While Roki Sasaki has gotten tons of headlines as an international free agent, the San Francisco Giants signed someone who certain scouts think is the best prospect in the 2025 class.
With international signing day coming on Jan. 15, teams around the league were able to officially ink their free agents to a contract even though some of these deals were agreed to years in advance.
The Giants landed Josuar Gonzalez, a shortstop from the Dominican Republic who Ben Badler of Baseball America reported signed for $3 million.
San Francisco should be excited about what they got in the 17-year-old switch-hitter.
The Giants have signed Dominican SS Josuar Gonzalez. For some scouts, the best international prospect in the 2025 class.https://t.co/aCRAKA5LSP pic.twitter.com/EzwURqDmjV
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 15, 2025
“The Giants are tied with the Dodgers for the smallest bonus pool to begin the 2025 signing period, but they are signing the player several scouts consider to be the best player available … He’s a premium athlete with quick-twitch actions both at the plate and in the field. He projects to stick at shortstop with the tools to develop into a plus defender. He’s a switch-hitter with fast hands at the plate, showing home run power to his pull side from both sides of the plate with the bat speed to project more of his doubles to start climbing over the fence as he fills out,” Badler writes as his scouting report.
He becomes the latest intriguing youngster to join the Giants.
Bryce Eldridge, the team’s No. 1 overall prospect, seems like he’s going to become the everyday first baseman at some point in 2026.
The timeline for Gonzalez likely won’t be as quick, especially after San Francisco handed Willy Adames a seven-year, $182 million deal this winter, so there are some questions that eventually will have to be answered.
But for right now, the Giants should be celebrating.
After missing out on Sasaki, they were able to land a mega talent who is projected to be a future star of the franchise at some point in his career.
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