Blue Jays finalize deals with two international players

Garcia and Pantoja, both 17 years old, come from Mexico and were part of a group of 22 international free agents that the Blue Jays reached agreements with last month.

While most of the other deals were finalized last month, the Blue Jays had the ability to sign additional players after acquiring an extra $2MM in bonus pool money from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade that also brought them outfielder Myles Straw.

Garcia was one of five catchers signed by the Blue Jays during the International Free Agent (IFA) period, while Pantoja was among six right-handed pitchers.

Out of the 22 international players the Blue Jays reached agreements with, only the contract of Diego Arce, another Mexican catcher, has yet to be formalized.

Upon signing, both Garcia and Pantoja were assigned to the Dominican Summer League.

Both players are several years away from the major leagues-if they make it there at all. International signings are typically low-risk, high-reward endeavours, and many never pan out. However, many others have found success, including star players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was also discovered through the international pipeline.

These signings continue the Blue Jays' trend of stocking up on young pitchers and catchers, with the latter position having had weak depth until recently.

While Blue Jays fans won't see any of these international signees during Spring Training for at least a few years, the future is looking exciting.