At the opening of the 2025 international signing period on Wednesday, the Red Sox came away with a significant haul. The crown jewel of the class is shortstop Dorian Soto, who ranks as MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 international prospect, the club’s highest-ranked signee on the market since Christopher Acosta (No. 6 in 2014).
Also joining the organization is a pair of highly touted Venezuelans: outfielder Harold Rivas (No. 32 international prospect) and right-hander Sadbiel Delzine (No. 46).
Soto's deal is worth $1.4 million, while Rivas earned $950,000 and Delzine received $500,000. The club received $6.26 million in pool money this year.
Sweet-swinging shortstops with an advanced hit tool are always a commodity on the international market, and Soto fits the bill. Already 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds at age 16, there is considerable hype about the Dominican’s ceiling. His hit tool is one of only a few to be given a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, while he also possesses above-average power that he has tapped into from both sides of the dish.
Viewed as an extremely hard worker, evaluators often first discussed Soto’s off-the-field makeup as much as his exciting tool package on it. He trains with Basilio “Cachaza” Vizcaino at Lluviz Baseball Academy in San Cristóbal, a member of MLB's Trainer Partnership Program.
It was two years ago that the Red Sox handed out nearly $2 million combined to land shortstops Franklin Arias (Red Sox No. 4 prospect) and Yoeilin Cespedes (No. 5) when the signing period opened. Both players have flourished -- Arias has already been bumped up to Single-A Salem, while Cespedes dominated the Florida Complex League as an 18-year-old.
There will be enough of an age gap that the trio of Arias, Cespedes and Soto won’t run into one another for playing time imminently, but when coupled with upper-level up-the-middle talent like Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 7) and Kristian Campbell (BOS No. 3/MLB No. 10), things are looking bright for co-directors of international scouting Todd Claus and Rolando Pino and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
In an age of advanced analytics that help decipher the players best equipped to contribute at the highest level, Rivas has impressed in multiple regards. His bat speed as a right-handed hitter is consistently above the Major League average, checking in around 75-76 mph, while also producing exit velocities consistently north of 100 mph.
One evaluator bestowed upon Rivas a comparison to how George Springer looked at a similar age. Much like how Springer came up as a rangy center fielder who could track down balls in the gap, the same goes for Rivas at this stage of his development. He has ripped off 60-yard dash times clocked as fast as 6.5 seconds, a glimpse into the kind of potential he could have both on the basepaths and defensively.
While prep pitchers are notoriously difficult to project, Delzine fits the mold of everything that an organization could dream about: a three-pitch arsenal, mid-90s velocity and a powerful physique to boot. Already clocked as high as 93 mph as an amateur, Delzine is only scratching the surface of his velocity potential. His 6-foot-5 build portends to there being much more in the tank, particularly as he gains reps, continues to add muscle and works with more advanced data at the club’s complex in the D.R.
Delzine trains with Jonathan Melián of Sluggers Corporation in Puerto La Paz, Venezuela, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.
The most recent successful sustained run from a Venezuelan starter with the Red Sox was Eduardo Rodriguez, but he was acquired four years into his Minor League career.
Dominican right-hander Brayan Bello has been a Boston international prospect development wonder, having signed for $28,000 in July 2017, and blossoming into a potential frontline starter at the big league level.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.
That means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.
Additional notable Red Sox signees and their bonuses:
Eliezer Alfonzo, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000
Hector Ramos, SS, Dominican Republic -- $500,000
Christopher Cordero, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $350,000
Adrian Valdez, OF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000