The time has come for teams to make their deals with international prospects official. Thursday, January 15, is international signing day, and there are plenty of uber-talented players on the board. Each team has a certain amount of allocated money, and the San Francisco Giants just used a good chunk of theirs to make a massive splash.
Per MLB Pipeline, the Giants have officially agreed to terms with the No. 1 international prospect, Luis Hernandez. The bonus for Hernandez is reported to be $5 million, one of the highest given in franchise history. It is also expected to be the biggest bonus of any team this international signing period.
Giants Making Big Bet on Luis Hernandez
Each team has a certain amount of money allocated for international signing day. Some teams have north of $8 million, while others do not have that luxury. San Francisco was one of those teams without the luxury.
The Giants’ international bonus pool for this season totaled $5,440,000. That is tied for the lowest in the MLB. And San Francisco just spent $5 million of that on Luis Hernandez.
Hernandez, 17, is a shortstop from Venezuela. Many scouts regarded him as the top international prospect in all of baseball. Although the Giants feel that he has the talent and potential to be worth that kind of money, they are not too worried about the rankings.
“I’m not a huge fan of rankings, to be honest, but it’s nice to hear others say we’ve got the top guy. He has to get in a uniform and go play, but we’re very excited about the player. We’re looking forward to him passing the physical and playing at whatever level he plays at,” San Francisco’s international scouting director, Joe Salermo, said to Andrew Baggarly and The Athletic (subscription required).
The Giants have been burned before in the international pool after giving $6 million to Lucius Fox 11 years ago. Fox did not play a single game in a Giants uniform, and he only played 10 total games in the MLB. Additionally, San Francisco was fined for going over their allocated amount of money to sign him.
With that in the back of their minds, the Giants were still excited to give Hernandez the bonus they did. It does not leave a whole bunch of room to sign other top prospects, but they will not have to if Hernandez pans out.
Hernandez’s Development Does Not Need To Be Immediate
Hernandez was the consensus top prospect in this international pool. But the Giants do not need him to develop at a rapid rate. Yes, San Francisco would love to see him in the big leagues before 2030, but one has to remember that he is just 17 years old.
The right-hander has excelled in the Venezuelan league, though. He hit .346, while striking out just 11 times over 114 plate appearances. That discipline and contact ability are hard to ignore. Hernandez comes in a few inches under 6-feet tall, but he has shown some raw power at the plate, as well.
It is going to be a little bit harder stateside, but the shortstop is expected to have similar success. Still, the Giants are set for the time being. Willy Adames is captaining the infield at shortstop, while Matt Chapman and Casey Schmitt will field third and second base, respectively.
The Giants are also not against adding a controllable infielder to the mix. St. Louis Cardinals‘ second baseman Brendan Donovan is a name San Francisco has been linked to.
With all that in mind, the Giants can be patient with Hernandez’s development. There is no need to rush him through the minor leagues if he is not ready. One thing is for certain, though. The Giants got one of, if not the best, international prospects on the board.
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