Marlins open 2021 international signing period with 11 players

The Marlins wasted little time on Friday morning announcing that they’ve signed 11 international prospects. Deals that had been many months—or even years—in the making are official now that the 2021 MLB international signing period has begun.

The top prize for Miami is Cuban shortstop Yiddi Cappe who has received a signing bonus of $3.5 million.

As you can tell from recent posts on Cappe’s Instagram account, he has a very lanky, projectable frame. The Marlins list him at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report raves about his “average to plus tools across the board.” Expect to see him somewhere on their Marlins Top 30 prospects list at the next update. On the other hand, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN says opinions on him vary among evaluators in terms of how his workout excellence will translate to the games themselves.

As an 18-year-old—most top international prospects are only 16 at the time of their signings—Cappe will likely be coming stateside for the 2021 season. He is being represented by Republik Sports, sharing an agency with Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera.

Here are the 10 other newly added Marlins prospects (with their country of origin) and their listed heights/weights. The majority of them should be getting their feet wet in the pros by competing in the Dominican Summer League:

• LHP Luis Baldiris (Venezuela) | 5-11/150

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• INF Reiner Chourio (Venezuela) | 5-10/155, left-handed batter

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• OF Óscar Colina (Venezuela) | 6-0/150, right-handed batter

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• C Edward Duran (Venezuela) | 5-10/170, right-handed batter

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• OF Kevin Guerrero (Dominican Republic) | 6-3/165, right-handed batter

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• RHP Gerardo Hernández (Dominican Republic)
• INF Jesús Hernández (Venezuela) | 5-11/150, right-handed batter

via Ben Badler/Baseball America

• C Ronald Hernández (Venezuela) | 6-1/155, switch-hitter

• LHP Jesús León (Mexico) | 6-3/160
• RHP Jhoniel Serrano (Venezuela)

It’s unclear exactly how much wiggle room the Marlins still have (total bonus pool of $6,431,000), but Cappe alone accounts for the majority of their bonus pool. Worth noting, MLB teams do not have the option to trade for pool space like they did in previous years.

As of June 2020, Ben Badler of Baseball America linked the Marlins to Dominican outfielder Jorge Pérez. Perhaps they will complete that signing later in the year.