2013-14 International Free Agency Thread

[davell]

Who is Jesus Gonzalez and how much did he sign for? Does this mean that Wladimir Galindo either didn't sign with the Cubs or signed for under 100k?

[Guest]

Who is Jesus Gonzalez and how much did he sign for? Does this mean that Wladimir Galindo either didn't sign with the Cubs or signed for under 100k?

 

Gonzalez signed for $100,000 in the 12-13 signing class (June, I believe).

 

I don't know about Galindo but Badler listed all players who signed for 6 or more figures so your two options are the only two choices.

[davell]

Thanks Raisin. I guess they're adamant on guys spending a year at the complex. I thought for sure Badler had heard Jimenez and Torres were starting over here. Guess it was just speculation on his part.

 

At least Mejia gets to come over immediately.

[jersey cubs fan]

Thanks Raisin. I guess they're adamant on guys spending a year at the complex.

 

Got to find some reason to justify the building costs.

[treebird]

Thanks Raisin. I guess they're adamant on guys spending a year at the complex.

 

Got to find some reason to justify the building costs.

 

ricketts stocked the facility with three years' worth of easy mac and he'll be damned if he's going to let even one of those cheese packets expire uneaten

[imb]

Thanks Raisin. I guess they're adamant on guys spending a year at the complex.

 

Got to find some reason to justify the building costs.

 

ricketts stocked the facility with three years' worth of easy mac and he'll be damned if he's going to let even one of those cheese packets expire uneaten

 

let me handle this

[WrigleyField 22]

1. Easy Mac won't go bad

2. Does it really slow their development to not start in AZ? They're still so young, they'll have plenty of time to move quickly and be young for their leagues if they prove themselves.

[craig]

The political unrest in Venezuela could impact in unpredictable ways. It's not clear that the Cubs or other teams will be able to run the VSL, or do so safely. It's not clear that the Cubs can get their players out of Venezuela; I believe they want to but haven't been able to, for the most part. If they are able to get some or all out, that might then complicate what they do with them. Does the Dominican facility have room for all of them? Not likely that it would impact, but perhaps a guy who is otherwise on the bubble might get sent over to Mesa just to relieve the congestion in their Dominican dorms and fields?

 

Badler is really gung ho on Torres. I hope his judgment is accurate, and that Torres doesn't hit like Frandy.

 

Anyway, thanks for the quotes and summaries, cal. I hadn't really been familiar with some of Tseng's details or numbers; those were interesting to read. Sounds like he might be a risk for arm problems. Seems like all of the Cubs Korean pitchers had arm problems. Hopefully he won't, and his slump will have provided a timely opportunity for the Cubs to get him while the market was low.

[craig]

...Does it really slow their development to not start in AZ? They're still so young, they'll have plenty of time to move quickly and be young for their leagues if they prove themselves.

 

Agree. They've got good facilities, and lots of coaching there. Perhaps the coaching is almost better without kids needing to fight through English phrasing and American accents.

[Guest]

1. Easy Mac won't go bad

2. Does it really slow their development to not start in AZ? They're still so young, they'll have plenty of time to move quickly and be young for their leagues if they prove themselves.

 

No it doesn't and I actually like what they're doing. I think it's beneficial that the player arrive in the US at 18 with a full year of pro training rather than spend their first pro season also in a foreign country at 17.

[Guest]

@MyKBO: Cubs recently signed a SS from Korea named Son Ho-young. Here's his 2013 stats from Hongik University. @CubsDen http://t.co/jBr6GkjC03

[Guest]

@MyKBO: Cubs recently signed a SS from Korea named Son Ho-young. Here's his 2013 stats from Hongik University. @CubsDen http://t.co/jBr6GkjC03

 

http://m.yna.co.kr/mob2/en/contents_en.jsp?domain=3&ctype=A&site=0100000000&cid=AEN20140429005300315&mobile

 

Son, 19, played parts of the 2013 season with Hongik University in Seoul but dropped out before completing his freshman year. He played his last game on June 29 last year.

 

As Hongik's primary leadoff man and shortstop, Son batted .298 (17-for-57) in 15 games with 12 runs scored, five RBIs, five walks and 14 steals.

 

"In his first season at Hongik, he was a great defensive player with a good throwing arm," Sung said. "He had above average speed and could steal bases. He was a fearless player."

 

Sung said he had been seeking to sign talented but unheralded players out of South Korea who came with a low price tag. Sung added, without divulging the financial details, that the Cubs signed Son "at a bargain," given his raw talent.

 

Jang Chae-geun, Son's manager at Hongik, also said the youngster "could run, could throw and could hit," but added that Son had difficulty fitting in with the team last year. Jang said Son dropped out because he didn't want to play anymore.

[Guest]

http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2988609

 

Scouts say he has decent fielding ability with a strong arm, but no teams in the Korea Baseball Organization picked him in the league’s amateur draft in August 2012. Son enrolled in Hongik University but left school within a year.

 

“He had some talent, but he wasn’t a serious baseball player,” said Hongik University baseball coach Jang Chae-geun.

 

“We are aware of those issues,” said Sung. “He left teams several times when he was in high school. I think that history would cause KBO teams not to pick him in a draft because players of such character generally don’t adapt to professional baseball.”

 

However, Sung said there is a chance for the shortstop to be a decent baseball player in the United States. “People may think he is a bit arrogant judging by his behavior, but he’s not a child anymore,” he said. “He told me that his determination to become a true baseball player got stronger than ever while he worked at construction sites for the past last eight months before he met me. I have been watching him for a long time and I judged that his fielding ability, which is one of the most important abilities for a shortstop, is good enough to challenge for a spot in the big leagues.”

 

Sung refused to divulge details of the contract, adding that Son is currently training to develop his body in preparation for joining a rookie league that begins in June. “He will go to the United States as soon as he acquires a visa,” he said.

[jersey cubs fan]

New market inefficiency, guys who don't actually want to play bas......., oh nevermind.

 

Every good sports movie has the talented kid that doesn't want to play, and the "we're just desperate enough to try and convince him to play" manager. I see storybook ending on the horizon.

[Guest]

It makes me happy to read about these kids. I wish they had an incubator that would get them to the major league quicker. I'm thinking, he'll yes then I remember these guys are high school age.

[Guest]

Who is Jesus Gonzalez and how much did he sign for? Does this mean that Wladimir Galindo either didn't sign with the Cubs or signed for under 100k?

 

Wladimir Galindo has been playing for the VSL Cubs thus far so he definitely signed. Wonder what his bonus was.

[davell]

I'm disappointed he's playing 1B. I guess his signing bonus had to come in under 100k, right?

 

The only top IFA list I saw him on was MLB's and Mayo messing up on rankings wouldn't shock me.

[Hrubes20]

I'm disappointed he's playing 1B. I guess his signing bonus had to come in under 100k, right?

 

The only top IFA list I saw him on was MLB's and Mayo messing up on rankings wouldn't shock me.

 

Counting today, he's played 3B twice and 1B twice. Lots of position shuffling happens down in those leagues to get everyone ABs. I think I saw Galindo ranked around 50th on another list, and it stated that he possibly should be ranked even higher as he was sort of a guy that snuck up on people at the end of the period. Likely a little overrating on Mayo's part, but he was at least in consideration for someone else (forget who, though).

 

Galindo with his 2nd HR of the year today, btw. And yes, I know, these stats are essentially worthless. Still fun to follow.

[davell]

Hrubes! Show up more often! And better to see him hit than not anyway. Good to see him play 3B too, I should probably glance over more than once before determining positions down there....