The noticeable increase in international spending by the Orioles included six-figure bonuses for Edwin Amparo and Leandro Arias.
They have more in common than cash.
Amparo ($650,000) and Arias ($600,000) are Dominican-born shortstops. They're teenagers and switch-hitters, with the latter ranked as the No. 46 prospect in MLBPipeline.com's Top 50 list.
Here's what the club said about both players in Saturday's news release announcing the 24 signings:
Arias, 16, is a shortstop prospect from the Dominican Republic who MLB Pipeline ranks as their No. 46 International prospect in this class. He is a switch hitter who portrays intriguing power potential from both sides of the plate. He has an advanced approach at the plate with solid bat-to-ball skills and hit ability.
Amparo, 17, is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop from the Dominican Republic. He shows above average speed and good bat-to-ball skills from each side of the plate. He flashes intriguing power, which could become more sustained as he fills out. Defensively, he has good actions at shortstop with solid range and growing arm strength.
Koby Perez, the Orioles' senior director of international scouting, stated in a Zoom call that they're "very, very similar players."
As the Orioles keep proving, you can never have too many middle infielders in the system.
"We targeted them because their profiles are really good," Perez said. "They both run very, very well, they both have very good arms and we think they can both play shortstop, which is very difficult to find, a player that stays at shortstop.
"They fact that they both switch-hit opens up a lot of avenues for them. Obviously, we want both these guys to be the shortstop, but sometimes when they're switch-hitters, they have better chances at becoming utility guys. They can move over to second base. A shortstop can go to center field for the most part. These guys are really good athletes.
"Our process in scouting is, we try to document what they've done these past three years. We document their at-bats and everything, and both these kids, they get on base, they don't strike out very much and they put the barrel on the ball. The little bit of track record we have are very, very good, so we attack these players pretty early, and they were happy to be part of us and we're happy to have them."
You know what else can allow a shortstop to change positions? Having Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adam Hall, Maikol Hernández, Joey Ortiz, Darell Hernaiz and Anthony Servideo on the farm - all of them ranked among the organization's top 30 prospects.
Arias and Amparo will be in the next wave of young talent flowing through the system. This has been the plan all along, an integral component of the rebuild. A way to create contender status that is sustainable. No quick fixes that flicker.
* Teams could sign international players during the lockout because they didn't impact the 40-man roster. There are no rules against it.
Same with releasing minor league players, as the Orioles did last month with the following 11:
RHP Luis Perez
The Orioles signed Perez in 2016 after the Padres released him. He pitched for three affiliates in 2021, with 11 relief appearances at Double-A Bowie. The Dominican native allowed two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings with low Single-A Delmarva, but nine in 14 innings with high Single-A Aberdeen and 15 in 23 1/3 innings with Bowie for matching 5.79 ERAs.
RHP Malachi Emond
The Orioles selected Emond in the 18th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of New Mexico. His professional career has consisted of 12 games with Aberdeen, then a short-season affiliate in 2019, where he posted a 2.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 20 1/3 innings. He struck out 21 batters.
LHP Jesus Chavez
The Dominican native registered a 3.16 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 14 starts in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2019, surrendering only four home runs in 68 1/3 innings. He made nine appearances, including one start, in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2021 and allowed 15 runs with 10 walks and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings.
LHP Cesar Angomas
Angomas joined the organization in 2017 and spent his first three seasons starting in the DSL. He had a 2.14 ERA in 63 innings in 2019, with 32 walks and 64 strikeouts. Assigned to the FCL last year, the Dominican native went 0-3 with an 8.50 ERA and 2.11 WHIP in nine appearances (two starts) for the Orange team, walking 17 batters and striking out 18. He made three relief appearances with the Black team and allowed two earned runs and seven total with four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
C Christopher Burgess
The Orioles signed Burgess in June 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Georgia State. He played for three affiliates last summer, batting a combined .168/.275/.253 with five doubles, one home run and 41 strikeouts 37 games - including 26 with Aberdeen and two with Bowie. He threw out 10 of 32 runners attempting to steal.
1B James Rolle
Rolle, a left-handed hitter born in the Bahamas and listed at 6 feet and 240 lbs., signed on April 2019. He batted .286/.344/.455 with four doubles, five home runs and 36 strikeouts in 33 games with the DSL2 team, appeared in 18 games last year in the FCL and went 6-for-42 with two doubles and 16 strikeouts.
INF Alexis Torres
Torres, born in Puerto Rico, was a fifth-round pick in 2015 and signed for $364,700. He batted .221/.300/.330 with 42 doubles, nine triples, eight home runs and 87 RBIs in 234 minor league games. He appeared in 23 with Bowie last summer and went 15-for-69 (.217).
INF Luis Sena
Sena, a Dominican native who signed in May 2019, spent 2021 in the FCL and batted .200/.302/.227 in 27 games. He played all four infield positions in the minors, but mostly shortstop. He's listed at 5-feet-10 and 140 lbs.
OF Frank Tolentino
Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican in 2017, Tolentino spent his first two professional seasons in the DSL and his last two in the Gulf Coast League/FCL and batted a combined .239/.345/.327 in 91 games. His release came on New Year's Eve.
OF Kevin Infante
Infante, a native of Cuba, appeared in 11 games last year in the FCL and went 6-for-24. He slashed .298/.365/.418 with 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 22 RBIs in 60 games in the DSL in 2019. The Orioles signed him in September 2018.
OF Angel Gomez
Gomez, a native of Venezuela who signed in August 2018, went 6-for-66 with 38 strikeouts last summer in the FCL. He batted .241/.333/.330 with six doubles, six triples and 23 RBIs in 55 games in the DSL in 2019.