The arrival and subsequent long-term contract extension for Samuel Basallo signaled the successful development of an international prospect for the Orioles. On Thursday, Baltimore’s pull in Latin America appears ever stronger.

For the first time in franchise history, the Orioles sealed agreements with four players on international signing day with a bonus worth $1 million or more.

The largest splash is shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic. The Orioles secured Acevedo’s commitment with a franchise-record signing bonus of $2.3 million, a source said, which surpassed that for Luis Ayden Almeyda in 2023 ($2,297,500).

“I feel like I worked really hard to get to this point,” Acevedo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Just really proud and happy to be here with this team.”

The Orioles also signed outfielder Ariel Roque for $1.7 million, outfielder Pedro Gomez for $1.25 million and catcher/outfielder Gabriel Rosario for $1.05 million, the source said. And Baltimore clinched the commitment of left-hander Andri Hidalgo for $625,000, a source said.

Baltimore has made vast strides in its Latin American scouting network under international scouting director Koby Perez. It has doled out seven-digit signing bonuses to players in each of the recent signing periods, but Thursday marked a major investment into high-potential prospects with four such agreements in one class.

The Orioles had a $8,034,900 signing bonus pool with which to work, and those four players represent a major piece of it.

“A lot of years in the working,” Perez said. “It feels like these kids are super young when we sign them at 16 or 17 years old, but we’ve been working on them for years. Being that we’re fully staffed, have had time to organize and really get good evaluations on these players and their families, this is kind of the year we were able to go a little bit bigger.”

The timing is notable, coming after Baltimore showed the pipeline to the majors and the possible early reward. Basallo signed for $1.3 million in 2021, and he tore through the minors before a late-season MLB debut in 2025.

Basallo and the Orioles negotiated a contract extension shortly after he debuted, making him the first player under president of baseball operations Mike Elias to receive one. At his introductory press conference in August, the 21-year-old Basallo said he hoped to be just the first of a wave of international success stories in Baltimore.

“I hope that my career will help them be more motivated to continue working hard and try to get to this level as well,” Basallo said through Quinones. “But it’s been great to hear from them and I hope that I can be that sort of example for them and hope that they can work really hard to get here as well.”

Perez said the development of Basallo into a top prospect surely helped convince others to follow him.

“Some agents and families and players started understanding that Baltimore could be a path for them,” Perez said. “We’ve proven we can have a good track record with players.”

Acevedo, the shortstop who received the franchise’s highest signing bonus for an international prospect, is considered the No. 11-ranked player in this year’s class, according to Baseball America. He’s a right-handed hitter born in 2008, and his defensive skills and athleticism are expected to translate to him playing shortstop at the major league level.

Perez said Acevedo “has a chance at five tools. Really good defensively, strong arm, really good game aptitude, but we really think he can hit. We think his bat’s going to play, and we feel like he’s the type of player who can be in the middle of the order.”

Acevedo said he has long aspired to be like New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, admiring the Puerto Rican’s smooth defense and confidence at the plate.

Acevedo said his strength is attacking inside pitches, and on defense “I consider myself to be all-around” talented.

Roque is described by Baseball America’s scouting report as a strong athlete with speed, bat speed and center field capabilities who is still putting together his consistency. Roque, also born in 2008, is from the Dominican Republic. Baseball America ranks him as the 22nd-best player in this class.

“With Roque,” Perez said, “we have a five-tool center fielder. ... We’re betting on his athleticism.”

Gomez projects as a corner outfielder with power. He ranks as Baseball America’s 38th-best player in the class, and his best tool is his hitting. Gomez is another Dominican Republic native who was born in 2008.

“We think his bat has a chance to be impact,” Perez said.

To round out the four seven-digit signing bonus prospects, Rosario is ranked No. 41. The Dominican prospect is lauded for his hitting approach, with a blend of patience, contact and power. He can play corner outfield and catcher, but Perez said Rosario’s lesser arm strength may preclude him from receiving much time behind the plate. His bat, however, is what attracted Baltimore the most.

The Orioles are also landing an up-and-coming pitcher in Hidalgo. The southpaw from the Dominican Republic ranks as Baseball America’s 80th-best prospect in this class on its top-100 board. Hidalgo is 6-foot-4 at 16 years old, and MLB Pipeline reports his fastball sits in the low 90s but can hit 95 mph.

“We’re super excited about Hidalgo,” said Perez, who added that his signing bonus was the largest Perez has ever given a pitcher. “We’ve been watching him since he was 14 years old, and just the arm action, the delivery, everything is a pointing arrow up, and he just continues to get better. We’re super excited about him, and we think he can be on top prospect boards shortly.”

The Orioles announced their full signing class, which includes five more players: catchers Luis Dias and Ray Faria of Venezuela, shortstop Jhostin Aybar of the Dominican Republic, and outfielders Joshddy Castillo and Carlos Rubecindo of the Dominican Republic.

A source said Rubecindo signed for $400,000 and Castillo for $375,000, as Baseball America first reported. The source said Baltimore used almost all of its bonus pool allotment, although two additional pitchers will join the class in the coming months on lower-value deals.

Perez said the Orioles’ international pipeline will continue to produce major leaguers, and the next two he figures will break through are infielder Aron Estrada and left-hander Luis De León. Perez said they could arrive in the majors this season.

Estrada, 21, reached Double-A in 2025, hitting .300 with an .855 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 27 games. De León also received a late-season call-up to Double-A. At three levels last year, the 22-year-old produced a 3.30 ERA, mainly as a starting pitcher.

“Aron Estrada is a player who has always performed. Every level he’s gone to, he’s been very young for the level but he’s performed very good for the level,” Perez said. “Luis De León ... has all the ingredients to be a premium pitcher in the major leagues.”