2007 International Free Agent Market

[Guest]

are there any updates on who has signed from over seas?

 

For the Cubs? No. I still haven't found additional confirmation about Dae-Eun Rhee either.

 

Also, RHP Chen Hung-Wen (the 22-year old Taiwanese native who got a $200,000 bonus) is injured and out with a sore elbow.

[TruffleShuffle]

are there any updates on who has signed from over seas?

 

For the Cubs? No. I still haven't found additional confirmation about Dae-Eun Rhee either.

 

Also, RHP Chen Hung-Wen (the 22-year old Taiwanese native who got a $200,000 bonus) is injured and out with a sore elbow.

 

that didn't take long

[Guest]

BA has a couple of pieces out in recent days. They didn't mention Dae-Eun Rhee signing with the Cubs and don't have any $100,000 signings linked to the Cubs. 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo is expected to geta $2 mil + deal later this week from the Mets, Mariners or Yankees. Some of the more active, surprising teams include the Royals (!), the Padres, the Tigers (because they spent so much money in the draft) and the Cards. The Mariners once again are making a big splash, the Rangers have looked good, and the Yanks, Mets and Red Sox are doing their their usual thing.

 

Here's a summary of the international FA market by Chris Kline of BA. And here is a list of the top 20 bonuses handed out so far this year.

[wvcbxl]

Any word yet on who could be signed after the MLB academy in Tirrenia (Italy) finishes on 08/30? Eleven European players signed pro contracts since participating last year (out of a total of 54 young players there - by young, read: between 16 and 19 yrs old).

[Outshined_One]

Any word yet on who could be signed after the MLB academy in Tirrenia (Italy) finishes on 08/30? Eleven European players signed pro contracts since participating last year (out of a total of 54 young players there - by young, read: between 16 and 19 yrs old).

 

Alessandro Maestri among them. I'd really like to see the Cubs begin expanding operations in Europe. That is a seriously untapped market for baseball.

[wvcbxl]

I'd really like to see the Cubs begin expanding operations in Europe. That is a seriously untapped market for baseball.

 

Your wish is the Cubs' command. :lol: :lol:

 

According to Dutch sources, Dwayne Kemp, a 19yr old second baseman from the Sparta/Feyenoord club in Rotterdam has signed with the Cubs organization following the MLB academy.

 

His stats for 2007 in the Dutch league:

 

B.A.  SL.A.    G  AB   R   H  HR RBI  BB  SO  SB
.333   .475   33 120  25  40   1  21  20  12  12

 

Within that league, that ranks him 11th in SLG and 13th in OBP.

 

A scoop for NSBB? 8-)

[Guest]

Any word yet on who could be signed after the MLB academy in Tirrenia (Italy) finishes on 08/30? Eleven European players signed pro contracts since participating last year (out of a total of 54 young players there - by young, read: between 16 and 19 yrs old).

 

7 this year - 3 from Germany, and 1 each from Denmark, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

 

Cincinnati Reds: OF Donald Lutz, Germany

Minnesota Twins: C Frédéric Hanvi, France

Boston Red Sox: P Jennel Hudson, Germany

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 3B Ludwig Glaser, Germany

Chicago Cubs: SS Dwayne Kemp, Netherlands

Houston Astros: P Andrea Lucati, Italy

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: OF Frederik Terkelsen, Denmark

 

The Yankees have been rather active in Germany (and China) from what I've read.

[Outshined_One]

I'd really like to see the Cubs begin expanding operations in Europe. That is a seriously untapped market for baseball.

 

Your wish is the Cubs' command. :lol: :lol:

 

According to Dutch sources, Dwayne Kemp, a 19yr old second baseman from the Sparta/Feyenoord club in Rotterdam has signed with the Cubs organization following the MLB academy.

 

His stats for 2007 in the Dutch league:

 

B.A.  SL.A.    G  AB   R   H  HR RBI  BB  SO  SB
.333   .475   33 120  25  40   1  21  20  12  12

 

Within that league, that ranks him 11th in SLG and 13th in OBP.

 

A scoop for NSBB? 8-)

 

Feyenoord you say?

 

While Amsterdam dreams, Rotterdam works. I dig it. 8-)

[craig]

BA Transactions reports that Cubs have signed an OF named Hae-Seong Kook. I don't know anything about him, where, how old, etc. He didn't show up in BBCube, so I'm assuming he's a new guy. Anybody know?

 

This is stuff that Cal posted in the Instructional League thread, but it confirmed that they did sign the Korean pitcher, Rhee. He had supposedly been an $0.8 signing.

 

Cal via AZ Phil also reports that Cubs signed three Mexican pitchers from the Tijuana team.

[weather2]

From an article in tomorrow's (time difference) on-line Korean Times, I infer that Kook Hae-Sung is a recent HS graduate who did not get drafted by a Korean major league organization and was thus available to be signed by any team from Japan, MLB, etc. Earlier this year, the Cubs signed Lee Dae-eun for $810 K. It looks like he was also overlooked in the draft.

 

In early October, scouts from the Cubs and three other major league organizations, are hosting a tryout camp for other Korean players who've fallen between the cracks.

[NCCubFan]

Just what we need, a player who's kookie. :D

[Guest]

From an article in tomorrow's (time difference) on-line Korean Times, I infer that Kook Hae-Sung is a recent HS graduate who did not get drafted by a Korean major league organization and was thus available to be signed by any team from Japan, MLB, etc. Earlier this year, the Cubs signed Lee Dae-eun for $810 K. It looks like he was also overlooked in the draft.

 

In early October, scouts from the Cubs and three other major league organizations, are hosting a tryout camp for other Korean players who've fallen between the cracks.

 

Good find, weather. Here's the link: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/09/136_10163.html

 

Got to say that Dae-Eun Lee (or Rhee) not getting drafted out of HS in Korea is amazing, considering he was on the radar of a few big league scouts and got $810,000 from the Cubs.

 

Wilson certainly has been active on the Pac Rim since he took over:

 

P Ryan Searle (Australia) - age 17 (signed last season)

P Simon Lee (Korea) - age 23 (signed last season)

P Hung-Wen Chen (Taiwan) - age 22 - $200,000 bonus

OF Chih-Hsiang Wen (Taiwan) - age 22

P Dae-Eun Rhee (Korea) - age 18 - $810,000 bonus

OF Hae-Seaung Kook (Korea) - age 18 (?)

 

Also, Kook will join Rhee at instructs next week.

[questionmarkgrace]

Any signing out of Africa yet? I know Omar Minaya went there earlier in the year and was impressed with the young talent and athleticism.

[YearofDaCubs]

From an article in tomorrow's (time difference) on-line Korean Times, I infer that Kook Hae-Sung is a recent HS graduate who did not get drafted by a Korean major league organization and was thus available to be signed by any team from Japan, MLB, etc. Earlier this year, the Cubs signed Lee Dae-eun for $810 K. It looks like he was also overlooked in the draft.

 

In early October, scouts from the Cubs and three other major league organizations, are hosting a tryout camp for other Korean players who've fallen between the cracks.

 

Good find, weather. Here's the link: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/09/136_10163.html

 

Got to say that Dae-Eun Lee (or Rhee) not getting drafted out of HS in Korea is amazing, considering he was on the radar of a few big league scouts and got $810,000 from the Cubs.

 

Wilson certainly has been active on the Pac Rim since he took over:

 

P Ryan Searle (Australia) - age 17 (signed last season)

P Simon Lee (Korea) - age 23 (signed last season)

P Hung-Wen Chen (Taiwan) - age 22 - $200,000 bonus

OF Chih-Hsiang Wen (Taiwan) - age 22

P Dae-Eun Rhee (Korea) - age 18 - $810,000 bonus

OF Hae-Seaung Kook (Korea) - age 18 (?)

 

Also, Kook will join Rhee at instructs next week.

Do you or anyone else knows what the upside of these players is?

[Guest]

From an article in tomorrow's (time difference) on-line Korean Times, I infer that Kook Hae-Sung is a recent HS graduate who did not get drafted by a Korean major league organization and was thus available to be signed by any team from Japan, MLB, etc. Earlier this year, the Cubs signed Lee Dae-eun for $810 K. It looks like he was also overlooked in the draft.

 

In early October, scouts from the Cubs and three other major league organizations, are hosting a tryout camp for other Korean players who've fallen between the cracks.

 

Good find, weather. Here's the link: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/09/136_10163.html

 

Got to say that Dae-Eun Lee (or Rhee) not getting drafted out of HS in Korea is amazing, considering he was on the radar of a few big league scouts and got $810,000 from the Cubs.

 

Wilson certainly has been active on the Pac Rim since he took over:

 

P Ryan Searle (Australia) - age 18 (signed last season)

P Simon Lee (Korea) - age 23 (signed last season)

P Hung-Wen Chen (Taiwan) - age 22 - $200,000 bonus

OF Chih-Hsiang Wen (Taiwan) - age 22

P Dae-Eun Rhee (Korea) - age 18 - $810,000 bonus

OF Hae-Seaung Kook (Korea) - age 18 (?)

 

Also, Kook will join Rhee at instructs next week.

Do you or anyone else knows what the upside of these players is?

 

I can take a crack at it w/ a few of these guys - obviously Rhee is the big name and given his bonus, he probably is the most significant prospect. Rhee got a bit more than last year's big international signing, Venezuelan Larry Suarez which hopeully indicates he also has top of the rotation potential.

 

Searle: He's 6'1, 180 lbs. Throws a 2-seamer and a 4-seamer along with a slider and a curve. Is working on a change. He hasn't pitched state-side yet and was in the Australian Baseball Academy last season (he did pitch a little in extended spring training in 2007).

 

Lee: All I've heard about Lee is that his stuff is ok and he might have a chance as a reliever. He's 23 and was only at Mesa and Boise so he better start moving up the ranks.

 

Chen: Sounds like a solid late inning reliever. Here's what Steve Wilson said on him in a blog that was linked earlier in this thread: "Very polished pitcher, he has the ablility to throw 5 pitches, and has pretty good command of all of them. Pitches comfortably at 89, but will get it up to 91-94 in a closer situation. Has a usable curve, and slider which can be tightened up, but his split can be an out pitch vs. lefties in the big leagues I feel. He can move his fb around, and has a feel for pitching. He's a good athlete, fields his position well, and is tough on the mound. "

 

Wen: Roster-filler, he looked horrid and posted awful numbers in the AZL.

[Guest]

Full List Of 2007 International Signings

July 2 -Aug. 20, 2007

 

Chicago Cubs

Dominican Republic: RHP Jose Tineo, 16

Venezuela: RHP Hernan Ramos, 22

 

No mention of 18-year old RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (Korea) or 19-year old IF Dwayne Kemp (Netherlands).

 

Two is a disappointingly small number, but of course 16-year olds can sign after August 20th and I'm guessing BA only got their hands on the bigger names.

[wvcbxl]

I'm guessing BA only got their hands on the bigger names.

 

Just in case you want to do some crosschecking; as far as I can tell, four young Dutchmen signed their first pro contracts this summer:

 

Dwayne Kemp(19) - Cubs

Jan Baldee(16) - Astros

Tjerk Hogervorst(16) - Mets

Rien Vernooij(18) - Mets

[Guest]

Nitpicking but Dwayne Kemp is actually from Aruba (yeah, Aruba is part of the Netherlands politically).

[wvcbxl]

Nitpicking but Dwayne Kemp is actually from Aruba (yeah, Aruba is part of the Netherlands politically).

 

You can nitpick all you like, he has a Dutch passport, played in the Dutch league and for their national junior team. :wink:

[Guest]

The Cubs signed Yohan Gonzalez on July 2. Some of you might know him already since he played a little in the DSL after signing. Apparently Yohan was the best player the Cubs signed in Latin America this summer:

 

“He was probably the top pitcher that we signed this year. He’s a fastball-slider-changeup guy with a really good delivery and really good command.

 

6-5, 210 lbs, 17 years old (DOB: 4/15/1990), RHP, Dominican Republic.'

 

He threw 25.1 IP this year in the DSL after he signed and even started his last 4 games (it's not often that a 7/2 signing actually pitches in-season, even at the DSL so that's certainly a good sign). Link to his stats.

[craig]

Thanks much, cal. I'd hoped a guy with his size and stats would be serious. For a guy who was still 16 in April, his results were very good. Here's hoping he turns out to be a real good one and stays healthy all the way. Let's go, Yohan!

 

Where'd you get the Fleita info, and did he have anything else to share?

 

Gonzalez clearly had the best combo of size and stats for the 17-year-old RHP.

 

We've already gotten some favorables on the lefty Antigua, but he was obviously not a summer signing.

[Guest]

I found it on ITI (was bored at work and just surfing the net): http://cubs.scout.com/2/662110.html That was the only Fleita quote and no other new names were mentioned.

 

Hmm, seems like ITI's premium stuff is free for the Thanksgiving weekend.

[Guest]

So here's what we have so far (this is for the whole year of 2007 and not just after 7/2):

 

1. RHP Hung-Wen Chen (DOB: 2/3/1986) - Hualien, Taiwan - $200,000 bonus - played in Mesa & Boise in '07

2. RHP Dumas Garcia (7/7/1983) – Talua, Colombia via the independent South Georgia Peanuts

3. RHP Yohan Gonzalez (4/15/1990) – signed on 7/2/2007, Mao Valverde, Dominican Republic - played in the DSL in '07

4. RHP Alan Guerrero (11/14/1987) – Torreon, Mexico

5. IF Dwayne Kemp (2/24/1988) – Aruba

6. OF Hae-Seaung Kook (age 18) – South Korea

7. IF Junior Lake (3/27/1990) – San Pedro, Dominican Republic - played in the DSL In '07

8. RHP Simon Lee (7/14/1983) – signed on 1/2/2007 (Incheon Kwangyuski, South Korea) - played in Mesa and Boise in '07

9. RHP Ramon Rache (3/22/1988) – San Pedro de Marcori, Dominican Republic - played in the DSL in '07

10. RHP Hernan Ramos (age 22) – Venezuela via Ellsworth CC, Iowa

11. RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (age 18) – signed on 6/4/2007 (South Korea) - $525,000 bonus

12. RHP Ryan Searle (6/22/1989) – signed in February, 2007 (Brisbane, Australia)

13. RHP Jose Tineo (age 16) – Dominican Republic

14. LHP Marco Tovar (12/31/1988) – Tijuana, Mexico

15. OF Chih-Hsiang Wen (11/17/1984) – Shou-Feng Township, Taiwan - $2,500 bonus - played in Mesa in '07

[Guest]

Taiwan Baseball Blog has some interesting stuff on 16-year old Taiwanese HS junior RHP Wen-Hao Cheng:

 

Per WH Cheng's coach, Nomura told Cheng that the Cubs had an $800 K offer for Cheng. If that offer is true, that would be shocking to me. The last HS junior to sign with a MLB club was RHP Yao-Wen Chang - and he had a 93 mph fb as well as a projectable 6'3" frame. Chang was reported to have received ~ $400 K bonus. Despite being only a HS junior, Cheng will have to fight the stigma that Chih-Lung Huang faced - the owner of a low 90's fb whose projectability is questionable because of his 5'9" stature.

 

I'm guessing the $800k bonus figure is bogus but looking around the net, Cheng has been getting noticed by American agents since at least March. He is only 5'9 but he throws in the low 90s and struck out 14 in 7 no-hit innings in a Taiwanese HS tourney recently.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/Navinda/cheng.jpg

[craig]

Thanks for the note and the research, cal. Sounds interesting, and surprising. Hope we get him.

 

It's been my impression that the Cubs haven't been quite as height-oriented as they used to be with Hendry/Stockstill in the lead. Wilkin really like Linecum, who's short. Oswaldo Martinez isn't tall. Ascenio is short. The other Chinese pitcher wasn't very tall.

 

Russell is a tall one in the draft, and obviously Samardz. Acosta, not short, but 6'2" isn't exactly tall for a righty either.

 

Lahey is tall, obviously. If you want to be active in Asia and Taiwan in particularly, probably will have more activity if you're willing to sign some guys who aren't all that tall.

 

If this guy got a $400 or $800 offer, you'd think we'd have a good chance to get him. And if they're offering that much on a 5'9" guy, you'd also figure he must have some really jazzy stuff, since you wouldn't normally offer that on a guy so short.