Rays' international class includes 4 touted prospects
TAMPA, Fla. -- Last summer, the Rays made a series of trades to further strengthen the game¡¯s deepest (and arguably the best) Minor League system. They added another wave of talent on Wednesday, marking the opening of the 2025 international signing period by adding three of MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 50 international prospects to the organization.
Tampa Bay has signed outfielder Maykel Coret (No. 9 overall) and infielders Raymer Medina (No. 20) and Warel Solano (No. 30), all of whom hail from the Dominican Republic.
Coret¡¯s deal is worth $1.6 million, while Medina ($1.1 million) and Solano ($1.05 million) landed seven-figure deals as well. The Rays tied for the highest international pool in 2025 at $7.56 million, also landing Venezuelan shortstop Eliomar Garces, who received a $1.6 million bonus in his own right, according to an industry source.
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Those four highlighted the 12-player class the Rays announced on Wednesday -- five infielders, three outfielders, two catchers, a right-handed pitcher and a left-hander -- and they expect to bolster the class with more signings as roster spots become available.
¡°It's a big day for the organization to bring in 12 players that we think have the potential to help us, either at the big league level or trading for a big leaguer,¡± Rays international scouting director Steve Miller said. ¡°It's a big day for all these guys, and it's a big day for the organization. And they certainly make us feel like it's an important day.¡±
Already 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds as a 17-year-old, Coret has the look of a potential five-tool impact player. He receives praise for his passion and dedication to the game, playing with an edge despite having been heralded from a young age.
¡°We think that he has a chance to truly be a five-tool player who can be an above-average defender in center,¡± Miller said. ¡°It¡¯s just a really high ceiling and a talented center fielder who has a chance to contribute in all five areas.¡±
A right-handed hitter who possesses above-average bat speed and power, Coret has shown an ability to get to that extra-base pop in games, while also discerning which pitches he should lay off. He¡¯s already recorded exit velocities as high as 104 mph, while also ripping off 6.6-second 60-yard dash times.
In addition to a well-above-average speed, Coret¡¯s best asset may be his throwing arm. Those wheels portend to him seeing reps in center field, where he can utilize that arm, which has been clocked at 96 mph from the grass.
Switch-hitting shortstops with a slick glove are always a commodity in vogue, a description that fits Medina to a tee. He¡¯ll play his entire first pro season as a 17-year-old, with his frame having filled out significantly over the past few years.
Medina boasts an aggressive swing and the ball jumps off his bat equally well right- and left-handed. He¡¯s already showing signs of solid-to-average power as he continues to garner in-game reps.
But up the middle with the glove is where evaluators are most excited about Medina. Drawing one of the few 60 fielding grades in the 2025 international class, the native of Ban¨ª is a surefire shortstop as he gets his pro career underway. With hands and actions that make playing the position easy, he¡¯s also ripped off throws clocked as high as 92 mph across the infield.
Whereas Medina has a glove-first reputation, Solano is generally considered an offense-first shortstop with above-average bat speed. While his selectivity will need to increase as he faces better pitching, the raw tools are there with exit velocities at 102 mph and blossoming power coming into his 6-foot right-handed-hitting frame.
Competition can be fierce for reps at shortstop, particularly at the lower levels, making Solano a potentially ideal fit for the hot corner with his above-average throwing arm.
For all of the excitement around Medina¡¯s glove, it¡¯s Garces whom some club evaluators believe could be the best defensive shortstop of the bunch, if not in the entire 2025 class. A bit undersized at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, the Venezuela native has the look of a long-term shortstop defensively.
A switch-hitter, Garces has top-of-the-line contact skills from both sides of the dish. Equipped with a level swing -- particularly from the left side -- and modest leg kick that allows him to tap into some blossoming extra-base pop, there¡¯s ample room for his all-around offensive profile to grow as he joins pro ball. He¡¯s also a tick above average on the basepaths, which will help him carve out an early niche as a speedy slick-fielding infielder.
While the Rays have a wealth of infield talent throughout their Minor League system, much of it has progressed stateside, opening valuable reps for Medina, Garces and Solano as their careers get underway.
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.
Here is the rest of the Rays¡¯ 2025 international class and their signing bonuses:
Emmanuel Cedeno, SS (Dominican Republic) -- $500,000
Brainerh Palacios, C (Venezuela) -- $350,000
Emile Torres, OF (Dominican Republic) -- $300,000
Kadil Rubio, OF (Cuba) -- $160,000
Ivan Torres, C (Dominican Republic) -- $150,000
Anderson Alvarez, RHP (Venezuela, nephew of former MLB pitcher Henderson Alvarez) -- $100,000
Carlos Salazar, SS (Venezuela) -- $70,000
Jensy Duran, LHP (Dominican Republic) -- $10,000