Braves Sign Ambioris Tavarez: Initial Player Observations
The Braves finally became players in the international market again by signing Ambioris Tavarez to a $1.5 million bonus Friday, the first day of the rescheduled 2020-21 signing period.
Tavarez will now be linked to a return to normalcy for the Braves’ international operations. After several years of being forced to sit out of the signing periods because of penalties, their 2020-21 bonus pool was cut in half, meaning they had enough to make one solid addition.
Tavarez is that addition, signing for basically the entire pool amount (which was further reduced by the Marcell Ozuna and Will Smith signings). They will return to a full bonus pool for the 2021-22 class, but even this one signing means a lot to an org and its fans by marking the return to adding legitimate international talent.
And the Braves did well to bring Tavarez into their system. While the 17-year-old may have to find a new defensive home down the road, the bat projects very well based on his present swing and feel in the box.
The most recent video shows a swing that has tamped down the hand movement during load. Older video shows a deep hand load by dropping to the point of fire and drifting backward before firing to the zone. His swing in the Florida showcase cuts out the deep hand drift, dropping his hands to an optimal spot to fire efficiently. This eliminates an inconsistent bat path and allows Tavarez to see and adjust to the ball better.
Tavarez has excellent bat speed based on super quick wrists. His hands stay inside and he shows an ability to work inside out, allowing him to work all fields with impact contact. He also shows a present feel to clear his lower half with explosiveness and lift with solid post-contact extension. His present explosiveness and feel to tap into power provides an outstanding framework to develop into a solid power hitter with production to all fields. Of course, production relies on a consistent hit tool, and we will get a better idea of his ability to hit pro pitching once he’s on the field in a Braves uniform. But the athleticism, explosiveness and present feel to his swing are all positives.
I’ll have a better idea of Tavarez’s glove once I get eyes on him, but reports say he may have to move off shortstop as he grows. There is some length to his frame and he will likely grow more, so this viewpoint is understandable based on his frame. He’s quick and seems to move well laterally, but again, I’ll have a better grasp of his defense once I see him.
A young, athletic infielder who may have to move off shortstop based on size naturally gravitates toward third base. He needs to clean up the inconsistency in his throwing mechanics, but he seems to have a good arm capable of handling third. Again, the glove has to be there, and that will be determined. Other options would be the corner outfield spots. But this is down the road, and if a player hits, he can always find a defensive home.
Tavarez looks the part of a young athlete with size and length. He’s lean and will grow into a muscular frame with strength and quickness. It looks like there’s some twitchiness and he shows explosiveness in the box. It wouldn’t surprise me if he grows into that super athletic corner position player range of size, similar to Manny Machado’s frame. I’ll be interested to see what kind of speed and run game he brings to the pro side.
Based on his age and advanced feel to his swing, Tavarez should spend the year stateside at the Florida complex and get extra work in instructs afterward. A reasonable goal could be an Augusta assignment for 2022. He will be 17 for all of this season, so it will be a slow burn in the low levels as he gains a comfort level in pro ball.
Tavarez will get a slot on the prospect list once I gain a better feel for his game, which is how I approach all international prospects. Based on physicality and the tools I can see, he would presently slot around 10-11 based on the grade tier. But we’ll see once he’s on the field.