The Phillies have made one of their first signings under new director of amateur scouting, Brian Barber, who spent the previous 18 seasons with the Yankees.
The Phillies are not only looking for the next, best talent in the United States for their prospects of the future, but also those outside of the country — even as close as Mexico.
Earlier this week, the organization signed youth right-handed pitcher Pedro Antonio Reyes out of Mexico, according to beisbolpuro.com’s Roberto Espinoza. Reyes is described as “a pride for baseball and sports as a whole,” as well as being among the best young pitchers in his league.
The signing is one of the first under supervision of new Phillies director of amateur scouting, Brian Barber, who spent the last 18 seasons with the New York Yankees as an area scout (2002-06), East Coast crosschecker (2007-09) and national crosschecker (2010-19).
Reyes is among the first Mexican prospects who signed with a Major League Baseball organization through the Presidential Office for Baseball Development and Promotion in Mexico (PROBEIS) initiative.
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also known as AMLO, created PROBEIS earlier this year as an initiative to develop and promote baseball in the country, as well as increase the number of Mexican prospects to sign with major league organizations in the U.S.
In January, AMLO told The Washington Post, “I have a dream, that when my term ends in 2024, we’ll have at least 60 or 80 Mexicans playing in the major leagues.”
Through translation, Diario del Istmo describes the Hueyapan de Ocampo, Veracruz, Mexico, native and newest Phillies prospect:
"Pedro Antonio is a restless young man, who always played with the Cañeros de Hueyapan de Ocampo team, since he was a child and until his teens, last season he was one of the best rookie pitchers in the Veracruz Baseball League."
The signing of Reyes, who appeared in a PROBEIS All-Star game this past summer, is pending a physical, Espinoza notes.