2012 International Free Agent Market

[SouthSideRyan]

The breakdown on the penalties is about as mind-expletive stupid as possible.

[davell]

The breakdown on the penalties is about as mind-expletive stupid as possible.

 

 

Awesome evasion of the filter, by the way. And I totally agree. But I really hope we take as much possible advantage as possible next signing period, especially if we're going to be a good team and the following season's pool is much less.

[Guest]

Another int'l preview: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/5/18/3027427/2012-mlb-international-preview

[davell]

I read somewhere that Cabrera runs a sub 6.4 60, which is Billy Hamilton speed.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Another int'l preview: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/5/18/3027427/2012-mlb-international-preview

 

I was reading this the other day. Really hope the Cubs kill it in IFA...Cabrera + LHP Keyln Jose + Others (Carvajal amongst them) would be nice.

[Guest]

I read somewhere that Cabrera runs a sub 6.4 60, which is Billy Hamilton speed.

 

Probably here: http://www.perfectgame.org/blogs/view.aspx?blog=222

 

The 6.34 time Cabrera posted is exceptional. Seeing it understandably will leave many skeptical. Let me first add that I checked with two other scouts standing nearby, one of whom had the exact same time, the other was within several one-hundreths of a second. Cabrera did begin the 60 running with his shoulders square, while players who run the 60 yard dash at a Perfect Game showcase are required to begin turned sideways, simulating running from first to second on a stolen base. Even if you factor that advantage in and adjust his time as high as a 6.50, that is still incredibly rare for a 16 year old player. It comes as no surprise that Cabrera steals bases during games at will.

 

Cabrera sounds impressive with the bat too:

 

Immensely talented OF Gustavo Cabrera didn't get a chance to show much with the bat. He did however show patience that defies the stereotype of Dominican prospects, drawing four walks. His disappointment with not getting to show scouts his hitting tools (which are impressive by the way) was evident, though he should be commended for approaching his at-bats as he would in a real game, rather than changing his approach to show off for the scouts (who are well aware of his physical tools). He continued to wreak havoc on the bases, though he did get picked off in the first inning.

 

Jonathan Mayo had him as the #1 int'l prospect too (link was posted on the previous page):

 

Cabrera has dazzled scouts with his bat speed, hitting mechanics and raw power, but he has also opened eyes with his instincts on the bases. In other words, he can run, too. His all-around speed combined with his aggressive style, strong arm and athletic body have brought about comparisons to Arizona outfielder Justin Upton when he was the same age.

 

Cabrera’s prior experience in the United States could prove to be an advantage in his development. Last year, he was named the MVP at the 2011 RBI World Series in Minnesota and also participated in a showcase in Orlando with his trainer. This year, he starred in the Dominican Prospect League and was part of the league’s All-Star travel squad that played exhibition games and participated in showcases at big league sites in Arizona and Florida during Spring Training.

 

The biggest knock on Cabrera is the notion that he only has one gear: full speed. He is still harnessing his skills and working on the fine art of playing under control.

[davell]

I keep thinking, hoping, we go "all in" on IFA this year, but with as bad as we are at the major league level, next year we'll have a very large pool amount and I don't want to have to spend it on lower end guys, after the penalties. I guess next year is really when we should go "all in" especially with the pitching being weak this year.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

I keep thinking, hoping, we go "all in" on IFA this year, but with as bad as we are at the major league level, next year we'll have a very large pool amount and I don't want to have to spend it on lower end guys, after the penalties. I guess next year is really when we should go "all in" especially with the pitching being weak this year.

 

Every year should be an all in year, but by all in I mean balls out on the top talent. I'm hoping for Cabrera (the top prospect) and Jose (the top P, who happens to be tall, athletic, and LH), and one or two guys with some big upside.

 

There's a website for video on all these guys, and this year there's more video than ever on IFAs (it seems to me).

[Guest]

I keep thinking, hoping, we go "all in" on IFA this year, but with as bad as we are at the major league level, next year we'll have a very large pool amount and I don't want to have to spend it on lower end guys, after the penalties. I guess next year is really when we should go "all in" especially with the pitching being weak this year.

 

Every year should be an all in year, but by all in I mean balls out on the top talent. I'm hoping for Cabrera (the top prospect) and Jose (the top P, who happens to be tall, athletic, and LH), and one or two guys with some big upside.

 

There's a website for video on all these guys, and this year there's more video than ever on IFAs (it seems to me).

 

How far can they be "all in" with the CBA restrictions and penalties? Davell is probably right, next year with a bigger budget is the year to get penalties.

[davell]

My only issue with waiting til next year is I wonder if we could get screwed with a world draft that quickly? I hope not, because I really want to see the dynamic involved with being able to trade IFA money. Granted, you can only add up to half of your original total, but if we had 4 mill next year, adding an extra 2 to that could be gigantically beneficial. I'm sure Theo's well aware of what teams spend and which don't. Because those are the ones likely to come off their budget easily anyway.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

http://www.dplbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104:scouts-corner-2012-class-gustavo-cabrera-of&catid=38:featured-players&Itemid=54

 

Plenty of words and video on prospects this year as the IFA process is getting streamlined.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

I keep thinking, hoping, we go "all in" on IFA this year, but with as bad as we are at the major league level, next year we'll have a very large pool amount and I don't want to have to spend it on lower end guys, after the penalties. I guess next year is really when we should go "all in" especially with the pitching being weak this year.

 

Every year should be an all in year, but by all in I mean balls out on the top talent. I'm hoping for Cabrera (the top prospect) and Jose (the top P, who happens to be tall, athletic, and LH), and one or two guys with some big upside.

 

There's a website for video on all these guys, and this year there's more video than ever on IFAs (it seems to me).

How far can they be "all in" with the CBA restrictions and penalties? Davell is probably right, next year with a bigger budget is the year to get penalties.

 

I don't know the rules so I have to hope that it's enough to land 2-3 big talents.

 

This isn't a particularly strong IFA class, is it?

 

Edit: There's a limit on IFA spending, and if you don't use it it can roll over? That does seem good? I'm not sure how this works.

[davell]

It's considered an averagish class, but light on pitching. If you can roll your budget over to the next year, that's news to me. As for whether the budget is enough to land 2-3 big talents? I'll say no. It lowers the asking price of these guys by default to where everyone basically will be offering close to the same amount for each player. My guess is we can land one elite talent, one other top 30 type and a couple of 250000 types.

[Guest]

Yeah, I've never heard of roll overs either.

 

We don't know how teams will react - will some teams blow their budget on 1 player? If that's the case, the Cubs won't be able to compete for those talents while still trying to split their budget.

[davell]

Yeah, you'd have to be really sold on a guy to spend the entire budget on him. I liked our approach last year: Signed 2 top 10 guys, a top 25 guy, gave out a couple of other decent six figure bonuses and rounded it out with cheap guys. Not even counting over 2 mill spent on Cubans, which would have counted against the budget with the new rules.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

I was just asking about roll overs. Does the cap just go up next year?

 

What would count as elite? From what I understand only Cabrera really comes close to what might get called elite.

[davell]

This year, every team has 2.9 mill to spend on IFA. If you go over that amount by less than 5 percent, there's no penalty. If you go over by less than 10 percent, you pay a fine on the amount you went over on. I think it's 75 percent. If you go over by less than 15 percent, you pay the fine and you can not sign a player for over 500k the following season. If you go over by more than 15 percent, you get the fine and can not spend over 250k on a player the following season. Next year, the budgets will range from around 5 mill down to under 2 mill, based on record. So, while the worse record we have helps our draft position, it also helps here tremendously. So, if have a bottom 5 record this year, ee'll have a very high IFA budget next year. And if we go for it next offseason and try to contend, next year is the time to go all in on IFA, because our budget would be considerably lower for the following season anyway.

[Guest]

I was just asking about roll overs. Does the cap just go up next year?

 

What would count as elite? From what I understand only Cabrera really comes close to what might get called elite.

 

Well, Jairo Beras got "elite" money from Texas ($4.5 million) though obviously the Rangers are trying to sign him under the pre-7/2/12 rules. Mayo ranked Beras #3 and Garrorich ranked him #4.

[davell]

These new rules are also why it's absolutely imperative Soler can be signed before then. If not, he also counts against the budget. Plus, with these penalties factored in, our rumored offer would surely drop a ton. Not even sure if we'd spend solely on him or not, because of what we could have to forfeit next year with the penalties. My honest guess is we would NOT go over budget for him, but teams like the Yankees, Rangers, Rays maybe, Dodgers possibly and anyone else who senses they'll probably lose quite a bit of IFA money next year will go all in to sign him this season.

[davell]

Badler has an article coming out soon putting players with teams showing interest. I know we operate under the radar, but it'd be nice to see us listed with Cabrera.

[RammyFanny]

Badler has an article coming out soon putting players with teams showing interest. I know we operate under the radar, but it'd be nice to see us listed with Cabrera.

It will be out today (5/22).

[Guest]

Badler has an article coming out soon putting players with teams showing interest. I know we operate under the radar, but it'd be nice to see us listed with Cabrera.

It will be out today (5/22).

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613428.html

 

I'll post a summary for non-subscribers in a bit but the Cubs weren't linked to any of the 9 prospects listed (though Ben Badler only mentioned 1 team for most of the prospects, so it's probably not cause for too much concern).

[Guest]

Badler has an article coming out soon putting players with teams showing interest. I know we operate under the radar, but it'd be nice to see us listed with Cabrera.

It will be out today (5/22).

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613428.html

 

I'll post a summary for non-subscribers in a bit but the Cubs weren't linked to any of the 9 prospects listed (though Ben Badler only mentioned 1 team for most of the prospects, so it's probably not cause for too much concern).

 

Franklin Barreto, SS/CF, Venezuela - linked to the Blue Jays

Luis Torrens, C, Venezuela - linked to the Yankees

Gustavo Cabrera, OF, Dominican Republic - linked to the Royals

Jose Mujica, RHP, Venezuela - linked to the Blue Jays

Luis Castro, SS, Venezuela - linked to the Rockies

Alexander Palma, OF, Venezuela - linked to the Yankees

Jose Castillo, LHP, Venezuela - linked to the Padres and Red Sox

Amed Rosario, SS, Dominican Republic

Luiz Gohara, LHP, Brazil - linked to the Mariners

[Guest]

Ten More Names to Watch:

 

Wendell Rijo, SS, Dominican Republic

Amaurys Minier, SS, Dominican Republic

Sergio Alcantara, SS, Dominican Republic - linked to the Diamondbacks

David Rodriguez, C, Venezuela - linked to the Rays

Joshua Lopez, C, Venezuela - linked to the Cardinals

Melvin Novoa, C, Nicaragua - linked to the Rangers

Julio de la Cruz, 3B, Dominican Republic - linked to the Mets, Cubs and Pirates -

Luis Polonia's program has produced some promising players in recent years, including Rockies righthander Joel Payamps and Pirates first baseman Edwin Espinal, both of whom ranked among the Top 20 prospects from the 2011 Latin American summer leagues. Polonia's top prospect this year is de la Cruz, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter who was born in Yamasa and lives in Santiago. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, de la Cruz has a better frame than Espinal and some scouts have called him one of the better hitters in the Dominican Republic. He has an advanced approach at the plate, showing the ability to keep his weight back on offspeed pitches and make adjustments in games, and scouts have said he makes a lot of contact with projectable power. He's a solid-average runner with a good arm and should be a solid defender. The Mets, Cubs and Pirates are among the teams who have been linked to de la Cruz.

Carlos Belen, 3B, Dominican Republic

Luis Barrera, OF, Dominican Republic

Gabby Vizcaino, RHP, Dominican Republic - linked to the Rangers, A's and Dodgers

[davell]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613488.html

 

This is potentially VERY impactful news to us. If Cespedes' trainer is involved with this kind of stuff, which is horrible, who knows whether Soler's process just became THAT much harder or not? I can't help but think whether he's ever been linked to this guy or not, his process slows down, because of this, and we may very well not see him eligible to be signed before July 2nd.....