Zuher Yousuf is a LHP from Venezuela. He was assigned to the DSL Phillies Red. Yael Arias and Edwin Castillo are RHPs from the Dominican Republic. Both were assigned to the DSL Phillies White.
The most notable thing to me is that all three pitchers are older than the normal international free agents signed during the signing period. Yousuf is 18-years-old and Arias and Castillo are both 19-years-old. None has any prior minor league experience. So, these would be their first professional contracts.
Two possible reasons for this are that they are late bloomers or their agreements reached when they were first eligible were not honored. This isn’t the first time the Phillies have signed older international free agents. There are presently 8-9 other players at the Academy who were signed at 19 or older.
Signing at an older age is a more difficult path for these kids. But, there are four older signees who have made it stateside:
- Daniel Mejia is a 22-year-old Dominican RHP who signed in 2021 as a 19-year-old. He is on the FCL Phillies roster.
- Saul Teran is a 22-year-old Venezuelan RHP who signed in 2021 as a 19-year-old. He is on the Clearwater Threshers roster.
- Pan Wen-hui is a 21-year-old Taiwanese RHP who signed in 2023 as a 19-year-old. He is on the Jersey Shore BlueClaws roster.
- Erubiel Armenta is a 24-year-old Mexican LHP who signed in 2019 as a 19-year-old. He is on the Jersey Shore BlueClaws roster.
Another recent older signing was Lee Hao Yu who was a Taiwanese infielder the Phillies signed as an 18-year-old in 2021. He was traded this past summer to Detroit in the Michael Lorenzen deal.
