A sneak peek at Cleveland Guardians 2023–24 International Signing Day
Roberto Arias, a Dominican outfielder, leads a group of 26 players who are expected to sign with the Guardians on January 15.
As of Monday, January 15, the Cleveland Guardians have 26 players linked to them for their 2023 international signing class. The highest amount ever awarded to a team for the 2023 international signing period—$7,114,800—was shared by six MLB teams, including the Guardians.
The international signing period used to start on July 2 but now starts on January 15 of each season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A Major League team may sign an international player between January 15, 2024, and December 15, 2024. He can’t sign until he turns sixteen. This effectively means that players who were born between August 31, 2007, and September 1, 2006, are eligible to sign.
Position players are generally thought to be the safest option in the international market, especially given their age and projection—the majority of players signed are only 16 or 17 years old—so Cleveland tends to take a position player-heavy approach while using the MLB Draft to replenish their system with elite arms.
Twenty-six players from three different countries make up the Guardians 2023–24 international roster. with 14 players, Venezuela is in first place, followed by the Dominican Republic with nine and Cuba with three. Nine pitchers, seven outfielders, two catchers, and nine middle infielders make up the class.
From highest to lowest, the following 26 players have been ranked by their expected signing bonuses; the top international sign of the class this year is outfielder Roberto Arias, who is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 13th-best overall MLB international prospect for this class, Baseball America as the 14th-best prospect, and Fangraphs as the 16th-best prospect.
The top international sign for this year’s class, Arias, is from the Dominican Republic and hails from Bonoa. Bases Loaded Academy is where the 17-year-old outfield prospect receives his training. Expected to sign for $1.9MM, he will become the second-highest free agent bonus ever awarded by Cleveland, only surpassed by current INF prospect Gabriel Rodriguez, who signed for $2.1MM on July 2, 2018.
