2011 International FA Market

[craig]

Cubs have signed Concepcion, to a massive contract. I can't vouch for any of the accuracy, but there are rumors of $7M and major-league contract. They scout him very differently and much more favorably than the Yankee blog mentioned earlier, as pitching comfortably 91-93, touching well above that, and being 6'3".

 

If their scouting is vindicated, he could be a high-ceiling guy with more than back-of-rotation potential.

 

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

 

Super exciting.

[bukie]

How does international FA work? Is he under team control for 6 years, or is it solely dependent on the length of the contract?

[davell]

I think it works the same, unless there's a provision in the contract that says otherwise. Like something that says arb won't be offered or something like that. Without having any clue on Concepcion, my guess is we gave him a 3 or 4 year deal and will then have the same type control we have over Shark right now, which is lowering his salary by 20 percent until he hits arb or just cutting him, if we wanted to.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think it works the same, unless there's a provision in the contract that says otherwise. Like something that says arb won't be offered or something like that. Without having any clue on Concepcion, my guess is we gave him a 3 or 4 year deal and will then have the same type control we have over Shark right now, which is lowering his salary by 20 percent until he hits arb or just cutting him, if we wanted to.

 

Fukudome signed a 4-year deal that would have left him under team control except for the provision that they had to sign him to an extension or release him by last November, and a release would make him a free agent just like any non-tendered player would be a free agent. If this guy got a provision like that it would be insane, but it should be more like the Shark situation.

[davell]

On my cell, so I can't post the link and it may very well be somewhere else on the site, but how about the Cubs plans for the Dominican complex? I'm pretty damn impressed to say the least. If anyone hasn't seen the article, here's some highlights from it. It will be constructed over the next 2 years. 50 acres large.biggest academy in the Dominican. Open year round. Will serve players from all over the world, including Venezuela, Aruba, Curacao, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and, of course, the Dominican. It will have 4 baseball fields, including one of artificial turf. 4 covered batting cages. 8 bullpens. Weight room. Cafeteria and kitchen. 2 locker rooms and 2 meeting rooms. A large classroom that can divide into 4 smaller ones. Theatre and video room. Dormitory that houses 80 players and 8 staff members. The academy will serve as an educational center where staff will teach both English and Spanish and players can fulfill requirements to get GED's. The academy will place an emphasis on Education, Health, and Nutrition. 12 to 18 months to build and the cost will be between 6 and 8 million. Absolutely awesome.

[Guest]

On my cell, so I can't post the link and it may very well be somewhere else on the site, but how about the Cubs plans for the Dominican complex? I'm pretty damn impressed to say the least. If anyone hasn't seen the article, here's some highlights from it. It will be constructed over the next 2 years. 50 acres large.biggest academy in the Dominican. Open year round. Will serve players from all over the world, including Venezuela, Aruba, Curacao, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and, of course, the Dominican. It will have 4 baseball fields, including one of artificial turf. 4 covered batting cages. 8 bullpens. Weight room. Cafeteria and kitchen. 2 locker rooms and 2 meeting rooms. A large classroom that can divide into 4 smaller ones. Theatre and video room. Dormitory that houses 80 players and 8 staff members. The academy will serve as an educational center where staff will teach both English and Spanish and players can fulfill requirements to get GED's. The academy will place an emphasis on Education, Health, and Nutrition. 12 to 18 months to build and the cost will be between 6 and 8 million. Absolutely awesome.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120202&content_id=26549778&vkey=news_chc&c_id=chc

[davell]

This is a humongous advantage for us within the new CBA, by the way. With teams all having around the same monetary allotments for IFA's, this facility will certainly help us land the guys we're neck and neck with another team money-wise.

[davell]

Levine mentioned in his chat again today that the Cubs play it coy with Cuban signees, as they have signed some Cuban players 6 or 7 weeks ago that they haven't announced yet. Obviously, these probably aren't big name guys, or it would have leaked, but interesting, nonetheless.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ricketts-visits-dominican-republic-for-talks-on-new-facility-20120207,0,4159288.story

 

Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and his board have held meetings in the Dominican Republic, which soon will house the country's largest baseball academy when the team completes its 50-acre complex.

 

Ricketts toured the building site in La Gina, which will be a year-round training facility for minor and major league players from the island. It also will serve players from around the world, including Venezuela and Mexico.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cubs-dominican-gallery-120207,0,7301154.photogallery

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2012-02/67913933.jpg

[treebird]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ricketts-visits-dominican-republic-for-talks-on-new-facility-20120207,0,4159288.story

 

Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and his board have held meetings in the Dominican Republic, which soon will house the country's largest baseball academy when the team completes its 50-acre complex.

 

Ricketts toured the building site in La Gina, which will be a year-round training facility for minor and major league players from the island. It also will serve players from around the world, including Venezuela and Mexico.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cubs-dominican-gallery-120207,0,7301154.photogallery

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2012-02/67913933.jpg

 

yet another american company sending jobs overseas (overgulfs?)

[davell]

According to Pine Tar Press, at some point, the Cubs signed a LHP named Franly Figueroa for a 70,000 bonus out of the DPL. They have a small list of guys that have signed this winter, none to very large bonuses. No info is given.

[Guest]

According to Pine Tar Press, at some point, the Cubs signed a LHP named Franly Figueroa for a 70,000 bonus out of the DPL. They have a small list of guys that have signed this winter, none to very large bonuses. No info is given.

 

Saw this on the DPL web site:

 

Alex Pena -C Los Potros del Este

 

Pena, 18, showed an ability to handle a pitching staff and take his offensive skills to the game. He becomes the 1st catcher to sign out of the DPL since Jorge Alfaro signed with the Texas Rangers for $1.3 Million. Pena's signing bonus with the Cubs is $25,000.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

According to Pine Tar Press, at some point, the Cubs signed a LHP named Franly Figueroa for a 70,000 bonus out of the DPL. They have a small list of guys that have signed this winter, none to very large bonuses. No info is given.

 

Saw this on the DPL web site:

 

Alex Pena -C Los Potros del Este

 

Pena, 18, showed an ability to handle a pitching staff and take his offensive skills to the game. He becomes the 1st catcher to sign out of the DPL since Jorge Alfaro signed with the Texas Rangers for $1.3 Million. Pena's signing bonus with the Cubs is $25,000.

 

The way that's written makes me like this Pena guy. Hopefully he becomes relevant.

[davell]

I have to admit, I thought the exact opposite. An 18 year old signing for 25000 automatically screams "org guy" to me. Obviously, no one knows what any of these kids can do, until they make it over here, but if he's not been signed at his age and signs for that small of an amount, my guess is he's not highly sought after.

[wvcbxl]

Nothing significant in the race to sign IFA's before the new rules kick in, but it's a familiar name: Ugueth Urbina Jr. (16 yr old RHP, son of ...) was signed by the Mariners organization last October according to the blog of the Catalan baseball federation. The other 16yr old RHP mentioned, Luis Felipe Castillo, signed for an 80k bonus with the Diamondbacks.

[Guest]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/videogallery/68741868/Sports/Cubs-GM-Jed-Hoyer-on-the-signing-of-Cuban-left-hander-Gerardo-Concepcion

 

Jed Hoyer on the Gerardo Concepcion signing (it went official today).

[Guest]

The Cubs spent $4.54 million on international bonuses in 2011 (these totals do not count Cubans), which was 5th in all of baseball.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613090.html

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

The Cubs spent $4.54 million on international bonuses in 2011 (these totals do not count Cubans), which was 5th in all of baseball.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613090.html

 

The Ricketts are going to be such a big deal in this sport in a few years...

[videographer]

Fron BA, a breakdown of last year's international free agent signings:

 

Some teams also liked the offensive potential of Dominican shortstop Luis Acosta (Cubs) and Venezuela's Wuilmer Becerra (Blue Jays). Both players spent time showcasing at shortstop, but Becerra is already an outfielder and Acosta will probably end up in left field.

 

Venezuela had a strong catching crop, led by the offensive-oriented Mark Malave (Cubs)

[davell]

OF Hersin Martinez, the last bigtime hitter in last year's class, signed with the Mariners for 1.1 mill. Of course, this was originally reported back last July 2nd, but things supposedly fell through back then. All that's left is P Manny Gonzalez, of the big bonus guys.

[davell]

Manny Gonzalez signs with the Pads, finishing off last years class.