Mets make a big splash on international signing day, inking No. 3 prospect Peña

For the second straight international signing day, the Mets handed out a club-record signing bonus in order to land one of baseball’s premier international prospects.

Elian Peña, MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 international prospect, is the club’s headlining signee for the class of 2025. The 17-year-old shortstop is the highest-ranked player to sign with the Mets since Pipeline began its annual international rankings list in 2012.

Peña’s deal is worth $5 million, according to an industry source. The club, which has $6.26 million in pool money, has not confirmed the terms of the agreement.

It’s not Juan Soto money, but it’s still a significant haul as far as the international market goes, one the club is confident in when viewing Peña’s skill set in totality. One of just three prospects to receive a 65-grade hit tool, and four to get an overall grade of 60 or higher, Peña projects to contribute to all facets of the game.

Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, Peña complements his propensity to hit the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years. It’s rare for a prospect so young to have such a keen eye for the zone, but Peña routinely puts it on display while spraying the ball to all fields when he does cut loose.

Peña has consistently shown the actions and feel for shortstop, with smooth hands that make it likely he’ll see the majority of his time at the position as his pro career gets underway. Boasting a lean frame, he runs well and isn’t likely to be maxed out physically at his young age, leaving room for significant projection and upside.

In an organization flush with middle-infield talent throughout its farm system (and with Francisco Lindor holding down the six at the big league level), Peña’s developmental path likely won’t be constrained by defensive positioning. As the saying goes, “Hit, and they’ll find a spot for your bat in the lineup.”

Last year, catcher Yovanny Rodriguez (New York’s No. 27 prospect), at the time the No. 6 prospect in the 2024 international class, landed a then-record $2.85 million bonus to join the Mets. He received more than half the club’s pool, an indication of how strongly New York believed in his talent.

To put Peña’s hype in context: he becomes just the fifth player the Mets have given a bonus of more than $2 million via the international market (Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvarez and Alex Ramírez being the others), and his comes in at more than $2 million north of Rodriguez’s agreement.

Only the most well-equipped and preternaturally gifted members of international classes move with significant rapidity. The Brewers’ Jackson Chourio signed four years ago to the day and didn’t make his big league splash until this past season … as a 20-year-old.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team through Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 of the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign during the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible.