUE JAYS.


9. LUIS CASTRO, SS, VENEZUELA: Two teams have been linked as potential destinations for Castro, one of Latin America's more polished hitters. The Rockies seemed like favorites early on, but then sources said they believed the Blue Jays were in the lead after they backed off Mujica. Others think the Rockies may still be in the mix. The Blue Jays have also been strongly linked to Barreto and a prominent Dominican shortstop (see below), so they would certainly be pushing the limits of their $2.9 million bonus pool if they could get all three. Right now, most sources think Castro will end up with Barreto in Toronto.
Projected Team: BLUE JAYS.


13. RICHARD URENA, SS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Urena has a good chance to stick at shortstop, and if he were a 60 or 70 runner instead of just average, he might have a chance to get more than $1 million. He's still drawn interest as one of the top shortstops in Latin America, perhaps the best among those who will stay at shortstop, depending on what teams think of Amed Rosario. The White Sox and Reds were linked to Urena at one point, but now it looks like Toronto is making an aggressive push.
Projected Team: BLUE JAYS.

Already having signed today are eight members of Baseball America’s top 20 international prospects. The Blue Jays inked No. 1 and No. 9, signing Franklin Barrero and Luis Castro out of Venezuela.

Franklin Barreto, SS/CF, Venezuela (Reported bonus: $2 million)
Barreto has an outstanding swing, very short to the ball with great balance and some extension for line drives to all fields, and he's an above-average runner with arm strength. Barreto's body doesn't look like a typical shortstop's -- I can see the Rafael Furcal comparison I got from one scout, but if anything he looks a little wider than Furcal did at that age -- while he has the speed to potentially handle center field if he can't stay on the dirt.

Gohora is also interesting because he's Brazilian, easily the most significant prospect from that country since Jose Pett received a then-record $700,000 bonus from Toronto in 1993. I've heard that the Mariners will likely sign him.

Richard Urena, a Dominican shortstop and the No. 13 international prospect for July 2, has signed with the Blue Jays.

Urena, 16, is 6-foot-1, 160 pounds and projects to stick at shortstop with a line-drive bat from the left side. He played in the Dominican Prospect League and trained with Corporan Decarte.

Known for his good glove and ability to put the ball in play, Urena has outstanding range up the middle and can make the flashy plays in addition to the routine ones. The infielder has grown physically over the past few months, and his tools continue to improve right alongside his development. Although he lacks raw power, his other skills are comparable to Kansas City prospect Adalberto Mondesi, the son of former Major Leaguer Raul Mondesi.
Considered one of the top shortstops to play in the Dominican Prospect League, Urena was a member of the league’s All-Star travel squad that played games and put on showcases at big league sites during Spring Training in Arizona and Florida.

Soft-spoken and humble, Urena has been praised for his good makeup and overall character. He works out in San Pedro de Macoris, the city famous for producing big league shortstops, but he lives in San Francisco de Macoris with his mother, who raised him after his father passed away when he was a young child.