Since the hirings of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi in 2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers have replenished their farm system with a multitude of international signings.
Most notably in 2015, when the Dodgers added the likes of top pitching prospect Yadier Alvarez and power-hitting outfielder Yusniel Diaz — both out of Cuba. After exceeding their international bonus pool spending that season, Los Angeles was prohibited to make another splash for two years.
Free to spend at will again, the Dodgers are expected to be one of the more active teams in this year’s upcoming international free agency period, which begins on July 2.
So much so that the team is considered the favorite to sign No. 1 ranked prospect Diego Cartaya, per MLB Pipeline:
The #Dodgers are considered the favorites to sign the No. 1 ranked player on our new Top 30 International Prospects list, Venezuelan catcher Diego Cartaya, and No. 30, Dominican right-hander Jerming Rosario: https://t.co/z7JWW9hCwV pic.twitter.com/hnfchFkyo5
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 24, 2018
Cartaya, a promising, catching prospect from Venezuela, would only bolster the Dodgers’ impressive collection of talent at the position.
Los Angeles is flush at backstop, with Austin Barnes and Yasmani Grandal currently thriving at the Major League level. The organization is also loaded in the lower ranks, with Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith excelling in the Minors.
