NEW YORK — Dominican infielder Kendry Martinez was among 17 additional players agreeing to seven-figure bonuses, a $2.5 million deal with the Seattle Mariners.
Thirty-two players have agreed to bonuses of $1 million or more through two days of the international signing period, which opened Wednesday and runs until Dec. 15.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, hoping to sign Roki Sasaki, were among five teams that have not finalized any contracts and kept open their entire signing bonus pool allotment, joined by Kansas City, the New York Yankees and Colorado. The San Diego Padres, also wooing the Japanese pitcher, struck one deal for $10,000, the highest amount that does not count against a team’s bonus pool.
Sasaki is considered an international amateur by Major League Baseball because he is under 25 and has not played six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. Under the MLB-NPB posting agreement, he has until Jan. 23 to finalize an MLB deal.
Agreements included Dominican shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz and the Chicago Cubs ($2.3 million), Venezuelan outfielder Yorger Bautista and Seattle ($2.1 million), Dominican outfielder Kevin Alvarez and Houston ($2 million), Venezuelan shortstop Liberts Aponte and Cincinnati ($1.9 million), Dominican right-hander Raudy Reyes and Atlanta ($1,797,500), Venezuelan infielder Eliomar Garces and Tampa Bay ($1.6 million), Dominican infielder Juan Cabada and the Cubs ($1.5 million), Bahamian shortstop Ayden Johnson and the Athletics ($1.5 million), Dominican shortstop Dorian Soto and Boston ($1.4 million), Dominican outfielder Royelny Strop and St. Louis ($1.4 million), Dominican outfielder Kenny Fenelon and Milwaukee ($1.3 million), Venezuelan infielder Yulian Barreto and San Francisco ($1,118,700), Dominican shortstop Juan Tomas and the Cubs ($1.1 million) and Dominican outfielder Elorky Rodriguez and Texas (1,097,500
Players born from Sept. 1, 2007, through Aug. 31, 2008, are eligible to sign during this year’s period, which ends Dec. 15. Teams began the week with signing bonus pools ranging from about $5.1 million to $7.6 million.
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