A new signing period for international amateur free agents began Tuesday with the Orioles making their most significant early outlay on the July 2 opening date in recent memory. The signings were accompanied by a level of fanfare that suggests a new dawn in Baltimore but also a level of signings that shows how far is left to go in the market.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias was at the team's complex in the Dominican Republic with senior director of international scouting Koby Perez completing the agreements. The ultimate haul on the first day of the 2019-2020 signing period featured 27 players from five countries — 16 from the Dominican Republic, eight from Venezuela, and one each from Aruba, Bahamas and Colombia.