The arrival and subsequent long-term contract extension for Samuel Basallo signaled the successful development of an international prospect for the Orioles. On Thursday, Baltimore’s pull in Latin America appears ever stronger.
For the first time in franchise history, the Orioles are set to seal agreements with four players on international signing day with a bonus worth $1 million or more.
The largest splash is shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic. The Orioles are securing Acevedo’s commitment with a franchise-record signing bonus of $2.3 million, a source said, which just surpassed the signing bonus for Luis Ayden Almeyda in 2023 ($2,297,500).
The Orioles are also signing outfielder Ariel Roque for $1.7 million, outfielder Pedro Gomez for $1.25 million and catcher/outfielder Gabriel Rosario for $1.05 million, the source said.
Baltimore has made vast strides in its Latin American scouting network under international scouting director Koby Perez. They’ve doled out seven-digit signing bonuses to players in each of the last several signing periods, but Thursday marked a major investment into high-potential prospects by sealing agreements with four such players in one class.
The Orioles had a $8,034,900 signing bonus pool with which to work, and those four players represent a major piece of it.
The timing is notable, coming after Baltimore showed the pipeline to the majors and the possible early reward. Basallo signed for $1.3 million in 2021 and he tore through the minors before a late-season debut in 2025.
Shortly after debuting, Basallo and the Orioles negotiated a contract extension, becoming the first player under president of baseball operations Mike Elias to receive one. At his introductory press conference in August, the 21-year-old Basallo said he hoped to be just the first of a wave of international success stories in Baltimore.
“I hope that my career will help them be more motivated to continue working hard and try to get to this level as well,” Basallo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “But it’s been great to hear from them and I hope that I can be that sort of example for them and hope that they can work really hard to get here as well.”
Acevedo, the shortstop who received the franchise’s highest signing bonus for an international prospect, is considered the No. 11-ranked player in this year’s class, according to Baseball America. He’s a right-handed hitter born in 2008, and his defensive skills and athleticism are expected to translate to him playing shortstop at a major league level.
Roque is described by Baseball America’s scouting report as a strong athlete with speed, bat speed and center field capabilities who is still putting together his consistency. Roque, also born in 2008, is from the Dominican Republic. Baseball America ranks him as the 22nd-best player in this class.
Gomez, meanwhile, projects as a corner outfielder with power. He ranks as Baseball America’s 38th-best player in the class and his best tool is his bat. Gomez is another Dominican Republic native who was born in 2008.
To round out the four seven-digit signing bonus prospects, Rosario is ranked No. 41. The Dominican prospect is lauded for his hitting approach, with a blend of patience, contact and power. He can play corner outfield and catcher.
The Orioles are also landing an up-and-coming pitcher. Left-hander Andri Hidalgo from the Dominican Republic signed with Baltimore for $625,000, a source said, and Baseball America ranks him No. 80 on their top-100 board. Hidalgo is already 6-foot-4 at 16 years old and MLB Pipeline reports that Hidalgo’s fastball sits in the low 90s but can hit 95 mph.