The Orioles kick off another year of the international amateur signing period with their highest-end signing bonus investment to date. The Orioles’ 2026 signing class is the smallest since Mike Elias’ team entered the market, but that’s only because the team signed four players to at least $1 million in bonuses for the first time ever. That includes shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, who received a franchise-record signing bonus of $2.3 million.
This year marks the fifth year since the Orioles officially entered the market. The international amateur was a player the Orioles reluctantly signed under Dan Duquette and early general managers. Participating in this market is inherently risky because the players being signed are 16 and 17 years old and they could be left with nothing. It’s also a risk that teams do need to take, as roughly a third of the top prospects in the game at any given time come from this part of the world.
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The signing bonus pool available to the Orioles through 2026 (through Dec. 15) is $8,034,900. They were one of seven teams to receive this bonus amount, which was the highest available to any team during this period. The minimum amount any team must spend this year is $5,440,000.
The vast majority of that money is included in today’s announcement because even though it’s technically illegal for teams and players to agree before the signing period begins, the practice is extremely common. That’s how it all rolls out the day it starts. Everything has been agreed upon in advance. american baseball The Orioles’ big-bonus players reported early.
While it’s always an exciting day, it’s worth remembering that even if these players are progressing well, they’re still over 4 years away from contributing in MLB. Rookie catcher Samuel Barsalo is the first major international investment to come to the Orioles in the Elias era. He joined at the end of last season, four years after signing, which is a quick timeline. The steady progression to 2032 is not surprising for this year’s class. That is a very distant thing.
Orioles sign four top-50 players american baseball Eric Longenhagen has 4 of the 59 players ranked in the top 100 list on FanGraphs and 5 of the top 50 in such rankings on MLB Pipeline. Here they are:
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Jose Luis Acevedo, SS
Acevedo is a 17-year-old right-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic. He is ranked 9th on FanGraphs and in Bachelor’s degree Ranked No. 14 on MLB Pipeline, this scouting report comes from Bachelor:
(Acevedo) is skilled on both sides of the ball and has great tools and instincts from a player who plans to stick at shortstop. It’s a sound right-handed swing with an advanced offensive approach for his age. … Has enough bat speed to generate home run power on his pull side without having to swing wider, and the solid frame suggests more power will be generated once he fills out. He’s an average runner but moves well at shortstop, and he has quick moves, a good internal clock and a strong arm.
One thing worth remembering is that you can always find exciting-sounding scouting reports on these players, including those the Orioles have signed in recent years. That means they have the ability to develop into major leaguers, or at least tradeable prospects, if all goes well. Not everyone does this! The O’s do seem to like Acevedo’s chances, as they just gave him their largest bonus ever.
Ariel Roque
Roque is a 17-year-old left-handed outfielder also from the Dominican Republic. He ranks 15th (FG), 18th (Pipeline), and 22nd (Bachelor) in these lists. Both scouting reports noted his well-rounded athleticism, which is one of those phrases often used to describe players who have obvious physical gifts but need a lot of experience to convert those gifts into being truly good at baseball. Rock Pipe:
(Rock) keeps his hands fairly high but uses his massive amount of bat speed to consistently reach all types of pitches, often hitting line drives from gap to gap. There’s a slight wiggle at the top of the bat, and he uses his leg kicks to bring out his power, which is still coming into play as he lifts the ball more often. … When he gets to the pros, he’s definitely going to stick (in center field), he’s got extra wheels, and he uses those wheels to impact the game with the glove and the base lane. Rock has a clear upward arrow next to his name, as he should continue to improve his already impressive tool kit as he gains professional guidance.
baltimore standard Andy Kostka reports that Rock will receive a $1.7 million bonus from the team.
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Pedro Gomez
Gomez, also 17, is a right-handed hitter also from the Dominican Republic. He is ranked 23rd on FanGraphs, 35th on Pipeline, and Bachelor list. He is taller than many players in the signing class, Bachelor His height/weight is reported to be 6 feet 2 inches, 210 pounds. He has less room for improvement than many of the other players who will be signed today, although he still can. Gomez’s FanGraphs:
Gomez is a Leviathan corner outfield prospect with tremendous power who will likely develop at least ++ raw power in his prime, and he has a slight chance of entering 70-level territory. Whether he’ll make enough contacts for that to matter, we’ll find out once he gets to professional basketball. Now, his swing tends to move in the opposite direction of the gap. His ability to pull the ball isn’t as good as some of the other sluggers in the 2026 class.
If this were the highest-ranked player the Orioles signed in the class, it wouldn’t be the most exciting report. It’s a lot more fun being the third of four players to hit a seven-figure bonus. We can live with a few Leviathans here. Gomez will receive $1.25 million.
Gabriel Rosario, OF
Rosario is another 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic. He hits the ball from the left side and is distinguished from the other players because he is the tallest, listed at 6-foot-4 despite weighing in at 205 pounds. He may have more room to add strength than previous player Gomez. He is the 33rd ranked player in FG and 41st in all metrics. Bachelor and MLB Pipeline List. Bachelor About Rosario:
Rosario is one of the better hitting and power players in the 2026 international signing class. He has a long, strong frame and the added physical advantage of being able to carry the ball down the field, to the center of the field, and to his side. While Rosario can hit the ball a long way, it’s his pure hitting ability that stands out the most. He has a patient approach that draws plenty of at-bats and doesn’t sell out his swing to generate that kind of power. … He’s a below-average runner … who performs best in left field.
Here’s another guy who, if he’s the nicest guy, you have to say, duh. Future stars will get more impressive coverage than this. Still, I’m told the combination of pure hitting ability and power is unusual, so if he manages to maintain that we’ll be hearing from him in the future. Rosario’s bonus is $1.05 million.
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Andre Hidalgo, LHP
Hidalgo is a 16-year-old pitcher from DR. This is the highest-ranked pitcher in the signing class on Pipeline’s roster and one of only two pitchers ranked in the top 50. american baseball He also ranks Hidalgo at No. 80, but has a “trending upward” mark on his profile. Hidalgo is already listed at 6-foot-4, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the “tall young southpaw” get some attention. Hidalgo’s Pipeline:
Hidalgo moves in the early 90s, tops out around 95 mph, and his four-seam fastball takes advantage of his loose, lanky limbs to give hitters a different look on the mound. He hides the ball well on his front side, using his oversized body to create stretch and reduce hitters’ reaction time. … Control of those productions will be key in determining whether Hidalgo reaches his sky-high ceiling. His control can ebb and flow as a game goes on, but scouts point to the balancing act of his clean, repeatable pitches.
The folks at Orioles On The Verge report that Hidalgo is expected to receive a $700,000 bonus. While the Orioles have invested more in international programs in recent years, so far they haven’t found a pitcher with that existing pedigree. For example, their current top international amateur pitcher, left-hander Luis De León, signed for just $30,000. Every player signed today will need patience, perhaps more so with the young left-handed pitcher than with anyone else.
Here are five of the ten players the Orioles announced today. With the majority of their $8 million pool dedicated to those five players, the O’s have even less room to sign the kind of volume they’ve signed in recent years. This is a different strategy. Hopefully it will pay off in the future.
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Full list of signed players, along with their positions and home countries:
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Jose Luis Acevedo, SS, Dominican Republic
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Jhostin Aybar, SS, Dominican Republic
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Joshddy Castillo, OF, Dominican Republic
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Pedro Gomez, OF, Dominican Republic
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Andri Hidalgo, LHP, Dominican Republic
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Ariel Roque, OF, Dominican Republic
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Gabriel Rosario, OF, Dominican Republic
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Carlos Rubecindo, OF, Dominican Republic
Rubecindo and Castillo received bonuses of US$400,000 and US$375,000 respectively american baseball reported.