The Pirates have once again made a sizable splash on the opening day of the international signing period, signing shortstop Johan De Los Santos, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 23-ranked prospect in the 2025 international class.

De Los Santos¡¯ deal is worth $2.25 million. The club received $6.91 million in bonus pool money this year.

The financial commitment to De Los Santos ranks among the highest that the organization has ever offered an international talent, and for good reason. The left-handed-hitting native of the Dominican Republic is highly regarded for his on-field instincts and passion for the game. One of the youngest members of this year¡¯s international class, De Los Santos comes from a baseball family and trains with the highly regarded Jaime Ramos, a member of MLB¡¯s Trainer Partnership Program.

De Los Santos deploys a line drive-based approach, although his physique and twitchy actions leave the door open for some power to come into his game as he matures. He sees the majority of his game reps at shortstop, where he has solid actions and an above-average throwing arm. The tools are there for him to impact the game on the basepaths as well, with a plus run grade elevating his all-around ceiling.

The Pirates have also signed Darrell Morel, another Dominican shortstop, who landed a $1,778,600 bonus. At 6-foot-5, Morel boasts a powerful left-handed swing that allows him to tap into his extra-base pop with regularity. The organization has shown that its not afraid to keep taller players at the six, with 6-foot-7 Oneil Cruz sticking at the spot full-time during his ascent through Pittsburgh¡¯s Minor League system.

The Bucs also added Armstrong Muhoozi, an infielder from Uganda, for $40,000. Muhoozi is the second Ugandan player in the past three years to sign with Pittsburgh and just the fifth ever to sign with a Major League team (the Dodgers have signed three since 2022). Right-hander David Matoma, whom the Pirates signed in 2023, has posted a 0.47 ERA over 38 2/3 frames in the Minors.

While Pittsburgh lacks a true impact international talent at the upper levels of the Minors presently, the potential for one to emerge remains immense: their top 12 prospects were all Draft picks, but spots 13-30 include 10 players from the international market.

Beyond the wealth of pitching talent currently in the Pirates¡¯ pipeline, shortstop is the organization¡¯s most robust position in terms of future impact. In the lower levels alone, the club boasts Konnor Griffin (PIT No. 2/MLB No. 50), Mitch Jebb (PIT No. 9), Wyatt Sanford (PIT No. 10), Yordany De Los Santos (PIT No. 13) and Keiner Delgado (PIT No. 23) as potential long-term options at the six.

But shortstop is the position often held down by talented youngsters coming up the amateur ranks; in theory, if you can play there, you can play anywhere. Having a multitude of options is a luxury for any franchise, let alone one that determined last season that Cruz would go from full-time shortstop to full-time outfielder.

Paths to the big leagues are often long -- Cruz¡¯s journey before becoming a full-time contributor for the Bucs was six years in the Minors in his own right. Johan De Los Santos, who will be 16 years old for most of the upcoming season, offers his own excitement ahead of his pro debut this summer, while Morel has already shown the flashes of impact potential that the club covets.

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 Pirates signees and their signing bonuses:

Gabriel Rodriguez, OF (Venezuela) -- $900,000
Robinson Smith, RHP (Australia) -- $400,000
Yoslaniel Hernandez, LHP (Cuba) -- $400,000