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| William Bergolla Jr. signs with Phillies. | Photo: Clem Rangeua |
The Phillies made a splash over the past few days on the international market, signing multiple prospects to contracts.
The most prized of the group is 17-year-old shortstop William Bergolla Jr. The Phillies signed the Venezuelan for $2.2 million, per multiple sources. MLB.com ranked him as the fourth-best international prospect available and projects he'll be an eventual everyday player at the Major League level because of his high marks at the plate, with the glove, and on the bases.
The Phillies also signed Lou Helmig, an 18-year-old outfielder out of Germany, and Nikau Pouaka-Grego, a 17-year-old infielder from Australia.
Helmig is the fifth German-born player currently connected to the Majors and drew the attention of scouts with some outstanding performances last summer in the European Championships and the U23 World Championships. He spent last season with Heidenheim Heideköpfe, the reigning champion in the German domestic baseball league. He also comes from a baseball lineage as his father and grandfather are both members of the German Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pouaka-Grego has performed well on the showcase circuit, collecting multiple honors from Perfect Game. He is a left-handed hitter with some flashes of power and is strong defensively. He's also a pitcher and is recognized as a solid all-around athlete.
In addition to these three, the club also signed about a dozen or so additional prospects, according to sources.
