The international signing period opens up on Jan. 15 and the Toronto Blue Jays are expected to come to terms with top-rated catcher Juan Caricote of Venezuela.

Baseball America expects him to sign for the 18th-highest bonus in this international class, and the second-highest bonus among catchers.

What they're saying about him at BA

Caricote has a good balance of skills in the batter’s box and behind the plate. He projects to stick at catcher, where he’s an advanced receiver comfortable handling high-end velocity. He’s athletic and agile, helping him block balls in the dirt. It’s not elite raw arm strength, but he projects to have at least an average arm once he’s physically mature. Caricote has a lean build for a catcher with a loose, fluid swing from the left side and the strength projection to grow into a 15-plus home run hitter. 

Other things to factor in

Caricote is just 17 years old, so there's no way of knowing exactly how to project him. At minimum, he's probably five years away from the big leagues, so a lot can happen in that time. Alejandro Kirk is currently 27 years old, so there's a chance that the end of Kirk's tenure as the team's catcher coincides with Caricote's rise, but again, that's just mere speculation.

One thing that is certain? The Blue Jays figure to be very competitive still in five years. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dylan Cease will still be under contract, as will Trey Yesavage. Toronto is also still expected to get one of Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette, and they likely will get a deal that keeps them around in that time frame as well.

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About the Blue Jays system

It's worth noting that because they've signed free agents with qualifying offers like Anthony Santander and Dylan Cease, the Jays have been docked with regards to both the draft and international signing money. BA reports that the Jays have one of the lowest international bonus pools this year, at just under $6 million. 

That is likely why they are only connected to one of the top 50 projected bonuses in this international signing period (Caricote).

Because of the low international money and the draft alterations, it's important that the Jays hit on the players they are able to acquire. Even though someone like Caricote is years away, he represents an important resource for the organization. 

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