International Signing Day kicks off today across Major League Baseball. Notable names such as Fernando Tatis Jr, Juan Soto, and Ronald Acuña Jr were all picked up during the international signing period.

According to Baseball America, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to sign contracts with power-hitting outfielder Yemal Flores of the Dominican Republic and Ricardo Perez of Venezuela. We can expect both players to be in Clearwater along with last years international selection Yhoswar Garcia, who was signed for $2.5 million out of Venezuela but never made his debut due to travel restrictions and the pandemic.

Perez ranks number 9 on the MLB Pipelines Top 30 International Prospects list and is known for his athleticism. Yemal Flores is a power hitting outfielder. As for last year’s selection in Yhoswar Garcia, scouts praise his athleticism and strong arm. At the plate he’s a highly-touted contact and line-drive hitter.

Arbitration will also start today. The Phillies have three players still eligible for arbitration in Rhys Hoskins, Vincent Velasquez, and new bullpen arm Jose Alvarado after previously reaching one-year agreements with pitchers Hector Neris, Seranthony Dominguez, Zach Eflin and Dave Hale, and projected starting catcher (yikes) Andrew Knapp.

27-year old Rhys Hoskins is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time in his career. A pay raise is definitely coming and it’s well deserved. Last year, Hoskins was on a league-minimum $224,074 pro-rated salary which is pretty hard to fathom. His salary will increase to a number more deserving landing him between the $3.5 million to $5.5 million dollar range in 2021.

Hoskins hit .245/.384/.503 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs in 41 games last year before injuring his non-throwing elbow in early September. After surgery during the offseason, he is expected to return before Opening Day this year.

As for the pitchers, Vinny Velasquez is back again and will be entering his third and final year of arbitration. His price tag won’t be cheap and is expected to make somewhere in the $4 million dollar range. As for Alvarado, reports suggest he will make just north of $1 million dollars.

Mandatory Credit: The Philadelphia Phillies