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The Dodgers kicked off the 2024 international amateur period by signing Dominican shortstop Emil Morales to a minor league contract. Financial details are not yet known.
The team is expected to announce its full slate of signees later today. The Dodgers have a bonus pool of $5.925 million to spend. Morales is one eight Latin American amateurs who have signed or agreed to terms with the Dodgers as of today, according to Baseball America.
Baseball America ranked Morales 10th overall in this year’s international signing class. From their scouting report:
Morales consistently strings together quality at-bats. He has a mature offensive approach, recognizes pitches well and has performed well against live pitching. It’s a sound swing for his age with power that has trended up as he has added strength to his lower half and should spike more in the coming years. Morales is an offensive-oriented shortstop who is built more like a third baseman, with many scouts believing he will slide over to third base in the near future. He’s a below-average runner who is a steady defender on the balls he gets to at shortstop with a solid-average arm, though his actions and mobility likely fit best at third base.
Baseball America
MLB.com ranked Morales 14th overall. Jesse Borek and Jesus Cano, who reported the signing for MLB.com, wrote:
Morales is a big-bodied prospect with the potential to develop into a game-changing power bat. He’s shown the ability to manage the strike zone and is patient enough to draw walks consistently. When he gets his pitch, he turns on it quickly and drives the ball to all fields with authority. Morales flashes home run power, and more could be on the way as he looks to build upon his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. Like most teenage prospects, Morales is working on repeating his mechanics in the batter’s box, but that should improve once he receives daily instruction at the club’s academy.
MLB.com
FanGraphs.com was highest on Morales, ranking him second overall in this year’s class. Writes Eric Longenhagen:
Morales has perhaps the best long-term power projection among the 2024 international class infielders, as most of the other prospects with wide receiver-ish builds are outfielders. Morales has wide shoulders, long levers, and a high waist that gives him the look of an early-career Fernando Tatis Jr. in the uniform. Morales also has explosive power to his pull side and can already put balls out to dead center field at age 17. Unlike a lot of lanky teenage hitters, Morales’ bat-to-ball performance in amateur events was statistically strong. On film, his hands have a late, deep move that I worry will make him late against pro velocity, but it’s too early to care much about that. Morales bends well for an athlete of his size and build, and he has a decent shot to stay at shortstop. While he’s a skill fit there, it’s plausible that sheer size will force him to move in his early-to-mid-20s. Morales is expected to sign for about $2.5 million.
FanGraphs.com
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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