2008 International Free Agent Market

[Guest]

Yorman Rodriguez - who was thought to be a shoe-in to sign with the Reds when he turns 16 - might have a verbal agreement with the Cardinals.

[Guest]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080713&content_id=3128448&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf&partnerId=rss_sf

 

On his 16th birthday, OF Rafael Rodriguez signs with the Giants for a $2.55 million bonus, the biggest in franchise history. That's more than Tim Lincecum, Angel Villalona or Madison Bumgarner received when they signed with the Giants.

[Outshined_One]

I'm beginning to think the Cubs backed out of Latin America because they can't get the same bang for their buck they once got.

 

Maybe these guys getting 7 figure bonuses might be worth it; I don't know for sure. However, the idea of giving a 16 year old so much money when the kid is so far away from the major leagues that it's a bit of a head-scratcher. I can't imagine most of these bonus babies being better-developed and having a higher ceiling than their American counterparts who are 16, much less 18 and draft-eligible.

[craig]

I'm beginning to think the Cubs backed out of Latin America because they can't get the same bang for their buck they once got.....

 

Perhaps. Still, a large fraction of big-league talent comes from there. It's going to be very difficult to compete without having a competitive stream of talent from there. If other teams are willing to pay what it takes to get good players, and we aren't, how do we compete?

 

Shutting down in Latin puts us at a competitive disadvantage. We need to overcome that somehow. Maybe that's just being big spenders on FA. (That's worked recently; Fuku, DeRosa, Lilly, and Marquis have been invaluable. Maybe you're better off just spending on big-league FA's rather than 16-year-old Latin FA's.) Maybe that's Asian spending, maybe we'll get as much out of spending $1-2 there that other teams are getting spending $1-2 in Latin. Or maybe we make up for Latin shutdown by doing better in draft. Maybe we're just smarter than everybody else (hard to count on.) Or by superslotting. That hasn't been successful on Huseby and Rundle, but maybe Watkins it will? Who knows. Not sure how much superslotting we did this year. Obviously not for Gray.

 

Point is, if the market is raising it's spending on Latin so that the cost is rising, either we need to spend like market to compete there, or we need to spend elsewhere, or else we'll end up being unlikely to compete on the playing field. Or perhaps we really are spending there, and have spend $3 on a dozen $250K guys? I have no idea.

[Jon]

I never thought I'd say this, but it's almost as if Hendry is employing a strategy with international scouting that almost resembles something out of Moneyball. He's staying away from a certain commodity, in this case Latin American prospects, because their prices have been driven up beyond what is probably reasonable relative to their chances of success. Knowing Jim's past, I would have expected him to up the ante a bit in Latin America, but let's hope they're on to something with increased scouting out east.

[Guest]

The Cubs haven't "backed out of Latin America" (they're not going to back out 6 months after they open a second DSL team), they're just not spending on the big names who get big bonuses and the press...a practice the Cubs have routinely employed (excluding Zambrano, A. Francisco, Pie and Suarez). They get quantity and they go after multiple middle level bonuses in the hopes that quantity will give them a better chance of a few dolid prospects. In theory, it's a sound idea especially with spiraling bonuses, though as craig has pointed out, it hasn't been too successful for the Cubs. Other teams have used this strategy to success.

[Guest]

Alan Schwarz opines that an international draft might be coming partly because of the recent mess that has led to an FBI investigation in Latin America:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/sports/baseball/13draft.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=baseball+draft&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[dlocks]

Alan Schwarz opines that an international draft might be coming partly because of the recent mess that has led to an FBI investigation in Latin America:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/sports/baseball/13draft.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=baseball+draft&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

An International draft would certainly be interesting. Any idea how that would work?

[Outshined_One]

Alan Schwarz opines that an international draft might be coming partly because of the recent mess that has led to an FBI investigation in Latin America:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/sports/baseball/13draft.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=baseball+draft&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

An International draft would certainly be interesting. Any idea how that would work?

 

I'm guessing MLB would require all teams to sign international prospects through the draft process and allows those prospects to declare at a certain age. MLB would implement slotting recommendations, like they do with the current draft, to help keep costs down.

 

This would start a whole mess of problems, though. There is no high school of college system in place in much of the world that offers quality coaching and instruction to young baseball players in the same way the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico currently offer. Most teams rely on their own academies to scout and develop prospects. If an international draft is implemented, teams no longer have an incentive to support those academies since the really good players they unearth would be drafted away by other teams. Those academies offer education and a support structure for their young kids, to boot. I don't think people would be happy to see those academies abandoned.

 

I think what will happen is a hard cap on international spending. That'd keep the current system in place, but would keep outrageous signings in check.

[Guest]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1417

 

Nearly every team has signed players from the international signing period, which began on July 2 and ends next month.

 

In regards to the Cubs, I hope they aren't referring to the Pac Rim guys who we know about (they did sign before 7/2).

[Guest]

Taiwan Baseball Blog[/url]"]Cubs Sign Pitcher from Taiwan.....

The Cubs inked their third kid from Taiwan: RHP Hsin-Hong Tsai from Chiayi County's Tong-Shi HS. He follows his predecessors: Hong-Wen Chen and Chih-Hsiang Wen (has since been released). Tsai stands 6'0'' & is listed at 177 pounds (may be closer to ~150 pounds). His pitching repertoire includes a FB that tops out at 90 (sits around 86-89), below avg breaking stuff, below avg command, decent arm action, - he has some projectability. The Cubs beat out the Twins by signing him for $130k.

 

The kid has himself listed at 186 cm (6'1") and 70 kg (154 pounds). He's 18 (DOB: 4/24/1990).

 

Doesn't look to be 154 lbs in the pic:

 

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/1911/hhtsaiat2.jpg

 

They are very reliable; they were the first to post the signings of Hung-Wen Chen and Dae-Eun Rhee last year and were one of the first to mention the signing of Hak-Ju Lee this year.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

6-1 and 154 pounds? Can you see through him?

[Guest]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1457

 

Two Cubans defect in Edmonton.

 

LHP Noel Arguellez: 6'3, 195, under the age of 18, 90 mph FB with cut and sink (tops out at 93), rudimentary change and curve (curve shows potential).

 

2B Jose Iglesias: 5'9, 170, good defender, no power, no other real details on him.

[Guest]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3519111

 

This thing is getting uglier by the minute.

 

Major League Baseball investigators are looking into accusations that several New York Yankees prospects from the Dominican Republic were forced to kick back portions of their signing bonuses to one or more team employees, several sources told ESPN.

 

The revelation is one of several developments in an ongoing investigation of a financial scandal involving the signing of players from the Dominican Republic. Last week, the Red Sox's Dominican scouting supervisor, Pablo Lantigua, was fired after MLB investigators confronted him about allegedly skimming signing bonuses, according to an MLB source.

 

Sources also told ESPN that the investigation is expected to implicate roughly 20 people on "a handful" of teams before it is complete. Investigators also have expanded their probe into Venezuela, where many major league clubs have player academies. "Things are coming to a head," one source familiar with MLB's investigation said.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1457

 

Two Cubans defect in Edmonton.

 

LHP Noel Arguellez: 6'3, 195, under the age of 18, 90 mph FB with cut and sink (tops out at 93), rudimentary change and curve (curve shows potential).

 

2B Jose Iglesias: 5'9, 170, good defender, no power, no other real details on him.

 

Arguellez sounds like an interesting prospect.

[NCCubFan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3519111

 

This thing is getting uglier by the minute.

 

Major League Baseball investigators are looking into accusations that several New York Yankees prospects from the Dominican Republic were forced to kick back portions of their signing bonuses to one or more team employees, several sources told ESPN.

 

The revelation is one of several developments in an ongoing investigation of a financial scandal involving the signing of players from the Dominican Republic. Last week, the Red Sox's Dominican scouting supervisor, Pablo Lantigua, was fired after MLB investigators confronted him about allegedly skimming signing bonuses, according to an MLB source.

 

Sources also told ESPN that the investigation is expected to implicate roughly 20 people on "a handful" of teams before it is complete. Investigators also have expanded their probe into Venezuela, where many major league clubs have player academies. "Things are coming to a head," one source familiar with MLB's investigation said.

If true I think all players involved will become free agents and any teams involved will be subject to hefty fines and limitations on signing foreign players.

[1908]

Looks like the Cubs have signed another kid out of Korea, OF Ha Jae-hoon.

 

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2892949

 

A scout for the Cubs, who declined to be named, confirmed that Ha reached the deal last week. Ha is the sixth Korean to join the Cubs’ organization, following Choi Hee-seop, Kwon Yun-min, Ryu Jae-kuk, Rhee Dae-eun and Lee Hak-joo, who signed earlier this year.

 

The Cubs’ scout called Ha “a good all-around player.”

 

“When we first scouted him, he was playing catcher and leading off,” the scout said. “The next time we saw him, he was hitting third and playing left field. We’d even considered trying to move him to second base. He can play anywhere.”

 

The Cubs’ scout likened him to San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Aaron Rowand, who has earned a Gold Glove and become a fan favorite while playing for three major league clubs.

 

“Ha crashes into walls and makes plays,” the scout said. “He’s got speed and a bit of power, and is a good fielder.”

 

When asked about one quality that he liked the most about Ha, the scout said it was “heart” because of the way the young player responded to his manager’s constant tinkering with his spot in the lineup.

 

“He is probably not going to be a power hitter,” the scout said. “But the one thing that stands above all else is his fielding.”

[imb]

I have an ex-girlfriend that's currently teaching english in japan and has gotten to know (probably had sex with stupid whore) a Cubs scout there.

 

She calls me every once in awhile and im just like "cut the bs and tell this guy to give me names" but she's worthless and too busy blowing him or whatever to remember to ask

 

BUT IF THERE'S ANY JAPANESE GUYS YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LET ME KNOW AND ILL GIVE IT A SHOT BUT I CANT PROMISE YOU THAT SHE WILL STAY SOBER LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER TO ASK

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I have an ex-girlfriend that's currently teaching english in japan and has gotten to know (probably had sex with stupid whore) a Cubs scout there.

 

She calls me every once in awhile and im just like "cut the bs and tell this guy to give me names" but she's worthless and too busy blowing him or whatever to remember to ask

 

BUT IF THERE'S ANY JAPANESE GUYS YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LET ME KNOW AND ILL GIVE IT A SHOT BUT I CANT PROMISE YOU THAT SHE WILL STAY SOBER LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER TO ASK

 

there's having sources....and THERE'S HAVING SOURCES!

[Guest]

Looks like the Cubs have signed another kid out of Korea, OF Ha Jae-hoon.

 

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2892949

 

A scout for the Cubs, who declined to be named, confirmed that Ha reached the deal last week. Ha is the sixth Korean to join the Cubs’ organization, following Choi Hee-seop, Kwon Yun-min, Ryu Jae-kuk, Rhee Dae-eun and Lee Hak-joo, who signed earlier this year.

 

The Cubs’ scout called Ha “a good all-around player.”

 

“When we first scouted him, he was playing catcher and leading off,” the scout said. “The next time we saw him, he was hitting third and playing left field. We’d even considered trying to move him to second base. He can play anywhere.”

 

The Cubs’ scout likened him to San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Aaron Rowand, who has earned a Gold Glove and become a fan favorite while playing for three major league clubs.

 

“Ha crashes into walls and makes plays,” the scout said. “He’s got speed and a bit of power, and is a good fielder.”

 

When asked about one quality that he liked the most about Ha, the scout said it was “heart” because of the way the young player responded to his manager’s constant tinkering with his spot in the lineup.

 

“He is probably not going to be a power hitter,” the scout said. “But the one thing that stands above all else is his fielding.”

 

Nice.

[TruffleShuffle]

“Ha crashes into walls and makes plays,” the scout said.

 

this scout is really looking for the right things in a ballplayer.

[imb]

(Raisin, Hollywood, California) asks: How does Ha Jae Hoon rank 20-80 on crashes into walls

 

Jim Callis: Definitely an 80. He's a big league wall crasher at this stage of his development. He's won countless wall crashing derby's in his native korea already

[Outshined_One]

“Ha crashes into walls and makes plays,” the scout said.

 

this scout is really looking for the right things in a ballplayer.

 

I especially like knowing that given Wrigley's brick walls behind the ivy.

[Guest]

The Rangers are active in South Korea too, signing RHP Ahn Tae-kyeong for an $800,000 bonus.

 

I'm kind of disappointed that Shinsano hasn't scouted Ahn seeing as he's a Cubs scout in South Korea and you'd like to see the team at least looking at all the top guys in the country:

 

I haven’t personally scouted Ahn, and have only seen him once on TV.

[jersey cubs fan]

“When we first scouted him, he was playing catcher and leading off,” the scout said. “The next time we saw him, he was hitting third and playing left field.”

 

 

Are we sure the scout isn't some whitebred suburban guy who simply can't tell the different Korean players apart?