Our Noticias, 10/15/20: International signings; Marlins HOF plaques

Signing period ending

Today finally marks the end of the 2019-20 MLB international amateur signing period. It traditionally runs from July 2 through June 15 of the following year, but the league extended this one an extra four months due to COVID-19.

Way back at the start of the signing period, the Marlins made a big splash with the additions of shortstops José Salas, Junior Sánchez and Ian Lewis and right-hander Eury Pérez (all rated by Baseball America as top-100 prospects in the class). All of them are currently participating in the Florida Instructional League. At the end of the 2020 regular season, they quietly inked Venezuelan right-hander Yoelvis Burguillos. More than a dozen other teengers came aboard throughout the year.

Then on Wednesday, Bahamian outfielder Andre Arthur closed his deal. He’s believed to be 6-foot-5, and as you can see, a right-handed batter.

The Bahamas is not a traditional hot bed for professional baseball talent, but between Arthur, Lewis and major leaguer Jazz Chisholm, the island is well represented in the Marlins organization.

The next signing period is slated to run from January 15 to December 15, 2021.

Marlins Hall of Fame plaques

Grid View

Five months removed from announcing the inaugural Fish Stripes Marlins Hall of Fame class, I have created digital “plaques” for all 16 individuals.

The Marlins HOF concept was born out of boredom when baseball was paused by the pandemic, but I fully intend to maintain it moving forward. Voting for the Class of 2021 will begin during spring training.

Walk-off links

• On this day in 2003, the Marlins defeated the Cubs in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series to clinch the pennant. You can watch the full thing here.
• Meanwhile in the here and now, the Tampa Bay Rays are on the verge of punching their own ticket to the World Series. Game 5 of the ALCS begins at 5:07 p.m. ET with old friends Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards (taxi squad) seeking one more win.
• We will be adding to the Marlins Season Review article series several times per week between now and the Winter Meetings.

• Through Friday night, the Marlins are offering discounted tickets for Opening Day.
• MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro fields several questions about the team’s catching situation in his latest inbox column.
• Fish Stripes Twitter followers were excited to see this caught stealing connection between catcher Will Banfield and shortstop Nasim Nuñez during an instructs game.
• Miguel Rojas is giving away game-used bats on his Twitter and Instagram accounts!