Did the Philadelphia Phillies just break the New York Yankees record? Three weeks ago, news broke that the Yankees offered a whopping $7 million pre-agreement to the 13-year-old Venezuelan prospect, Albert Mejías. However, the Phillies didn’t want to stay behind either. They announced a pre-agreement on Monday that beats the New York team by one factor.

According to Wilber Sanchez, 11-year-old Venezuelan shortstop David Basabe has agreed to $1.8 M pre-agreement with the Phillies. The sixth-grade student who currently attends the MB13 Baseball Academy on the island of Margarita, Nueva Esparta state, is a part of the 2031 international class. And here’s why the Phillies wanted to bet on him:

With this, he also becomes the youngest player in history to secure an MLB pre-agreement. So, while the money isn’t as big as what the Yankees offered Mejías, it is historical in the age aspect.

Prior to these, the youngest, most notable international pre-agreements were generally restricted to players of 15 or 16 years old. They were eligible to sign during the international signing period, which begins on January 15 each year. It is understandable why signing very young players is a rare occurrence, though.

So much about his game could change by the time he is 16 and eligible to act on this pre-agreement. Moreover, while he is considered to be the top offense in his class, it is also not uncommon that a lot can change by 2031. Of course, Philadelphia has until 2031 to closely monitor his development and decide if they truly want to sign him. Even then, the road is not as straightforward.

After he turns 16 and is eligible to officially sign with the Phillies to get the $1.8 million bonus from the international pool, he will first enter the Phillies’ subpar minor leagues. He will then make progress there until he is eventually called up to the majors. By 2031, though, both parties can step away as all that a pre-agreement runs on is trust.

If Basabe continues to evolve in the right direction as a player, though, that’s where the Phillies’ bet will work the most, as they will gain early commitment, scouting access, and development influence on him.

A pre-agreement deal usually refers to a contract signed by a player during the “pre-arbitration” phase. The eligibility for the same includes the top 100 players in terms of the statistical measure “Joint WAR.”

The following criteria have to be met, per the Pre-Arbitration Performance Bonus Program, covering 2022 through 2026, to receive the funds:

• Three years or less of Major League Service time and NOT qualified for salary arbitration as a Super Two.
• Three years or less of Major League Service time, and the ones who have signed multi-year agreements ARE eligible for the pool.
• Foreign Professionals or Extended Free Agents are NOT eligible.

The team generally offers a one-year salary above the league minimum to avoid the annual renewal process. These deals provide young players guaranteed money early while giving teams cost certainty and goodwill before arbitration.

Decoding the eligibility criteria, Basabe must have met the first point to crack a deal with the Phillies.

The Phillies are reputed for providing a structured pathway for young talent to develop into Major League-ready players, with intensive training, mentoring, and exposure to advanced technology. Their advanced scouting and metrics technique helps evaluate players’ progress, while they refine their skills and fundamentals with focused coaching.

The franchise can move prospects quickly, as evidenced by players like Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford. In fact, high-ranking prospects often participate in the Arizona Fall League to gain elite competition experience.

Now, should we be surprised if the Phillies break another record of Joe Nuxhall to be the youngest to debut (15 YO) in MLB back in 1944? Fans may not hype all over that!

The MLB world reacts to the Phillies’ new pre-agreement deal

“So much talent in the United States, but MLB and NBA keeps going over seas,” read the very first comment. MLB is already filled with international players. Last season, the league’s roster featured 27.8% players outside of the USA, with the Dominican Republic leading the chart, followed by Venezuela and Cuba.

At the same time, the NBA features 135 international players for the 2025-26 season. And now, it looks like the communities across sports are getting frustrated.

Some even questioned the legality of the matter: “How is this even legal.” While 16 is the minimum age for a legal contract, unofficial verbal agreements (pre-agreements) are frequently made with much younger players. Probably, MLB itself can look into the new Phillies signee? Then, there were some concerns, too.

“Anyone involved with coaching young players knows a lot can happen between ages 11 and 18. I almost guarantee most of these deals won’t actually happen. Kids stop growing/ developing at all ages.”

Indeed, most of the pre-agreements are not fruitful. However, it gives both sides a preview of how the other can develop. Very likely, seeing how the Yankees offered the $7 million pre-agreement to Mejías, Basabe could want that too. That, though, depends on how he fares moving forward.

At the same time, Basabe could get other offers that could entice him more. If he doesn’t develop as expected, the Phillies can also move on. So, it depends on both sides agreeing on how they wish to move forward.

But the sarcasm never stopped, as one directly asked the AI bot to explain it all. “@grok explain in detail how this deal works as the kid ages.”

As we said, a lot can change over the years. It will ultimately depend on the two sides on how they want to proceed. However, the sarcasm didn’t end.

“Sign Elmo’s 2 year old brother please,” joked another, referring to the famous Sesame Street character. Elmo’s age? 3½ years old.

Justified or not, the Philadelphia Phillies definitely turned some heads and upped some voices! It will be interesting to see if the Phillies will remain an enticing option for Basabe in 2031 and if the Phillies will still want to act on their pre-agreement with him as he continues to evolve his game.