Spencer Michaelis

The jersey has to be an organizational "pouring one out" for Nick Mears, I'd think 😉 Bonuses were a little higher for sure, though not by a ton. Perhaps the smaller class is due in part to the larger bonuses though.

The Brewers have $7.3 million in bonus pool money to spend this period, the vast majority of which has gone toward the names listed below. There will, however, be other signings interspersed throughout the next 11 months before the signing period officially closes on December 15th. Those are not to be ignored, certainly, but the players who signed today are usually the ones with the highest chance of making an impact in MLB one day. We will take a look at the full group of signees, grouped into a few categories. Big Bonus, Big Potential The Brewers are reportedly handing out bonuses of at least $1 million to three prospects in this class, and another will receive $700,000. More often than not, this is the cream of the crop and the bonus level where you will find your top prospects. Jackson Chourio received $1.8 million in 2021, and Jesús Made ($950,000) and Luis Peña ($800,000) also fit into this category. SS Diego Frontado -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $1.6 million MLB Pipeline Rank: 24 │ Baseball America Bonus Rank: 24 Frontado has been tied to the Brewers, even publicly, for years now, and Baseball America views him as a player "trending up" heading into this signing period. Referring to an international signing as having a "high floor" is often disingenuous, but in this class, Frontado has a much higher floor than most international signings. The right-handed hitter has a mature approach, an impressive ability to put the ball in play, and the potential for his hit tool to be above-average or better overall. He combines that feel for hit with big-time bat speed, which leads evaluators to believe he has the potential for 20+ home run seasons in the future as well. To add to that, he is said to have plus-speed and has run a 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds. Defensively, he has good actions and hands in the field, though his arm is thought to be closer to average than above average. The lack of arm strength isn't always a precursor to moving off shortstop, but it lowers the odds that he'll remain there long-term. SS José Rodríguez -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $1.5 million MLB Pipeline Rank: 49 │ Baseball America Bonus Rank: 28 Rodriguez's value is derived mainly from his defense. Evaluators peg him as one of the best defensive shortstops in the class, if not the best. He has above average or better tools across the board, including his range, hands, and arm strength and accuracy. He has a general fluidity to his movements that plays very well in games. Rodriguez bats from the right side and takes a definite hit-over-power approach. He has a short swing, aimed at hitting line drives, with the expectation that power will never be a big part of his game. An average runner, the hope is that the offense can play well enough to allow the defense to carry him. However, if the offense does come around in pro ball, in a surprise fashion, you could be looking at the Orlando Arcia route to prospect notoriety. SS Ricki Moneys -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $1.15 million MLB Pipeline Rank: 20 │ Baseball America Bonus Rank: 39 Moneys is a right-handed hitter with the type of power you dream about. It's plus power, with potential for it to be plus-plus, as he has already posted in-game exit velocities of 108 MPH as a 16-year-old. While he walked seven times to only one strikeout in seven games played in the Amateur Scouting League (earning him MVP honors), there are long-term concerns when it comes to potential swing-and-miss issues. If he can limit the whiffs and show a decent hit tool, the sky is the limit for him offensively. Defensively, Moneys has good hands and is expected to get the opportunity to play shortstop as a professional. However, due to a lack of range expected from most shortstops, most scouts expect him to wind up at third base long-term, where his arm should have no issues holding up. C Moises Salazar -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $700,000 Baseball America Bonus Rank: 67 Another "trending up" player according to Baseball America, Salazar is a switch-hitter who is expected to keep hitting from both sides as a professional. However, he currently shows more polish from the right side of the plate. He has above-average bat speed for his age and has demonstrated an ability to drive the ball to all fields, and should mature into average or better power. It's Salazar's defense, however, that draws the most attention. He is seen as a potential plus defender behind the plate and has the potential for a plus or better arm, already posting in-game pop times in the 1.9-second range. Mid-Tier Bonuses While most top prospects sign for bigger bonuses, there are plenty of examples of big-time players signing in this tier, money-wise, as well. A Brewers example would be Jeferson Quero, who signed for $200,000. SS Angeni Fernandez -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $500,000 Baseball America Bonus Rank: 97 Baseball America notes that Fernandez is one of the youngest players in the class, not turning 17 until August of this year. They also note that he has a lot of room to add strength and mass to his current 6-foot, 145-pound frame. The slight frame reportedly has no impact on his bat speed, which is well above average. He makes a lot of contact and shows present gap-to-gap power; if he can add strength, that could turn into the over-the-fence variety later on. Baseball America also notes that, "he's athletic and an above-average runner who could end up moving around the infield and also has experience in center field." INF Osiris Ramirez Jr -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $450,000 Ramirez is another player who shows some real potential at a lower cost. Batting from the right side, he shows potential for above-average power and a good feel for hitting as well. A good athlete with better-than-average speed, he should be capable of stealing some bases during his professional career. Defensively, Ramirez can handle all of the infield spots, though it's unlikely that shortstop will be his ultimate home. INF Santiago Garcia -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $400,000 Both Garcia and Moises Salazar were signed out of the Geno Baseball Academy. Garcia bats from the right side and shows the ability to hit line drives from gap-to-gap, with the potential to grow into some more over-the-fence power, though it seems likely to be a hit over power profile. A plus runner on the bases, he has shown himself capable of playing all the infield spots, where his arm holds up more than fine at any of the three positions. OF Manny De Los Santos -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $325,000 De Los Santos is a switch-hitter with some sneaky pop in the bat from both sides. He currently seems to have a better feel for generating the loft needed to hit home runs from the right side, but he looks like a better overall hitter from the left side. He has plus speed and smooth actions in the infield, though he is being signed as an outfielder according to the Brewers press release, where his speed should play well. Though he is a bit undersized, the available video indicates a player capable of playing bigger than his frame and outplaying his signing bonus. INF Leanders Matos -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $300,000 Matos has more bat speed than one would expect from a player of his stature and has shown the ability to drive balls into the gaps for doubles and triples, though his primary value at the plate is his plate discipline and swing decisions. On the infield, Matos seems unlikely to stick at shortstop, winding up at second or third base, but he has enough athleticism to handle some outfield work as well. SS Ruben Revost -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $200,000 Revost has quick hands and a fluid swing from the left side. A good athlete, Revost is not the biggest player, but he gets the most out of his frame, with some even referring to him as "pequeno gigante" or "little giant." His energy is palpable, and he shows quite a bit of emotion on the field. Revost has played infield and outfield as an amateur, but it appears he will be spending most of his time in the outfield as a professional. Other Position Players to Know This tier is often forgotten, but there have been plenty of talented players who signed in this range. Elly De La Cruz famously signed for $65,000, and the Brewers signed an exciting prospect, Jose Anderson, for only $60,000 just two classes ago. OF Enrique Lovera -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $140,000 Lovera was once thought to be signing with Arizona, but a late change led him to sign with Milwaukee. A well-built outfielder known for his energy, Lovera has some pop in his bat and has shown strong instincts in all three phases of the game, allowing him to play above his skill level and earning him a "gamer" label. C Sebastian Franeites -- Venezuela -- Bonus N/A Franeites is a tremendous athlete at the catcher spot, and has even spent some time in the outfield when he isn't catching, where his arm strength is solid-average. At the plate, he has a noisy setup and first movement, but the athleticism is evident, and he has already simplified the swing a bit from where it was a year ago. C Francisco Mir -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus N/A Taller than most catchers, Mir moves well for his size. On video, he receives the ball decently and has a good arm. At the plate, he has a line-drive approach, but the frame suggests he could grow into better-than-average power as he matures. Pitchers to Know Pitchers rarely get big bonuses, especially when it comes to the Brewers. However, the team has discussed making pitching a greater focus in this market, so that may change a bit moving forward. For now, they seem to have held to the strategy of lower bonuses for pitchers. RHP Marcos Veras -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $130,000 According to Baseball America, Veras' fastball has "ticked up to 93 MPH," and he has more projection left in the tank. He mixes in a changeup and a curveball as his secondaries, with the changeup reportedly the better of the two, acting as a good put-away pitch. Information has been sparse, and it's been challenging to track down any video. Still, any six-figure bonus for a pitcher is noteworthy, and Baseball America's report paints an intriguing picture. LHP Alexander Mercedes -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus of approximately $100,000 Mercedes is already sitting in the 92-94 MPH range, with plenty of time and projection to add more. He has the appearance of a pitcher who could eventually reach the upper-90s from the left side. He mixes in a good-looking curveball with some sweep as his primary secondary. He is reported to have strong strike-throwing abilities as of this moment as well. RHP Joan Gonzalez -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus N/A A lanky body type, Gonzalez has a lot of projection left in terms of strength and potential velocity. He appears to be a natural pronator and thus throws a changeup as his primary secondary offering, though he has shown a breaking ball on video before as well. RHP Daniel Muñoz -- Venezuela -- Bonus of approximately $25,000 Information is sparse regarding Muñoz. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Muñoz is a right-hander with a powerful arm." RHP Jean Rivero -- Venezuela -- Bonus N/A Like Muñoz, there isn't much out there about Ortiz, and video is hard to come by. Per Curt Hogg, Rivero is a "right-hander with loose, strong mechanics on the mound." Others Signing -- No Information RHP Diego Trillo -- Venezuela -- Bonus N/A RHP Miguel Andrade -- Venezuela -- Bonus N/A RHP Jordy Brache -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus N/A INF Josue Rodríguez -- Dominican Republic -- Bonus N/A The Brewers signed 22 players in this class, a smaller class than they've had in a long time. This is likely due in part to the depth of the talent they have in the low minors right now, and the number of players who are likely to repeat in the DSL in 2026. Despite being smaller in size, there is a potential impact at the top of the class and some interesting names throughout. If any new information becomes available, especially in regard to the final four in this article, we will look to keep you updated! View full article

Dang, in the end I missed two 😂. Josue Rodriguez (I actually found him but thought it was just Jose Rodriguez spelling it differently) and Jordy Brache. From my list, I believe Roni Pinales is the one that was remaining on the list at the end that did not sign. I'm not sure if that's just going to happen later in the year or if I had the class wrong on that one...

Noticed one new name amongst the 12 listed on this post. Jordi Brache, pitcher, is not one I’ve seen before. Can’t find anything on him or what he throws or anything to this point. ELPADITV (@elpaditv) • Instagram photo WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 27 likes, 0 comments - elpaditv on January 15, 2026: "Firmas internacionales Milwaukee Brewers 1-Ricky Moneys Inf 2-Osiris Ramírez Inf...

Video thread for the players officially listed by BA as signed. Will add a few more once they become official, and they will all be included in the write-up later (after the class has become official via the Brewers) as well!

Here's a thread of video for the players that BA has listed as officially signed so far. These will be included in the write-up later as well, and I'll add a few more people to it as names become "official" on there.

One final update on the names I have, and feel confident in, before the signings become official today. I will have a write-up with a bunch of video included once the signings do actually become official. Pos Name Pipeline Rank BA Bonus Rank Social Other Social SS Diego Frontado ($1.6 mil) 24 24 Instagram SS Jose Rodriguez ($1.5 mil) 49 28 Instagram INF Osiris Ramirez Jr ($300k) N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Ricky Money ($1 mil) 19 39 Instagram TikTok INF Leander Matos N/A N/A Instagram TikTok C Sebastian Franeites N/A N/A Instagram TikTok OF Ruben Rebost ($200k) N/A N/A Instagram INF Manny De Los Santos ($325k) N/A N/A Instagram LHP Alexander Mercedes ($100k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Video C Moises Salazar ($700k) N/A 67 Instagram TikTok INF Santiago Garcia ($400k) N/A N/A Instagram RHP Joan Gonzalez N/A N/A Instagram RHP Diego Trillo N/A N/A IG Post RHP Daniel Muñoz ($25k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Post C Francisco De Marchena Mir N/A N/A Instagram INF/OF Argenis Fernandez ($450k) N/A 97 Instagram RHP Miguel Andrade N/A N/A Instagram RHP Jean Rivero N/A N/A Instagram IG Post LHP Roni Pinales N/A N/A Instagram TikTok OF Enrique Llovera ($140k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Post RHP Marcos Vera ($130k) N/A N/A N/A

Ours are quick and a half

Curt Hogg wrote an article on 15 names expected to sign, with some info on each of them today. All were names covered in this list, but some of the names are a bit different than I had them down as. Pepe Soto Mir's full name appears to be Francisco De Marchena Mir Ruben Revost = Ruben Rebost Rickey Moneys = Rickey Money (confirmed with Curt, this is how Ricky was pronouncing it) Jean Rivero = Jean Rivero Ortiz Still feel quite good about the list I'm quoting (updated some of the ranking stuff now that a couple extra got added by BA). I don't believe Angel Rojas will be in the 2026 class, same with Darwin Mateo, but I'm not fully sure on either. I am much more confident that the rest are.

Love this. Will likely take this at the end of the final episode when we cover all the questions that aren’t specific to a level.

Took over a week, but it appears we have a move in 2026! OF Dasan Brown

FWIW, and you can certainly agree or disagree with this general strategy, I have it on good authority that the Brewers took Ruiz in the deal mainly as a trade piece of their own. They were even trying to flip him that same day. The plan was always to use him as a chip because they knew certain teams were very high on him (much like Lewis Brinson back in the day, some teams viewed them as legit top 20 prospects in baseball, some viewed them as fringy big leaguers at best). I don't think they expected Contreras specifically to come of it, but the whole thing wasn't dropped into their lap out of pure luck either.

Here’s where I’ve got the team standing with about 10 days until signing day. Some expected signing bonuses included as well. Moises Salazar is the annual catcher with a really strong arm and interesting tools. Switch-hitter who is better from the right side. Again, not 1000% certain on all of them being 2026 signings, but feel pretty good about them. Pos Name Pipeline Rank BA Bonus Rank SS Diego Frontado ($1.6 mil) 24 26 Instagram SS Jose Rodriguez ($1.5 mil) 49 30 Instagram INF Osiris Ramirez Jr ($300k) N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Ricky Moneys ($1 mil) 19 41 Instagram TikTok INF Leander Matos N/A N/A Instagram TikTok C Sebastian Franeites N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Ruben Revost ($200k) N/A N/A Instagram OF? Manny De Los Santos ($325k) N/A N/A Instagram LHP Alexander Mercedes ($100k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Video C Moises Salazar ($700k) N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Santiago Garcia ($400k) N/A N/A Instagram RHP Joan Gonzalez N/A N/A Instagram C Darwin Mateo (or Jabiel) N/A N/A Instagram RHP Diego Trillo N/A N/A IG Post RHP Daniel Muñoz ($25k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Post C Pepe Soto Mir N/A N/A Instagram OF? Angeni Fernandez N/A N/A Instagram INF Angel Rojas N/A N/A Instagram RHP Miguel Andrade N/A N/A Instagram RHP Jean Rivero N/A N/A Instagram IG Post LHP Roni Pinales N/A N/A Instagram TikTok OF Enrique Llovera ($140k) N/A N/A Instagram IG Post RHP Marcos Vera ($130k) N/A N/A N/A

Obviously not who you replied to, but I get what he's saying so I'll explain my logic. I would say, at least from a read standpoint, it was always much easier for me personally. Much easier to read if the batter is early/late from straight on. Along with the reads being easier, the ball also moves in a much more expected way. To your right it usually continues to go that way, to your left, the same. When players pull their hands in to pull the ball or shoot one to the opposite field there can be a bit less consistency in the flight of the ball in the corners. Some balls you'd think would keep hooking actually have some fade to them, etc. That rarely ever happens when it's in the middle of the field. You also don't have to deal with foul territory and the side walls in center. The obvious issue is the distance that needs to be covered in center requires pretty big-time speed, and there's also the fact that mistakes are always going to be amplified out there compared to the corners (though any outfield mistake is usually pretty noticeable).

Joseph and I are planning to record the Carolina episode the day after Christmas. If you have Carolina specific questions, this would be a good time to get those in!

I think that article came out a while ago, but the BA people pushed it out there again because the kid who the Mets got in the McNeil trade was included in there. Re-reading it now, and based on what I've heard about Diustin Mayorquin, I'm pretty surprised he missed the list.

Believe it's actually the Fangraphs comments that I started this thread with that you're thinking of haha. Here's the article itself. Yeah, I've been surprised by the view of the changeup since he entered pro ball. The concern seems to be with the command of the pitch, I personally have a hard time believing he can't command it and rather would speculate that he purposely left it out of the zone regularly in college, because he still got swings against it, without any of the risk.

It’s definitely tough to quantify. Sometimes these late round signings are just using the money they have left over, so they give them more than they might have if they took them in the 8th or 9th. That said, the bonus does tell a pretty good story. Bentley signed for what amounts to late third round bonus money. Though once you take the $150k that doesn’t count toward the pool out, it’s closer to late 4th round money. My guess is they viewed him as a 5th round talent, or somewhere around there. The same was the case for a Renz type. For both of them though, I’d bet the actual signability was not very well known. Which means taking him as high as they had them graded would be a risk because you don’t know if you’d be able to sign them, and then you’d lose that slot money the rest of the draft. The MLB Draft is just such an interesting puzzle it’s very hard to say for sure no matter what, but that would be my guess, or at least part of it haha

Just seeing this here now, answered on Twitter. He certainly has the build to add velo in pro ball. Super fun pick, will be very curious to see where they place him this spring/summer and if he ends up in Carolina at all.

They do, though my understanding is if they break down, it's almost always from the team's side, and because teams have relationships with the academies that they're signing these players from and want to be able to sign future players from there, they don't tend to break down unless there's a very good reason for it.

Yeah, the system is horrible. I wonder about the potential for backlash too, but nobody is going to call another team out since, like you said, they're all doing it. The organizations these kids play for are posting all the pre-agreements their players are making (not the money usually) on their Instagram pages, etc. The draft seems like the way to go in the grand scheme, but I also fully understand why the players would like to have the right to negotiate with 30 teams and pick where they end up.

I have yet to come across anyone beyond 2029 but there are 5 names for 2029 already lol

Little fun nugget on a player that isn't even signing for 4 classes, but Melkin Guzman has a pre-agreement with the Brewers for $2.3 million in the 2029 class. He's 13-years-old, 6'1", runs a 6.7 60-yard dash and has been gunned at 93 MPH from the outfield. Some video below, where he definitely appears to have the frame of a kid his age, so no clear signs of any age issues. Never know, but I believe this would be the biggest bonus the Brewers have given anyone since the infamous Gilbert Lara, so they're clearly *very* high on him. miracles (@miracles_baseball) • Instagram reel WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 164 likes, 4 comments - miracles_baseball on October 12, 2025: "🌟 Melkin Guzmán 📍 Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 🗓️ April 14, 2012 ⚾️ CF | R/R 📏 6’1” | 170 lbs 🎓 Class of January...

Here's my current list of names that I am *pretty* confident will be signing in the Brewers 2026 class in about a month (it's so hard to say for sure on all of these though). At least one or two of the ones I listed earlier in the thread appear to be 2027 signings, so there might be a few missing from my earlier list. Pos Name Pipeline Rank BA Bonus Rank SS Diego Frontado 24 24 Instagram SS Jose Rodriguez 49 28 Instagram INF Osiris Ramirez Jr N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Ricky Moneys N/A 19 Instagram TikTok INF Leander Matos N/A N/A Instagram TikTok C Sebastian Franeites N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Ruben Rebost N/A N/A Instagram OF Manny De Los Santos N/A N/A Instagram LHP Alexander Mercedes N/A N/A Instagram IG Video C Moises Salazar N/A N/A Instagram TikTok INF Santiago Garcia N/A N/A Instagram RHP Joan Gonzalez N/A N/A Instagram C Darwin Mateo (or Jabiel) N/A N/A Instagram TikTok RHP Diego Trillo N/A N/A IG Post N/A Daniel Muñoz N/A N/A Instagram IG Post C Pepe Soto Mir N/A N/A Instagram