They were linked to him for months, and last night, the Phillies finally inked their future power guy, for all intents and purposes. Ranked sixth among all international free agents, Jhailyn Ortiz signed a minor-league contract with the Phils.
According to CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury, Ortiz will receive a $4 million bonus. A 16-year old millionaire. No, that’s not me being jealous. Not at all.
It could have been a dicey situation, since the signing puts the Phillies over the allotted amount by MLB for international signings. But, they’re due $1.5 million in international slot money from Arizona, which makes it fine. I guess. Don’t ask me. Jim Salisbury reported it.
Salisbury also says Ortiz’s Achilles heel is being able to hit for contact. I mean, that is a pretty big component of playing baseball. Apparently, Ortiz is none too good at recognizing pitches that aren’t coming at him in a straight line.
The fun starts now.
Here are some highlights of Ortiz hitting baseballs. Because power:
About The Author
Nick Piccone has covered Philly sports and events for over 14 years. He founded Bleeding Brotherly Love in April 2011, and renamed it Bleed Philly in 2013. In 2015, he joined Sean Brace in launching Philly Influencer, which quickly became a top Philly sports and culture website. He covered professional wrestling for PhillyVoice from 2015-2021, and co-launched The Straight Shooters podcast in 2015, covering the entire pro wrestling industry. He also produces content for Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and the Villanova Sports Radio Network. He grew up in South Philadelphia and South Jersey, and is a graduate of Neumann University.
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Nick Piccone
