When the Phillies acquired Bobby Abreu in November 1997, he already had 74 Major League games under his belt. It had taken him six years to climb through the Astros’ farm system to get there before capitalizing on his potential as he became a two-time All-Star and an eventual member of the club’s Wall of Fame for nearly a decade of production.
As the 2026 international signing period opens, Abreu’s shadow is twofold.
The Phillies have signed Venezuelan outfielder Francisco Renteria, the No. 3 overall prospect in the class, the highest-ranked player the franchise has ever landed on the international market. He’s not just a fellow countryman of Abreu but also has arguably the most upside of any young foreign player since the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter who patrolled the batter’s boxes of Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies received $6,679,200 in pool money this year, $4 million of which has been set aside to land Renteria, according to a source.
There seemingly isn’t much that Renteria can’t accomplish once he hops the white lines. A 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter, he earned comparisons from one evaluator to Konnor Griffin, the Pirates’ 2024 first-round Draft pick who ascended to MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect status during his first year of pro ball. All of Renteria’s tools grade out as at least above average and he’ll play the entirety of his first season in the system as a 17-year-old.
Then there’s the track record. As a 15-year-old, Renteria suited up for Senadores de Caracas in the Venezuelan Major League and went 8-for-28 (.286) with three doubles, picking up hits against a pair of former big league pitchers, including former Phillies reliever Elvis Araujo.
Renteria is equipped with tons of bat speed and an advanced knowledge of the strike zone, a considerable one-two punch when working with a player of his age. He’s also an above-average runner, which enables him to impact the game on the basepaths and utilize those wheels and long strides to run down the ball from gap to gap in center field.
The international market has been good to Philadelphia the past few seasons. Eduardo Tait, a 2023 signee, emerged as a Top 100 prospect in the game before he was sent to Minnesota as one of the headliners in the Jhoan Duran deal this past Trade Deadline. Aroon Escobar (PHI No. 5), a 2022 signee, briefly had his own stint on the Top 100 during a breakout campaign this past year in which he reached Double-A as a 20-year-old.
COMPLETE PHILLIES PROSPECT COVERAGE
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.
That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.
