2014-15 International Free Agency Thread

April 14, 2014

Ben Badler[/url]"]While the bonus pools for draft picks slightly increased for 2014, the amount that teams can spend on international players before facing taxes and other penalties has decreased for the third straight year.

Technically, the aggregate bonus pools for international players rose by 1.2 percent, moving from $78,226,600 to $79,194,000 million. In reality, the amount that teams will be able to spend on international players is decreasing for the third straight year. That’s because, for the first two years of the international bonus pools, teams were allowed six signings of up to $50,000 that would not count against their pools, giving each team an extra $300,000 beyond their pool space and $9 million for the industry as a whole.

When the 2014-15 international signing period begins on July 2, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, those $50,000 exemptions disappear. It’s a clever accounting trick, one where Major League Baseball can claim that the international bonus pools are up a nominal amount from the previous year, when really the bar is being lowered. The reduction for international players comes while MLB has simultaneously raised the amount teams can spend on the draft before facing penalties for the last three years:

May 6, 2014

Ben Badler says not just the Yankees will pass their international bonus allotment. The Red Sox, Ray and Brewers are planning on it too. This on the heels of the Rays doing it in 2012-13 and the Cubs and Rangers in 2013-14.

@BenBadler: Depends who you ask. Most say down a little, but some prefer this year. RT @weiffenbach62 how does this year's crop compare to last year's?

@BenBadler: I could see it increasing MLB's desire for one, yes. RT @JUmberson will this affect decision on an international draft

Ben Badler[/url]"]The Yankees’ intention to possibly set a record for international amateur spending has been well known in baseball since the end of 2013. They could spend in the neighborhood of $15 million in bonuses during the coming signing period, which would also come with a 100 percent tax on their pool overage, meaning they would spend another $15 million or so just in taxes.

The Red Sox and Rays don’t appear ready to go to that extreme, but both clubs are planning to spend well past their bonus pools and pay the maximum penalty for doing so, which is the overage tax and not being allowed to sign any player for more than $300,000 the next two signing periods. The Rays have their sights set on the top true shortstop prospect on the market, while the Red Sox are putting their focus on pitching this year.

Sources also expect the Brewers to go past their $2.61 million bonus pool on one player alone who several sources expect will sign for at least $3 million. Teams are allowed to trade for an additional 50 percent of their original bonus pool by acquiring other teams’ slot values, so the Brewers could theoretically increase their pool space to $3.9 million through trades and avoid paying the maximum penalty. However, working out a trade for slot values proved trickier than some teams expected last year.

Hairyducked Idiot · May 6, 2014

However, working out a trade for slot values proved trickier than some teams expected last year.

AKA the Chicago Cubs.

davell · May 6, 2014

I hope we get another chance at spending huge next year. I am worried the draft could start any year though, with teams starting to blow through the caps.

treebird · May 6, 2014

I hope we get another chance at spending huge next year. I am worried the draft could start any year though, with teams starting to blow through the caps.

i could see this as being the argument for what the "rolled-over" money we didn't spend last off-season is used for, to be honest.

May 6, 2014

I hope we get another chance at spending huge next year. I am worried the draft could start any year though, with teams starting to blow through the caps.

Yeah, one more year would be nice, especially if the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays are sitting it out and the Rangers are the primary competition for going over the limits.

davell · June 20, 2014

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=int

Yankees with 5 of top 10, 9 of 18, and 11 of 30.

This better be us next year.

With so little talk on IFA this year, I'm hoping we find a Urias situation in Mexico, where we still are able to procure a top end talent, spreading the money around to others in a package deal and the Mexican team.

June 20, 2014

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=int

Yankees with 5 of top 10, 9 of 18, and 11 of 30.

This better be us next year.

With so little talk on IFA this year, I'm hoping we find a Urias situation in Mexico, where we still are able to procure a top end talent, spreading the money around to others in a package deal and the Mexican team.

Ben Badler's projected top 10 bonuses this July 2nd had 4 Yankees. Despite the fact Tampa, Boston and Milwaukee are going over their allotment too, they each only had one in the top 10 bonuses.

I'm pretty sure the Yankees are going to force an international draft on everyone next year.

June 30, 2014

Kiley McDaniel on the new July 2nd class:

It's also worth noting that the consensus is this is a down crop from recent years, with some of last year's top players, such as SS Gleyber Torres and RF Eloy Jimenez (now both with the Cubs), both being better than anyone in this class.

Clem Fandango · June 30, 2014

Kiley McDaniel on the new July 2nd class:

It's also worth noting that the consensus is this is a down crop from recent years, with some of last year's top players, such as SS Gleyber Torres and RF Eloy Jimenez (now both with the Cubs), both being better than anyone in this class.

The Cubs FO expected that to be the case, correct? Hence why they overspent last year?

A New Era · June 30, 2014

Kiley McDaniel on the new July 2nd class:

It's also worth noting that the consensus is this is a down crop from recent years, with some of last year's top players, such as SS Gleyber Torres and RF Eloy Jimenez (now both with the Cubs), both being better than anyone in this class.

The Cubs FO expected that to be the case, correct? Hence why they overspent last year?

Yes I trust their scouting. I would love if they could do it again next year, but at least they did it one year and they got a great group of guys.

June 30, 2014

Kiley McDaniel on the new July 2nd class:

It's also worth noting that the consensus is this is a down crop from recent years, with some of last year's top players, such as SS Gleyber Torres and RF Eloy Jimenez (now both with the Cubs), both being better than anyone in this class.

The Cubs FO expected that to be the case, correct? Hence why they overspent last year?

That's one of the reasons they gave but I was curious if they really believed that or just started saying that when they couldn't trade for enough pool space to cover their overspending. And even if they believe that last summer, it's nice to see that remains true a year later.

June 30, 2014

Also, here are some July 2nd prospects whose bonuses might slip into the range the Cubs can pay:

Projected for $300,000 to $700,000
Kenny Hernandez, SS, Venezuela
Jhoandro Alfaro, C, Dominican Republic
Daniel Brito, SS, Venezuela
Jesus Sanchez, OF, Dominican Republic
Jonathan Arauz, SS, Panama
Ronny Rafael, CF, Dominican Republic
Bryan Pena, RF, Dominican Republic
Amado Nunez, SS, Dominican Republic
Julio Martinez, RF, Dominican Republic
Starling Joseph, OF, Dominican Republic
Esmerlin Gonzalez, SS, Dominican Republic
Elwin Tejeda, SS, Dominican Republic
Carlos Herrera, RHP, Dominican Republic
Robert Medina, C, Colombia
Juan Ventura, SS, Dominican Republic
Yoel Andujar, RF, Dominican Republic
Christian Capellan, OF, Dominican Republic
Ronaldo Hernandez, 3B, Colombia
Gabriel Corporan, 1B, Dominican Republic
Ismerling Mota, C/1B, Dominican Republic

davell · June 30, 2014

Kiley McDaniel on the new July 2nd class:

It's also worth noting that the consensus is this is a down crop from recent years, with some of last year's top players, such as SS Gleyber Torres and RF Eloy Jimenez (now both with the Cubs), both being better than anyone in this class.

The Cubs FO expected that to be the case, correct? Hence why they overspent last year?

That's one of the reasons they gave but I was curious if they really believed that or just started saying that when they couldn't trade for enough pool space to cover their overspending. And even if they believe that last summer, it's nice to see that remains true a year later.

I still wonder how many guys we targeted went elsewhere because they weren't sure we'd go THAT far over.

July 1, 2014

Ben Badler previewed each team on the eve of the new IFA period. Here's what he said about the Cubs:

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs snapped up the top two international prospects for July 2 last year in Dominican outfielder Eloy Jimenez and Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres. Along with Taiwanese righthander Jen-Ho Tseng, who has quickly become one of the system’s best pitching prospects, Colombian righthander Erling Moreno, Dominican righthander Jefferson Mejia and Dominican catcher Yohan Matos, the Cubs added some of the top international talent in 2013, but even with one of the biggest bonus pools last year, they still went more than 15 percent past their pool and won’t be able to sign anyone for more than $250,000 in the 2014-15 signing period. That puts them in a strange spot this year, since their $3.96 million bonus pool is the fourth-highest in baseball. They could trade away bonus pool space, and given that they’re likely to be sellers as the trade deadline approaches, they could tack on pool space to sweeten the pot in a trade this month. Yet there isn’t a clear seller’s market for pool space, especially given that three teams (the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays) are prepared to go over their pools and pay the max penalty, making more pool room unnecessary. With a big pool and a $250,000 player spending limit, the Cubs will probably sign a lot of players in the $100,000 to $250,000 range, perhaps throwing some package deals in place to squeeze some extra value. Dominican lefthander Wander Cabrera, who has the same trainer as Jimenez, looks like one target. Their big focus already has been the top talent for 2015, when they might choose to ignore their bonus pool again.

Regarding the final sentence, Badler has hinted that the Cubs might have a verbal agreement or two with some of the top 14/15-year olds who project to be the biggest prospects available on July 2nd, 2015 (Texas too). Sounds like we can expect the Cubs and Rangers to blow past their caps again in 2015-16.

davell · July 1, 2014

Yessssss

mul21 · July 2, 2014

So have we signed anybody yet?

Tangled Up in Plaid · July 2, 2014

So have we signed anybody yet?

maybe. might be a few days before it's news because it's going to be all low bonus guys.

July 2, 2014

So have we signed anybody yet?

Unsurprisingly, no one that has been announced yet. Lower level bonuses filter out later since they're not big news. Additionally, those who might be worth smaller bonuses might be holding out hope for bigger bonuses if they get showcased one more time.