While the Atlanta Braves are back to normal after years of international signing sanctions, what happened to some of the biggest prospects from that penalty?
If you have kept up with the international signing period in recent years, then you likely know why the Atlanta Braves haven’t been as active as other teams. Due to international signing sanctions, the club has had a smaller signing pool to work with, but have signed notable prospects such as Diego Benitez and Ambioris Tavarez the last two years as things get back to normal.
However, if you do remember that international signing penalty from years past, you’ll likely remember that the more-notable penalty was the releasing of multiple prospects back in late-2017.
While a majority of the prospects who were released were not ranked in the Braves system at the time, there were two players in particular who were considered as Top 30 prospects in Atlanta’s system. Where are those two prospects at now, as well as other notable names from the Braves international signing penalty? (prospect rankings courtesy of MLB Pipeline)
Where are former Atlanta Braves prospects Kevin Maitan and Abrahan Gutierrez now?
The most-notable prospect from the international signing penalty was shortstop Kevin Maitan, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall international prospect in the 2016 class, whom the Braves signed for $4.25 million.
Considered at the time as one of the best international prospects in recent memory, Maitan was regarded as Atlanta’s No. 3 overall prospect at the conclusion of the 2017 season, only behind names such as Swanson and Albies, as well as a Top 100 prospect overall.
In addition to Maitan, the other prominent prospect that Atlanta signed was catcher Abrahan Gutierrez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 overall international prospect from that same 2016 class. Signing for $3.53 million, Gutierrez was also ranked among the lower-half of Atlanta’s Top 30 during the 2017 season.
With both prospects, alongside others, made free agents back in late-November of 2017, where did Maitan and Gutierrez go, and where are they now?
Maitan would sign with the Los Angeles Angels back on December 16, 2017, where he has remained since, with the now 21-year-old reaching High-A for the first time this past season. Ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 3 prospect behind names such as Ohtani and Adell at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, Maitan has dropped as a prospect since as the infielder was ranked No. 15 after the 2019 season, No. 20 after 2020, and now unranked after 2021.
As for Gutierrez, the backstop would sign with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 6, 2018, but would be traded to Pittsburgh at this past year’s trade deadline. The now 21-year-old has reached as high as Low-A, and is coming off a breakout 2021 season that included a combined .290/.428/.441 slash line.
In addition to Maitan and Gutierrez, a few other notable names from that international signing penalty that may stick-out are Pirates current No. 22 prospect Ji-Hwan Bae, Twins No. 26 prospect Yunior Severino, and current Braves minor leaguer Brandol Mezquita who slashed a career-high .308/.402/.452 with the FCL Braves in 2021 as a 19-year-old.