2008 International Free Agent Market

[Rob]

Apparently the Nationals' Latin American program is being investigated in a manner similar to the White Sox' before the White Sox got in trouble.

 

Interesting.

 

I wonder how much turnover there has been in the scouting staff since Rizzo took over?

[Guest]

More on the Padres big splurge: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1268

 

Sounds like the Aussie got a bigger bonus than any single Aussie the Cubs have signed.

[Guest]

OF Julio Morban to the Mariners.

 

Cubs recently had a tryout with Cheng-Hao Weng, an 18-year old Taiwanese RHP. His asking price is in the low 6 figures. He was mentioned in last year's IFA thread and then too, the Cubs were after him.

[wvcbxl]

18 yr old Thomas De Wolf became the first Belgian national to sign a pro contract by signing with the Mets organization yesterday.

He plays outfield for the Hoboken Pioneers (that's Hoboken near Antwerp, FYI), and with the national youth squad.

No bonus figure was mentioned, but I heard him on the local radio on the way to work this morning, and he sounds like a level-headed kid.

 

Fun trivia fact: he lives in Wilrijk (another Antwerp suburb), which is also Laurens' birthplace. 8-)

[Guest]

VENEZUELANS:

 

OF Jerico Blanco => Royals for $260,000

C Oscar Perez => Red Sox for $750,000

IF Juan Ugas => Red Sox for $300,000

IF Odubel Herrera => Rangers for $160,000

3B Alex David Monsalve => Indians for $750,000

 

RHP Richard Alvarez, Venezuela can't sign till August 14. OF Yorman Rodriguez can't sign till Aug 15.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

So, still no signings by the Cubs... :x

[Guest]

BA says Morban signed for $1.1 million. The Mariners also signed Nicaraguan RHP Jose Valdivia.

 

The Reds signed Dominican SS Junior Arias.

 

The Cardinals signed Dominican RHP Santo Franco, probably for a high 6-figure bonus. They also signed 3B Roberto Pina.

 

The Rangers signed Venezuelan LHP Vicente Escobar for a $350,000 bonus.

 

The Giants signed RHP Luis Mateo.

[Guest]

So, still no signings by the Cubs... :x

 

Apparently the Cubs treat July 2 like any other day. They were linked to only one big name and that too in only one article (Portillo...who the Padres were linked to for some time) and combined with their big spending on the Pac Rim, this is not at all surprising. I'm sure they got a few 5-figure bonus guys, hopefully a couple low 6-figure.

[Guest]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-bbcol6-2008jul06,0,4146218.story

 

Story in today's LA Times about the feds investigating various teams on their Latin American.

 

"The FBI's going to all the organizations . . . asking players if they received or gave money," said Clay Daniel, international scouting supervisor for the Angels, whose Dominican-based scouts have already been interviewed. "I'm sure they're looking into scouts, personnel, people like that that may have had a hand in it."

 

And it may go higher than that. Several baseball sources, all of whom said their jobs would be jeopardized if they spoke on the record about a federal investigation, say at least one general manager has already come under suspicion.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

It appears the Rangers are asking MLB to investigate Iona's signing.

 

According to Sunday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram, MLB might look into the A's signing of 16-year old Dominican pitcher Michael Inoa because the Rangers believe Oakland came to an agreement with Inoa before Wednesday's deadline.

 

The newspaper, citing no specific sources, reported that Inoa's agent told a Rangers official that Inoa would have taken the larger offer from Texas (more than $5 million compared with Oakland's $4.25 million) had the 6-foot-7 right-hander not already committed to the A's.

 

Link.

[Guest]

Heh, all teams come to agreement with those kids before July 2. That's the reason the media find out beforehand that certain teams are likely to sign a prospect on July 2 and certain players no longer work out for teams (because they have already come to an agreement with another team).

 

It's clear the Latin American IFA market needs to be cleaned up though.

[Guest]

In light of the increase in IFA bonuses, BA looked over the top bonuses from the past in Latin America and the Pac Rim. The bonus babies haven't had much success:

 

Latin America:

 

Wily Mo Pena, Yankees (1999) - $2.4 million

Joel Guzman, Yankees (2001) - $1.6 million

Miguel Cabrera, Marlins (1999) - $1.8 million

Jackson Melian, Yankees (1996) - $1.6 million

Ricardo Aramboles, Yankees (1998) - $1.52 million

Willy Aybar, Dodgers (2000) - $1.4 million

 

Taiwan:

 

Chun-Hui Tsao, Rockies (1999) - $2.2 million

Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees (2000) - $1.9 million

Ching-Lung Lo, Rockies (2001) - $1.4 million

Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers (1999) - $1.28 million

 

South Korea:

 

Byung-Hyun Kim, Diamondbacks (1999) - $2.25 million

Jae-Kuk Ryu, Cubs (1999) - $1.6 million

Shin-Soo Choo, Mariners (2000) - $1.35 million

Cha Seung Baek, Mariners (1998) - $1.29 million

Jung Bong, Braves (1997) - $1.2 million

Hee Seop Choi, Cubs (1999) - $1.2 million

Seung Lee, Phillies (2001) - $1.2 million

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266439.html

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

In light of the increase in IFA bonuses, BA looked over the top bonuses from the past in Latin America and the Pac Rim. The bonus babies haven't had much success:

 

Latin America:

 

Wily Mo Pena, Yankees (1999) - $2.4 million

Joel Guzman, Yankees (2001) - $1.6 million

Miguel Cabrera, Marlins (1999) - $1.8 million

Jackson Melian, Yankees (1996) - $1.6 million

Ricardo Aramboles, Yankees (1998) - $1.52 million

Willy Aybar, Dodgers (2000) - $1.4 million

 

Taiwan:

 

Chun-Hui Tsao, Rockies (1999) - $2.2 million

Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees (2000) - $1.9 million

Ching-Lung Lo, Rockies (2001) - $1.4 million

Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers (1999) - $1.28 million

 

South Korea:

 

Byung-Hyun Kim, Diamondbacks (1999) - $2.25 million

Jae-Kuk Ryu, Cubs (1999) - $1.6 million

Shin-Soo Choo, Mariners (2000) - $1.35 million

Cha Seung Baek, Mariners (1998) - $1.29 million

Jung Bong, Braves (1997) - $1.2 million

Hee Seop Choi, Cubs (1999) - $1.2 million

Seung Lee, Phillies (2001) - $1.2 million

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266439.html

 

There's been some nice finds, there. But it is a hit and miss list. Cabrera is a superstar among the Latin American guys, but the rest aren't anything exciting.

[jersey cubs fan]

In light of the increase in IFA bonuses, BA looked over the top bonuses from the past in Latin America and the Pac Rim. The bonus babies haven't had much success:

 

Latin America:

 

Wily Mo Pena, Yankees (1999) - $2.4 million

Joel Guzman, Yankees (2001) - $1.6 million

Miguel Cabrera, Marlins (1999) - $1.8 million

Jackson Melian, Yankees (1996) - $1.6 million

Ricardo Aramboles, Yankees (1998) - $1.52 million

Willy Aybar, Dodgers (2000) - $1.4 million

 

Taiwan:

 

Chun-Hui Tsao, Rockies (1999) - $2.2 million

Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees (2000) - $1.9 million

Ching-Lung Lo, Rockies (2001) - $1.4 million

Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers (1999) - $1.28 million

 

South Korea:

 

Byung-Hyun Kim, Diamondbacks (1999) - $2.25 million

Jae-Kuk Ryu, Cubs (1999) - $1.6 million

Shin-Soo Choo, Mariners (2000) - $1.35 million

Cha Seung Baek, Mariners (1998) - $1.29 million

Jung Bong, Braves (1997) - $1.2 million

Hee Seop Choi, Cubs (1999) - $1.2 million

Seung Lee, Phillies (2001) - $1.2 million

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266439.html

 

There's been some nice finds, there. But it is a hit and miss list. Cabrera is a superstar among the Latin American guys, but the rest aren't anything exciting.

 

Hit and miss? I see Cabrera and Wang? Am I missing somebody else that should be qualified under the hit category?

[fromthestretch]

In light of the increase in IFA bonuses, BA looked over the top bonuses from the past in Latin America and the Pac Rim. The bonus babies haven't had much success:

 

Latin America:

 

Wily Mo Pena, Yankees (1999) - $2.4 million

Joel Guzman, Yankees (2001) - $1.6 million

Miguel Cabrera, Marlins (1999) - $1.8 million

Jackson Melian, Yankees (1996) - $1.6 million

Ricardo Aramboles, Yankees (1998) - $1.52 million

Willy Aybar, Dodgers (2000) - $1.4 million

 

Taiwan:

 

Chun-Hui Tsao, Rockies (1999) - $2.2 million

Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees (2000) - $1.9 million

Ching-Lung Lo, Rockies (2001) - $1.4 million

Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers (1999) - $1.28 million

 

South Korea:

 

Byung-Hyun Kim, Diamondbacks (1999) - $2.25 million

Jae-Kuk Ryu, Cubs (1999) - $1.6 million

Shin-Soo Choo, Mariners (2000) - $1.35 million

Cha Seung Baek, Mariners (1998) - $1.29 million

Jung Bong, Braves (1997) - $1.2 million

Hee Seop Choi, Cubs (1999) - $1.2 million

Seung Lee, Phillies (2001) - $1.2 million

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266439.html

 

There's been some nice finds, there. But it is a hit and miss list. Cabrera is a superstar among the Latin American guys, but the rest aren't anything exciting.

 

Hit and miss? I see Cabrera and Wang? Am I missing somebody else that should be qualified under the hit category?

 

Hong-Chih Kuo seems to be coming into his own, but certainly hasn't had the sustained success of Cabrera or Wang. BH Kim had a few good years, although he fell apart pretty fast after that.

[Guest]

Sure looks like the Cardinals were the biggest players in Latin America this year. Check out the bonus figures on their top 3 signees:

 

Cardinals: 3B Roberto Pina (a.k.a. Roberto de la Cruz), Dominican Republic - $1.2 million bonus

Cardinals: RHP Santo Franco, Dominican Republic - $500,000 bonus

Cardinals: SS Cesar Valera, Venezuela - $500,000 bonus

[YearofDaCubs]

Damn. I'm surprised the Cubs aren't signing much considering the Cubs have done well signing players from Latin America in the past.

[Guest]

Damn. I'm surprised the Cubs aren't signing much considering the Cubs have done well signing players from Latin America in the past.

 

The Cubs generally sign a bunch of young guys who get smaller bonuses but don't often dabble with the big bonuses (they'll get about 10 or so guys who get 5 digit bonuses up to $100,000 - though the bonuses have gone up a lot this year across the IFA market so who knows what its like now). The Latin America big bonuses that are well into the 6 figures in recent years have gone to guys like Carlos Zambrano, Alfredo Francisco, Felix Pie and Larry Suarez (I might be forgetting someone but that's not a lot of guys over the last 11 years).

 

I'm sure they've yet again signed their share of young guys and those guys who don't get the big bonuses but can be nice prospect. These guys aren't going to get a lot of publicity.

[craig]

I'm sure they've yet again signed their share of young guys and those guys who don't get the big bonuses but can be nice prospect. These guys aren't going to get a lot of publicity.

 

True enough. Although it's hard to conclude that we've been generating many "nice prospects" out of the lower-bonus guys. Whatever we're doing, our production of Latin prospects who make it even far enough to still be starters in high-A or to still be viewed as major-league prospects by the time they are in high-A has been almost zero over the last years. Five years ago Pie made it to A+ as a prospect. And around 5 years ago we had Juan Mateo who made it into the upper minors and touched the bigs. We do get some; no stick Carlos Rojas made it to AA, although he was never a prospect. And after about 5 years scrubbing around in low-A, Chirinos is roster filling in A+. And it's not uncommon to pick up roster-filler Latins from other organizations (Mateo is scrubbing around in A+ now). But I think it's telling how few Latin prospects that we signed ourselves have cracked the top-20 list in the last half dozen years, and of those that did how unworthy they soon enough proved to be (Robert Hernandez probably the latest, I'm sure one of those years Alfredo Franciso made a top-25 before there was time for his actual play to prove that unjustifiable.)

 

Whatever it is we're doing, it just doesn't seem to really be competing with what other teams do in terms of generating actual meaningful prospects.

[Guest]

Craig brings up a good point. The only guys signed by the Cubs out of Latin American UDFA who have helped the squad in this decade are Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Marmol. Ronny Cedeno and Juan Mateo have reached the bigs with minimal success, Juan Cruz and Renyel Pinto have helped other teams in the bigs. The jury is still out on Felix Pie. Not exactly a great success rate.

 

Welington Castillo is the only Latin American UDFA prospect of note playing above Peoria (who was signed by the Cubs; Jose Ceda was obviously signed by the Padres).

[Guest]

Kevin Goldstein | Baseball Prospectus[/url]"]Chicago Cubs

 

Asian Influences: Always one of the biggest players in the Korean talent market, the Cubs already made a big splash this summer by paying a bonus of nearly seven-figures for toolsy shortstop Hak-Ju Lee. While Lee has yet to make his pro debut, last year’s big sign out of Korea has made an impression on scouts with his brief showing at Low-A Peoria, before being sidetracked by some minor shoulder issues. Signed for more than half a million last summer, 19-year-old lefty Dae-Eun Rhee has a 1.80 ERA in 10 starts for Peoria, while allowing just 28 hits in 40 innings and striking out 33. In addition, he has a groundball ratio of nearly two to one, and has yet to allow a home run. "His stuff is very real," said one pro scout who recently saw Rhee in action. "His fastball was 89-91 mph with good life, good sink, and he works down in the zone. His slider is OK, but his changeup is another well above-average pitch that gets a lot of groundballs." The scout went on to further explain that Rhee has plenty of projection as well. "He has that body you look for when you are looking for guys to develop more velocity. It’s a big frame and a narrow top."

[Guest]

Apparently the Nationals' Latin American program is being investigated in a manner similar to the White Sox' before the White Sox got in trouble.

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-bbcol6-2008jul06,0,4146218.story

 

Story in today's LA Times about the feds investigating various teams on their Latin American.

 

"The FBI's going to all the organizations . . . asking players if they received or gave money," said Clay Daniel, international scouting supervisor for the Angels, whose Dominican-based scouts have already been interviewed. "I'm sure they're looking into scouts, personnel, people like that that may have had a hand in it."

 

And it may go higher than that. Several baseball sources, all of whom said their jobs would be jeopardized if they spoke on the record about a federal investigation, say at least one general manager has already come under suspicion.

 

GM Jim Bowden and special assistant (and former World Series MVP) Jose Rijo of the Nationals it is: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3483972

[Guest]

Cubs recently had a tryout with Cheng-Hao Weng, an 18-year old Taiwanese RHP. His asking price is in the low 6 figures. He was mentioned in last year's IFA thread and then too, the Cubs were after him.

 

Besides RHP Cheng-Hao Weng, the Cubs also like one of the top Taiwanese prospects around, RHP Wen-Hao Cheng (age 17, 5'9", tops out at 91 mph, represented by KDN Sports Agency) and fellow countryman 2B Ping-Chie Chen (age 17, 5'11", 170 lbs; T: R, B: L; timed at 4 seconds to first base; high OBP, no power, below average arm).

 

The CPBL in Taiwan plans on drafting their HS players starting next year so MLB teams are making a move in Taiwan when they can.

[CubinNY]

Apparently the Nationals' Latin American program is being investigated in a manner similar to the White Sox' before the White Sox got in trouble.

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-bbcol6-2008jul06,0,4146218.story

 

Story in today's LA Times about the feds investigating various teams on their Latin American.

 

"The FBI's going to all the organizations . . . asking players if they received or gave money," said Clay Daniel, international scouting supervisor for the Angels, whose Dominican-based scouts have already been interviewed. "I'm sure they're looking into scouts, personnel, people like that that may have had a hand in it."

 

And it may go higher than that. Several baseball sources, all of whom said their jobs would be jeopardized if they spoke on the record about a federal investigation, say at least one general manager has already come under suspicion.

 

GM Jim Bowden and special assistant (and former World Series MVP) Jose Rijo of the Nationals it is: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3483972

Maybe that's why the Cubs are staying away from the Caribbean. It's a corrupt cesspool.

[TruffleShuffle]

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0711/mlb_g_bowden_200.jpg

 

nice sweater, jim.

 

 

but seriously, this shouldn't be surprising at all. communications aren't all that great in latin america - it's a poorly-monitored system where everyone is a free agent. baseball is a multi-billion dollar business, and this is the area where it's probably easiest to cut corners (or outright cheat).