Offishial news, 1/16/23: International signings roundup; “not great” farm system

Marlins Podcast Episodes

• Sunday’s winter ball updates: Javier Sanoja (Cardenales de Lara) went 1-for-4 with 1 RBI; J.D. Osborne (Melbourne Aces) went 0-for-4.
• My Marlins winter ball tracker has been updated accordingly.
• MLB’s new international amateur signing period opened on Sunday and the Marlins added dozens of players to their organization. The largest bonuses went to Bahamian two-way player Janero Miller ($950k), Dominican infielder Fabian López ($650k) and Venezuelan outfielder Andrés Valor ($520k). The class also included prospects from Japan (RHP Hiroshi Takahashi) and Curacao (INF Jayden Felicia). Following these signings, Miami has less than a million dollars of its bonus pool remaining for the rest of the year, but there is the flexibility to trade with other teams for more pool space.
• The newest non-roster invitee to 2023 spring training is Enrique Burgos, a 32-year-old right-hander who’s been bouncing around foreign and independent leagues over the last half-decade. Burgos posted a flawless 0.00 earned run average for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Republic, a club coincidentally managed by new Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta.
• Those interested in attending Tuesday’s Marlins event staff job fair are advised to fill out this brief registration form.
• On the Baseball America podcast, Josh Norris gives his take on an underwhelming Marlins farm system. He echoes industry-wide concerns about 2021 top draft pick Kahlil Watson. “I’ve been doing this 10 years. The reviews I got on Watson this year were the worst I’ve gotten on any player, especially of his stature.”
• If you prefer getting your Offishial News in audio form, become a Fish Stripes Super Subscriber on Twitter! Hear the latest Marlins updates in my voice every morning and enjoy other year-round perks for only $2.99 per month.
• Happy 23rd birthday to Cody Morissette. Morissette’s promising 2022 campaign was derailed by a foot injury. When healthy, the lefty swinger was particularly good against the same-handed pitching he faced in the Midwest League (.300/.396/.513, 4 HR vs. LHP). He will likely move up to Double-A Pensacola this year.