Padres linked to SS Victor Acosta as new international signing period nears
Credit: AP Photo
Dominican infielder Victor Acosta is linked to the San Diego Padres as the new signing period nears.
There is no doubt that the San Diego Padres will restock their prospect cupboards after a series of trades in the past 12 months removed several players from the farm system.
The international market for Major League Baseball used to begin every July 2. Because of COVID-19, the market will now open on Jan. 15. The Padres will be active in the coming weeks. Expect a few signings as the signing period opens next week.
The Padres are presently linked to only one player ranked in the top 30 by MLB.com.
Victor Acosta is a Dominican infielder who is considered well-rounded, and the Padres are listed as favorites to land the young player.
The switch-hitter presently shows good bat speed with a little bit of power. He will need to gain strength to maximize his power potential. There is a lot to like about his game as he comes with plenty of upsides to his skill. Only time will tell if he works out and can advance through the system.
Here is some video of the youngster in action.
A.J. Preller and his staff are knowledgeable of this young Dominican and what he brings to the table.
Chris Kemp is surely involved as the director of the international scouting department. Kemp has secured most of the talent the Padres have signed in the last few years.
Acosta has a twitch to his swing that you cannot teach. He puts the ball in play well and should remain a switch-hitter at the professional level. The bat should not be an issue with Acosta.
The 16-year-old is a solid defender with a developing arm. The belief is that he will possess plus arm strength when his development is done. At his age, he will remain in the D.R. for the 2021 season and hopefully get some game action in the DSL.
Victor Acosta is expected to ink a contract worth between $1.5MM-$2MM with the Padres. The team will have more money to spend on the market, and they could become players in several of the other players listed in the top 30.
In 2016, four years ago, the Padres went well-beyond their limit in replenishing the farm system. They cannot do that anymore. Nobody can. But the Padres will do a great job of adding several talented youngsters to a farm system that is still easily a top 10 system.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
Awesome! Just what I was hoping to hear after losing a lot of prospects. Gotta keep the prospects coming so we can have flexibility down the line.