Good morning! You will notice that today’s feature does not include MLB events or birthdays. We had started doing that during the holidays when news from the Phillies was hard to come by. We thought it was a good addition so we continued it past the holidays. However, we received a number of requests to discontinue the MLB part of the feature and focus solely on the Phillies. We appreciate the input and apologize to anyone who does not like our decision to discontinue that portion of This Date in Phillies History.

Phillies Events on January 15
January 15, 2016: Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies worth $7 million, avoiding arbitration and setting him up as the Opening Day starter for that season.
January 15, 2024: The opening of the international signing period saw the Phillies sign a large group of international free agents to minor-league contracts, including: outfielders Nathanael Cijntje, Samuel Estevez, Maylerson Casanova, Freiderman Aguilera, Ibrahim Ruiz, Josueth Quinonez, and David Freitas; catchers Yadamir Fuentes, Francisco Loreto, Anderson Navas, Santiago Prado, and Cesar Mujica; shortstops Cristobal Bena and Jose Familia; third baseman Meylin De Leon; left-hander Jorge Guzman; and right-handers Geremi Delpino, Rene Yrish, and Julio Polanco. Francisco Loreto was traded to Pittsburgh for pitcher Chase Shugart on January 13, 2026.

Phillies Birthdays on January 15
Wayne Gomes (born 1973) – A right-handed pitcher drafted in the first round (fourth overall pick) by the Phillies who played parts of five seasons in Philadelphia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Gomes was dealt to San Francisco on July 27, 2001 for switch-hitting outfielder Felipe Crespo.
Tim Mayza (born 1992) – A left-handed reliever who pitched for the Phillies during the 2025 season and made eight relief appearances, posting a 4.91 ERA in 7.1 innings.
Joel Heredia (born 2004) – A right-handed pitcher who was signed as an international free agent. After two seasons with the Phillies Dominican Summer League teams, Heredia pitched in the Florida Complex League last season and went 2-1, 4.32 in 14 relief appearances.

A DEEPER DIVE… What the international free agent signing period is (and why it matters)

In MLB, the international free agent (IFA) signing period is the main window when teams can officially sign amateur players who live outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For the 2026 class, players can sign between January 15 and December 15, 2026, as long as they turn 16 before signing and will turn 17 before September 1 of the following year. They must also be registered with MLB ahead of time.

Every club gets a defined international bonus pool, and that pool is a real ceiling, not a luxury-tax line you can blow past. MLB explicitly notes that teams can’t spend more than their allotment, even if they’d be willing to pay penalties. For 2026, MLB’s published pool tiers run from $5.44 million up to $8.0349 million depending on factors like market size/revenue and adjustments tied to the qualifying-offer/free-agent system. The Phillies are in the $6,679,200 tier for 2026, according to MLB.com.

Teams can also trade for international pool space, but only in $250,000 increments, and there’s a limit on how much you can acquire: a team may add up to 60% of its original pool via trades.

One more quirk that shapes strategy: bonuses of $10,000 or less don’t count against the pool. So you’ll see clubs spend big on a few headline guys, then still sign a bunch of smaller-dollar players afterward.

How signings actually happen in real life
Even though the rule says “sign starting Jan. 15,” the relationships and scouting work are usually years in the making. Clubs build pipelines in places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, track players in training programs and showcases, and then line up agreements well before the first day they’re allowed to put pen to paper. That’s why signing day can feel like a coordinated roll-out rather than a chaotic free for all.

Phillies success stories from the international market
The Phillies have had some legitimate impact players come through this route. The best current example is Ranger Suarez, who was signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2012 and developed into a key big-league arm. On Wednesday, Suarez signed a five-year, $130-million free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Going back further, Carlos Ruiz was signed by the Phillies in 1998 as an amateur free agent out of Panama and became a long-time Phillies catcher and a core piece of the 2008 title era.

They’ve also found and developed major-league contributors who either helped in Philly or became valuable trade assets elsewhere. Seranthony Domínguez, for instance, was originally signed by Philadelphia as an international free agent in October 2011 and later became a meaningful big-league reliever. And Sixto Sanchez was signed by the Phillies as an international free agent (a low-cost find) before becoming a notable prospect and eventually reaching MLB after being dealt to Miami in the trade that made J.T. Realmuto a Phillie.

Aroon Escobar was the Phillies top international prospect in the organization, when he signed with the team in 2022. Escobar just turned 21 on January 1 and played at Clearwater, Jersey Shore, and Reading last season hitting a combined .270/.361/.413/.774 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI. He also stole 24 bases in 29 attempts.

Who the Phillies are reported to be signing in this year’s class
Because the international signing period opens today, there has been a lot of talk about who the Phillies are expected to sign. MLB Pipeline’s own overview of the 2026 class lists Francisco Renteria as the number-three international prospect this year and have him signing with Philadelphia. Renteria has advanced hitting tools, impressive bat speed, good plate discipline, and raw power.

On the Phillies-specific side, multiple Phillies outlets have also linked the club to fellow Venezuelan player Juan Parra, a shortstop. Parra is the number-39 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s International List of players.

Other players who are expected to sign with the Phillies during the signing period include: pitchers Jose Romero and Samuel Ortiz, catcher Sebastian Saenz, outfielders Miguel Laya and Edwin Ramirez. There will be a handful of other arms and bats who also sign with the Phillies.

The fun part is how quickly this stuff can turn into real, trackable player-development stories. In five years, one of these 16-year-old players may be taking the mound at Citizens Bank Park, and nobody will be talking about his bonus anymore—just whether he can get a big out in October.

Please scroll down to comment on this story or to give it a rating. We appreciate your feedback!

PBN Logo

Disclaimer: Some of the products featured or linked on this website may generate income for Philly Baseball News through affiliate commissions, sponsorships, or direct sales. We only promote items we believe in, but please assume that PBN may earn a cut from qualifying purchases that you make using a link on this site.

Privacy Policy | Contact us

© 2025 LV Sports Media. All rights reserved.