Dodgers' $397,500 signing looks like one of MLB's absolute steals

The Los Angeles Dodgers can outspend everyone in baseball.

But even when they aren't opening their full checkbook for signings, they can still strike gold.

That's what happened with Josue De Paula.

He was a well-regarded prospect in the international class of 2022, but by no means viewed as a future superstar.

The Dodgers got him then for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic.

Since then, De Paula has developed into one of the best prospects in baseball. MLB.com revisited his rise in a new article on Thursday.

De Paula is now the No. 15 prospect in the entire sport according to MLB Pipeline, the top spot in the Dodgers' system.

"Though he was just 18 and had only reached Single-A entering the 2024 season, De Paula already was drawing raves as the Dodgers' most advanced young hitter since Corey Seager," MLB.com wrote of their thoughts on De Paula from two years ago. "Signed for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he's now drawing comparisons to a slightly smaller Yordan Alvarez thanks to his combination of swing decisions and exit velocities. At age 20 last year, he ranked second in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League in on-base percentage (.406), OPS (.827) and walks (82)."

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Wait, so the Dodgers are the Dodgers, and they may have landed a guy compared to one of the best hitters in baseball, Yordan Alvarez, for just $397,500?

The rich get richer, even when they're making shrewd money moves.

The baseball world knows that the Dodgers have incredible scouting and development staffs, too. It's what makes it so hard to keep up with them, because when those pair up with the finances on the high end, they have a feeling of being unstoppable.

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