
As the 2025 MLB international free agency period began on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies made a splash by signing one of the top prospects of the class—17-year-old shortstop Nieves Izaguirre. Notably, Izaguirre is a cousin of former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., a key player for their division rival, the Atlanta Braves.
The Phillies, with a bonus pool of $6,261,000 to spend until December 15, have been strategic in spreading their funds across several signings rather than focusing on one big-money player.
Izaguirre, who hails from La Sabana, Venezuela—renowned as the “Land of Ballplayers”—is ranked No. 44 among MLB Pipeline’s top international prospects for 2025.
At 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, he may not be physically imposing, but his speed and athleticism have impressed scouts.
His strong baseball IQ and development potential are key highlights from his scouting reports, which praise his short swing, contact rate, line-drive approach, and gap-to-gap power.
In addition to Izaguirre, the Phillies have signed several other international free agents, including:
- Elias Marrero, SS, Dominican Republic
- Eeivis Velasquez, C, Venezuela
- Filippo Sabatini, RHP, Italy
- Deiry Gonzalez, RHP, Dominican Republic
- Anderson Araujo, C, Venezuela
The Phillies have historically signed top international talents like outfielder Jalvin Arias in 2024 and shortstop Starlyn Caba in 2023, though Caba was traded to the Miami Marlins in December as part of the Jesús Luzardo trade.