From Adrian Morejon ($11 million) to Jorge Ona ($7 million) to Michel Baez ($3 million), some of the Padres’ biggest fish have arrived under Chris Kemp’s tenure as international scouting director.

It’s Charlie Aquino, a $300,000 signee from this year’s class, however, that might be his favorite.

“Yeah, it might be No. 1,” Kemp said as he returned from the Padres’ Dominican Republic Academy in Najayo, San Cristobal. “Just the way it all happened.”

The story goes like this.


Last spring, Kemp and amateur scout Jake Koening hung back in the Dominican Republic to continue working out with Cuban signee Osvaldo Hernandez while his paperwork got sorted out as the rest of the Padres’ international prospects reported to camp.

They ran with him, trained with him, lifted with him.

In their down time, Kemp and Koening resorted to what they do best.

“We just started scouting – hunting,” Kemp said. “Just a couple gringos out scouting the local villages and the local trainers’ games.”


In Palenque, in the Padres’ Dominican backyard, they came across a stringy, 6-foot-1 shortstop with a polished inside-out stroke.

Within five minutes of stumbling upon Aquino at a local buscon game, Kemp speaking with him on the field.

¡Hola!

¿Como estas?


¿De donde estas?

From that, Kemp began to learn than Aquino trained down the road from the Padres’ Dominican facility, an area that produced Franmil Reyes and Eguy Rosario. He was related to Henry Henry, a right-handed pitcher from the Padres’ 2015 class. And he stood out on the field every time Kemp went back to watch.

“When you hit and you see a kid like Charlie bouncing around and you do a little homework,” Kemp said, “ ‘Oh, he’s from here. Oh, he knows Henry. Oh, he trains here every morning.’ You start piecing that together. It felt good.”

So good that Kemp wanted his signing to stand out when the 2018-19 international signing window opened Monday.


Instead of trotting him and his family into their offices for “a basic” signing photo, Kemp brought the paperwork and a Padres jersey and hat to neighboring Palenque for a ceremony that included music and cake right on the field Aquino trained at.

The mayor turned out. So did firefighters, police officers, the village’s children and local players.

It was an event that will stick with Kemp regardless of where Aquino winds up in the system.

“I love this kid,” Kemp said. “He is a special person. Even if he doesn’t make it to the big leagues he’ll be around forever – a coach, a scout. I look at this guy as a brother and I wanted to do something special for him and to show respect for the town of Palenque.”


In other international signing news, the Padres’ still-growing 2018-19 class is up to nearly two dozen teenaged prospects, all of whom the Padres signed for $300,000 or less during this last penalty year.

Two notables outside Aquino are Dominican shortstop Euribel Angeles ($300,000) and Colombian right-hander Francisco Lucumi.

Angeles stood out during the tryout circuit because of “a fast bat” that produced two wood-bat home runs, as a 15-year-old, in a tryout game in front of General Manager A.J. Preller and special assistant David Post.

Lucumi, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound “plus athlete” who was considered the No. 1 pitcher on Colombia’s 15-and-under international team.


Morejon dealing with injury

Left-hander Adrian Morejon – ranked No. 6 in the organization and No. 42 overall – has been sidelined since the California League’s All-Star break due to flexor soreness in his forearm.

The Padres have characterized the injury as a muscular issue and are exercising caution with the 19-year-old Cuban.

Morejon is expected to return before the end of the month.

Morejon is 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA, 66 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP in 57 2/3 innings at high Single-A Lake Elsinore.


TUESDAY’S GAMES

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (45-40)

Albuquerque 11, Chihuahuas 5: RHP Colin Rea (1-2, 6.00) struck out two and allowed six runs on nine hits and a walk in four innings. RHP Phil Maton (0.00) struck out three over two shutout innings, while LHP Brad Wieck (13.50) allowed four runs in 1/3 of an inning. CF Forrestt Allday (.255) doubled, hit his first homer and drove in two runs.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (6-6, 48-34)

Missions 7, Arkansas 6: LF Josh Naylor (.313) drove in three runs on two homers (12) and DH Nick Schulz (.061) drove in two runs on his first homer. 3B Ty France (.261) went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. RHP Lake Bachar (1-4, 5.71) struck out seven and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in five innings in relief in the win. RHP Miguel Diaz (2.40) allowed four runs – one earned – on five hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (4-9, 38-45)

Modesto 4, Storm 3 (10): RHP Michel Baez (2.62) struck out seven and allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings in the start. 1B Hudson Potts (.259) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored and C Luis Torrens (.264) and RF Nate Easley (.249) each had two hits.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (9-4, 41-41)

TinCaps 2, Great Lakes 0: The Midwest League’s ERA leader, LHP Osvaldo Hernandez (6-3, 2.00) struck out five and scattered six hits over six shutout innings. RHP Austin Smith (0.00) struck out two over two shutout innings and LHP Travis Radke (2.08) pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.

SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (9-10)

Boise 7, Dust Devils 3: RHP Henry Henry (1-, 3.38) struck out eight and allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings in the loss. 2B Luke Becker (.200) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and DH Mason House (.171) went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks.

ROOKIE DSL PADRES (15-12)

Blue Jays 8, Padres 6 (11): RHP Miguel Rondon (1.73) struck out seven and allowed two runs – one earned – on four hits and no walks over six innings in the start. SS Yeison Santana (.244) went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, a walk and a run scored. C Brandon Valenzuela (.262) went 1-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.

Transactions

RHP Erik Johnson was transferred from San Antonio to El Paso as RHP Colten Brewer was promoted to San Diego.

was transferred from San Antonio to El Paso as RHP was promoted to San Diego. RHP Colby Blueberg was transferred from Lake Elsinore to San Antonio.

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jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders