There are two players that the Pirates are linked to this international signing period, that are amongst the best available.<\/p>\n
Duo the Pirates May Sign During the International Signing Period<\/p>\n
Ben Balder of Baseball America<\/a> has the Pirates signing two players on their top 100 in shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. and outfielder Jeancer Custodio.<\/p>\n He ranks Guerrero at 19th and Custodio at 54th, but MLB Pipeline<\/a> has higher rankings for both players, with Custodio at seventh and Guerrero at 17th. <\/p>\n Guerrero is the son of former MLB player Wilton Guerrero Sr. (1996-2004), with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals. He is also the nephew of Hall of Famer Vladmir Guerrero Sr. <\/p>\n Jun 15, 2009; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero (27) waits outside the batting cage during batting practice before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The Angels defeated the Giants 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images<\/p>\n He stands 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and turns 17 years old on May 29 and is a right-handed batter.<\/p>\n Guerrero has incredible speed, with MLB Pipeline giving him a “70” grade, which is “well above average. He also reportedly has gotten to first base in 4.1 seconds and his quickness makes him a better defensive shortstop.<\/p>\n He shows good contact already and has the potential to develop his power. He’ll also look to improve upon his arm strength to become an even better fielder.<\/p>\n Custodio gives the Pirates a bat they will hope turns into one of the better parts of their lineup in the next few seasons.<\/p>\n He also stands 5-foot-10, but 185 pounds, and is a strong hitter, with MLB Pipeline giving him a “65” hit grade and a “55” power grade. <\/p>\n Custodio featured with the Dominican Republic at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2024. He slashed .333\/.429\/.375 for an OPS of .804, with four stolen bases, eight hits, a double and three RBI. <\/p>\n His best skill set right now is his approach to hitting, with good vision that makes him a hitter that can go for power. Scouts see this as an area that, if he works on, will become a top bat for the future.<\/p>\n What is the International Signing Period<\/p>\n This includes players that are already 16 before they sign and not older than 17 before Sept. 1 of the next year, meaning they have to be born between Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009<\/p>\n MLB teams have a certain amount of money to spend, a bonus pool, based on a variety of factors like revenue, market size and money earned from trades. Teams can only spend what they’re allotted pool and nothing more.<\/p>\n The Pirates have the highest pool of $8,034,900, which the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals all have as well.<\/p>\n Deals for $10,000 or less don’t count against the bonus pool, so teams can use that money on just one player, like the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> did with Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.<\/p>\n The Pirates will sign two big free agents like Guerrero and Custodio, but also invest some money in other players in the $100,000 range or higher as well. <\/p>\n Some of the better players for the Pirates came from international signings, like catcher Manny Sanguillen, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Aramis Ram\u00edrez.<\/p>\n Aug 20, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Starling Marte (6) hits a three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Whether the Pirates will make that signing is unknown, but the promise of landing a top player is why teams spend their money like they do in the international signing period. <\/p>\n![\"Vladimir](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kexbaqdfm32wx219h4.jpg\" "\\"Vladimir")
<\/p>\n![\"Starling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kexegnnn3ncgpvw6ry.jpg\" "\\"Starling")
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