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The Mets are making a huge splash in international free agency, signing 17-year-old shortstop Elian Peña from the Dominican Republic.
Peña was ranked behind only Roki Sasaki on most lists, including Baseball America, when it came to this year’s IFA class.
Peña’s deal is for $5 million, making it the biggest bonus the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. It is also the biggest deal any Latin American prospect will receive during this signing period.
“Evaluators rave about his off-the-field makeup and in-game savvy, believing he has legitimate five-tool impact potential across the board,” Jesse Borek of MLB Pipeline writes about Peña. “Pena’s hit tool is his calling card. Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, he complements his propensity for hitting the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years.”
Peña, who is one of 15 international players the Mets signed on Wednesday, has been compared to Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers.
Wrote Ben Badler of Baseball America about Peña last year:
“Peña is a polished left-handed hitter and one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the class. It’s a sweet lefty swing that’s compact and stays through the hitting zone a long time, with Peña showing the ability to manipulate the barrel to consistently square up pitches for hard contact throughout the strike zone.”
With Peña joining the Mets’ system, he will enter SNY contributor Joe DeMayo’s Top 30 Mets prospects list within the Top 10 when the updated list is released.
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