Overview
- The Phillies signed 17‑year‑old right‑hander Chan‑Min Park to a bonus just north of $1.2 million, the largest for any pitcher in the 2026 international class and a franchise record for an amateur pitcher.
- Philadelphia created the spending room by trading minor‑league right‑handers Griff McGarry and Andrew Baker to acquire roughly $750,000 in international bonus pool money.
- Scouts view Park as a starter project with a 91–93 mph fastball that has touched 94, multiple breaking pitches and a changeup, and he was placed at No. 18 on the Phillies’ Top 30 Prospects list.
- Park chose the MLB development route over signing in the Korea Baseball Organization, and the club will decide whether he begins at the Dominican academy or the Clearwater complex while managing his school schedule.
- The signing joins recent international additions like Francisco Renteria, Juan Parra and Alexandre Moreti as part of a deliberate push to increase Phillies visibility in the Pacific Rim while accepting the long‑term risks of developing a teenage pitcher.