SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres signed Dominican infielder Leodalis De Vries, opening the 2024 International Signing Period Monday with a top international prospect for a second consecutive year.
The 17-year-old will receive a $4.2 million signing bonus, according to MLB and Baseball America.
President of Baseball Operations & General Manager A.J. Preller and Vice President of Amateur & International Scouting Chris Kemp announced the signing Monday morning. The Padres signed catcher Ethan Salas, another top prospect, last January.
De Vries is "widely considered the top overall player in this year’s international class, ranking first on FanGraphs’ 2024 International Prospect Rankings and MLB Pipeline’s International Prospect Rankings," according to a Padres press release.
The switch-hitter is from Bani, Dominican Republic. At 6'2 and 175 pounds, he "possesses a projectable frame equipped with bat speed and advanced discipline from both sides of the plate. His speed and body control allow him to impact the game both defensively and on the basepaths," the release said.
De Vries said at a Monday press conference he thinks he gets his athleticism from his father, who played basketball for the Dominican national basketball team.
"I spent my whole life watching him play basketball, and as I was growing up, I think that kind of helped me with my athleticism and my development," De Vries said through a translator.
Kemp said the next step is for De Vries to train at the Padres' academy in the Dominican Republic for 4-6 weeks, and if all goes well, he could be on the backfields at spring training in Arizona.
He said De Vries could play anywhere in the infield but will "definitely go out as a shortstop."
The Padres plan to sign another nine to 10 players Monday in Venezuela, Kemp said, and another nine to 10 Tuesday in the Dominican Republic. They plan to take on three or four from Mexico and two from Colombia.
Asked to describe himself as a player, De Vries said he considers himself a leader.
"I think I'm a leader above all," he said. "I think I can help my teammates and most importantly help the City of San Diego win a World Series."
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