The Athletic’s new No. 1 Dodgers prospect was signed at an unbelievable bargain

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t just find another star on the international free agent market. They stole one.

Keith Law’s latest Top 100 prospects list (subscription required) came with a familiar punchline: “I regret to inform you that the Dodgers are at it again.” This time, the punchline is Eduardo Quintero — a 20-year-old outfielder signed out of Venezuela in 2023 for a mere $297,500 who now sits among the very best prospects in baseball.

Yes. Less than $300,000. That’s a rounding error for a franchise that just handed out another generational contract. It’s the cost of a middle reliever’s spring-training invite. It’s what some teams spend on a fringe depth piece in March. And yet, two years later, Quintero is being talked about as a future All-Star.

This is the Dodgers’ real superpower. Not Shohei Ohtani. Not Mookie Betts. Not the luxury-tax gymnastics. It’s the ability to identify elite talent where others see lottery tickets — and then develop it ruthlessly, efficiently, and relentlessly.

Eduardo Quintero headlines next wave of talent in stacked Dodgers pipeline

Quintero didn’t arrive with five-star hype. He was a catcher in Venezuela. The Dodgers saw something different. They moved him to the outfield because they believed he could stick in center and because they wanted his bat in the lineup every day. That decision alone tells you everything about how this organization operates: they’re not afraid to reimagine a player if it maximizes value.

Now? Law says center field is “very much a viable outcome.” Pair that with what’s already an advanced bat, and you’re talking about a player who could be an “easy All-Star.”

At 19, Quintero drew 88 walks, the fourth-most by any teenager in the minors. He swings at just 37 percent of pitches. Only 62 percent of pitches in the zone. That’s plate discipline you cannot teach, and the power is coming along nicely as well.

And the Dodgers got him for less than some teams spend on one bad arbitration mistake. This is how dynasties sustain themselves.

While other organizations debate whether they can afford to extend their aces, the Dodgers are building a second and third wave behind the stars. They aren’t just buying championships — they’re manufacturing them. Quintero is the embodiment of that machine: a player signed for pocket change who now projects as a franchise cornerstone.

Every fan of a mid-market team reads this and groans. Because it isn’t fair. Because it feels like the Dodgers are playing a different sport. And in a way, they are. They’re not just winning on the open market — they're winning in the shadows, too.

Quintero is proof that Los Angeles doesn’t just flex with money — it weaponizes intelligence. And for $297,500, the Dodgers may have just secured the next star in a pipeline that never seems to run dry.