Chicago Cubs: Team lands 3 international free agent prospects

The Chicago Cubs were able to re-stock their farm system even more by landing three of the top thirty international free agents today.

Eloy Jimenez, Miguel Amaya, and Aramis Ademan are all notable players that the Chicago Cubs once signed to deals in the international free agent market. With nearly $5.4 million dollars in bonus pool money, Theo Epstein and the Cubs scouting department were able to evaluate the talent on the market and signed 3 of the top 30 prospects to signing bonuses.

In case you forgot the rules of which prospects are eligible to sign deals, MLB does a nice job of explaining it:

"An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between July 2 and June 15 of the next year. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before September 1 of the following year. In practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2002 and Aug. 31, 2003 will become eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible to sign."

The Cubs landed the number 6 overall prospect in Ronnier Quintero. He’s a 16-year old catching prospect and is considered to be the best at the position in the 2019 class.

"In the best-case scenario, he hits 25 home runs a year with a batting average near .280. On the other side of the ball, Quintero is a solid defender with a quick transfer and plus arm potential. His receiving skills are improving, and he already shows leadership skills. He will never be a threat as a runner, but he’s smart and won’t clog up the bases.- MLB"

He’s been linked to the Cubs for several months now and the two were able to reach a deal this morning. The team has to love that he’s a power-hitting catcher who bats from the left side. He’s reportedly been training in the Dominic Republic with Jaime Ramos, who is a key member of MLB’s Trainer Partnetship Program.

The Cubs had also been linked to shortstop Kevin Made for quite some time and officially signed this morning. He’s ranked as the 11th best prospect in the 2019 class and is a skinny kid, standing at 6-1, 160 pounds. As he grows into his body, he figures to hit for even more power.

Scouts are already raving about his footwork and say he can stick at shortstop long-term.

"The athletic Made has a loose and live body and is also known for his soft hands and proper footwork. He’s shown an above-average arm and all of the skills to stay at shortstop after he signs with a team and makes his way through their Minor League system. He has a chance to be an above-average defender when you put all of his skills together.At the plate, Made uses a slight upstroke swing lots of bat speed to generate flashes of average power. He’s been able to hit home runs consistently and has made a habit of getting multiple hits in games. He doesn’t strike out often. – MLB"

Finally, the Cubs landed the 30th best prospect in this class, in catcher, Brayan Altuve. It’s funny because a lot of scouts say they remind him of Willson Contreras. Again, Altuve is just 16-years old and stands at 5-11, 160 pounds.

Currently, he’s a terrific line-drive hitter to all parts of the field and it’s expected that, as he develops, those line drives will exit the ballpark.

"He has shown good bat speed along with some home run power. Both are expected to increase as he grows and develops more strength. For now, his offensive game is ahead of his defense.He’ll eventually have to harness some of his aggressiveness and athleticism, but what makes him so fun to watch is how well he moves behind the plate. That said, he flashes above-average arm strength, good range and overall adequate defensive actions. Like most catchers his age, he’s still working on his receiving skills and calling games. He’s going to stay behind the plate despite displaying the type of athleticism and overall abilities that could lead to a position change. – MLB"