The San Diego Padres have undergone plenty of changes throughout the offseason. However, one thing that has remained is the Padres landing the top prospect on the international market.
San Diego has signed Leodalis De Vries, via MLB.com’s Jesse Borek, Jesus Cano and AJ Cassavell. The shortstop ranked as the No.1 prospect available internationally, via MLB.com. His deal is worth around $4.2 million.
The Padres are elated with their coup of De Vries. San Diego scouting director Chris Kemp called the shortstop, “a special talent.” But as excited as the Padres are, De Vries is just as amped up to land with his favorite team.
“It’s a very special day for me,” De Vries said. “Especially with this being my favorite team. It definitely makes it a special day all around for me and my family.
De Vries’ signing comes after Ethan Salas joined the club last offseason. Salas was also ranked as the No. 1 international prospect in the class. The catcher now ranks as the top prospect in San Diego’s organization and the fifth-best prospect in all of baseball, via MLB Pipeline.
At just 17-years-old, there isn’t many documented stats on De Vries. However, he has received raving reviews from scouts who applaud both his natural ability at the plate and his defensive skills. San Diego is banking on those scouting reports to come to fruition.
It’ll be many moons before Leodalis De Vries makes his MLB debut. But when he arrives to the Padres, the shortstop has just one plan.
“I think I’m a leader above all,” De Vries said. “I think I can help my teammates and, most importantly, help the city of San Diego win a World Series.”
More must-reads: