Diego Benitez, Douglas Glod among Braves international signings (UPDATED with team announcement)

Update - The Atlanta Braves have officially announced 14 signings including signing bonuses.

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It is International Signing Day and while it doesn’t have the same pageantry that the MLB Draft has, it has a ton of importance to the health of a team’s minor league system and, in the Braves case, marks the end of the penalties that have hamstrung them since they were imposed in 2017. If you need another refresher of what is going on today, here is our primer on international free agency this year.

The Braves have come to agreements with four players that we are aware of so far and below is the available information on them. The Braves appear to have an exciting IFA class that should bolster the minor league ranks in the coming years.

You can follow along with all of the signings with Baseball America’s signing tracker.

Diego Benitez (SS) - Signing bonus: $2.5 million

Benitez is a top 10 player in this entire IFA class as he features present-day hitting ability with a fair bit of projection in his frame as well. Hailing from Venezuela, where the Braves are among the most active teams, Benitez may not stick at shortstop if he adds too much to his frame, but the Braves are buying his bat which should be good for both average and power down the road.

Douglas Glod (OF) - Signing bonus: $1.3 million

Glod is the big prospect that the Braves are signing during this IFA period. Many seem to think that he is closer to physically maxed out than a lot of IFA prospects, but the guy can hit and has a track record of doing so back in Venezuela. He has good all-around present tools and, with some more emphasis on loft, he should hit for some power.

Juan Bito (SS)

*Bito is not among the signings that were announced by the team.

Maximo Maria (OF)

Robert Gonzalez (OF)

Jhonly Taveras (RHP)

Genderson Almonte (RHP)

Alexander Martinez (C)

MLB Pipeline’s Jesse Sanchez reports that the Braves have signed catcher Alexander Martinez out of Venezuela for a $400,000 bonus.

Christian Suarez (3B)

Elian Garcia (OF)

Five more names courtesy of Baseball America’s signing tracker:

Josnaider Orellana (C)

Leiker Figueroa (SS)

Didier Fuentes (RHP)

Jhonny Martinez (RHP)

Yorvi Pirela (RHP)