Mariners sign 12 players as international free-agent period begins

With Major League Baseball’s 2025 international free agent period beginning Wednesday, the Mariners announced they signed 12 players to contracts.

The Mariners, who were allotted $7.56 million in bonus pool dollars, are expected to announce the signing of more players in the coming days. The signing period runs until Dec. 15.

“Today is special not only for the players and their families, but also for the members of our scouting staff who have been present throughout the entire evaluation process,” said Frankie Thon, the Mariners director of international scouting. “There’s no better reward than watching these players’ dreams come true right in front of our eyes.”

Headlining the initial group of Mariners’ signees are outfielder Yorger Bautista and infielder Kendry Martinez, who were rated in the top 25 of this signing class by MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and FanGraphs.

Bautista, 17, is rated as one of the top prospects coming out of Venezuela and the No. 6 overall prospect by FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline and No. 12 by Baseball America. He received a reported $2.1 million signing bonus.

A left-handed hitting center fielder with plus strength, Bautista is listed at 6-foot-1 and between 175-185 pounds. Most scouting reports say his swing looks a little unorthodox, but yields bat speed and power. He has improved his speed to be considered a plus runner to go with a strong arm.

“Yorger Bautista is an exciting and explosive athlete, with arguably the highest upside of any player available in the entire 2025 international player pool,” Thon said. “He brings elite bat speed and top of the scale strength relative to this age group. He’s also a plus runner, with a good glove in center field and a cannon of an arm. There’s a reason Yorger’s teammates and coaches in Venezuela have nicknamed him “La Bestia” (the Beast).”

Martinez, a 17-year-old shortstop, was rated eighth by Baseball America, 19th by MLB Pipeline and 25th by FanGraphs.

He’s left-handed hitter with a short swing, showing advanced plate discipline and strong bat-to-ball skills. He’s a solid fielder with a strong enough arm and enough athleticism to remain at shortstop.

“Kendry Martinez is a natural hitter with an easy swing, who already does a lot of what is usually hard to teach: He controls the zone, recognizes pitches early, makes a lot of contact and uses the whole field,” Thon said. “He’s a versatile infielder with solid defensive tools, to go along with good instincts. Kendry performed very well in the showcase circuit.”

Martinez also received a signing bonus of $2 million.

“Not only are we signing two of the top 20 overall prospects,” Thon said. “But this position player group in general is also deeper than most years, in regards to both their offensive impact and their overall potential.”

The other signees:

Henry Alcantara, RHP, Venezuela (age 17)

Thon: “A compact delivery, high 80s to low 90s fastball, and an above-average curveball.

Manuel Almeida, C, Venezuela (age 17)

Thon: “A 6-foot, switch-hitting catcher with solid arm strength, plus raw power at the plate, and good bat speed.”

Cesar Farías, RHP, Venezuela (age 17)

Thon: “A 5-foot-10, right-handed pitcher with a quick aggressive arm and a low 90s fastball with solid life.”

Wisler Infante, RHP, Venezuela (age 17)

Thon: “A 5-foot-11, right-handed pitcher with a low 90s fastball and a plus slider. He should miss a lot of bats due to the angle, life, and deception he creates.”

Randal Muñoz, RHP, Dominican Republic (age 16)

Thon: “A 6-foot-1, right-handed pitcher with a balanced and methodical tempo to his delivery. He has a high 80s to low 90s fastball with a plus changeup.”

Elias Perez, OF, Dominican Republic (age 17)

Thon: “A 5-foot-9, switch-hitting center fielder with plus athleticism and good tools. He is a plus runner with a plus glove in the outfield and plus raw strength at the plate. He possesses a potentially impactful ceiling, if it all comes together.”

Ismanuel Piña, RHP, Dominican Republic (age 19)

Thon: “A 5-foot-11, right-handed pitcher with a clean and balanced delivery, a low 90s fastball with a solid curveball.”

Christopher Quiroz, RHP, Dominican Republic (age 17)

Thon: “A 6-foot, right-handed pitcher with a long protectable frame, good extension on his delivery, and a lower release. He has a low 90s fastball with solid life and an above-average changeup.”

Darwin Ramos, RHP, Dominican Republic (age 17)

Thon: “a 6-foot-2, right-handed pitcher with plus ride and extension on a high 80s to low 90s fastball.”

Maikol Rodríguez, OF, Cuba (age 17)

Thon: “A 5-foot-11, left-handed hitting outfielder with a compact swing, high on-base skills and good defensive instincts. He performed well during international tournaments around the world.”