International Free Agency Thread 2018-2019

[Hrubes20]

 

Well, that should bring in one of those shiny new Cubans.

[CubsWin]

 

Well, that should bring in one of those shiny new Cubans.

Nice! I hope its a major league ready reliever...

[CubsWin]

AZ Phil speculates on who the Cubs might be after with their newfound IFA money:

 

However, it's very unlikely that the Cubs would have paid the Orioles $50,000 to re-claim Araujo and then traded him back to Baltimore just for ISBP space (in other words, the right to spend $750K more money on international free-agents) unless there is a particular international player (like maybe Cuban SS Yolbert Sanchez?) or possibly multiple players (like perhaps two or three of the Mexican IFAs recently declared eligible to sign by MLB, like RHP Jaime Melendez, RHP Jose Angel Valenzuela, and/or C Fernando Villalobos) the Cubs wish to sign prior to the 2018-19 ISP signing deadline on June 15th, and the $750K in ISBP space acquired from the Orioles in the Araujo deal (added to whatever remains from their 2018-19 ISBP space) is the only way they can get it done.

 

Sanchez, of course, was ranked the #3 overall IFA prospect by MLB, and Villalobos was ranked #34 by BA.

 

And this from a January 22nd article from Fangraphs:

 

We’re unsure of the precise amounts, but believe the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies to have the most pool space remaining behind Baltimore, though all three are thought to have less than $3 million in space...

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Looks like the Cubs now have about $1.4 million to spend before the next July 2nd period.

 

[attachment=0]Capture.PNG[/attachment]

 

Not sure that's enough for Yolbert Sanchez:

 

[CubsWin]

Looks like the Cubs now have about $1.4 million to spend before the next July 2nd period.

 

[attachment=0]Capture.PNG[/attachment]

 

Not sure that's enough for Yolbert Sanchez:

 

Yeah, it was speculation by AZ Phil, but it is interesting to note that he could've signed back in early February and hasn't signed with the Orioles yet.

[Regular Show]

Looks like the Cubs now have about $1.4 million to spend before the next July 2nd period.

 

[attachment=0]Capture.PNG[/attachment]

 

Not sure that's enough for Yolbert Sanchez:

 

 

I haven't seen video of Yolbert Sanchez or really know enough about him, but I'd rather spend the remaining money across a few good prospects in Mexico/DR/Venezuela.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

From BA's 12 2018 IFA sleepers list (must have signed for $500k or less): https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/12-international-sleeper-mlb-prospects-to-watch-in-2019/

 

YOHENDRICK PINANGO, OF, CUBS

 

A 16-year-old lefthanded hitter from Venezuela, Pinango has a compact build (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) and has hit in games. He has a good eye for the strike zone and a patient approach, swinging at pitches he can drive and hitting the ball for hard contact to all fields. He’s a plus runner who can play center field for now, though with his body type he might slow down and move to right field.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Wonder if any of these guys were signed with the Araujo money. The deadline for this signing period is 6/15.

 

5/29 UPDATE:

 

The Cubs have officially signed eight more 2018-19 IFA:

 

Yovanny Cabrera, RHP

R/R, 6'2 180, Age 18

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

Enmanuel de la Cruz, RHP

R/R, 6'2 168, Age 17

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

Edgar Gamargo, C

NFI

 

Joel Jimenez, RHP

NFI

 

Gregori Montano, RHP

R/R, 5'11 175, Age 19

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

Marco Prieto, RHP

R/R, 6'2 165, Age 19

VENEZUELA

 

Esmarly Tatis, INF

B/R, 5'10 165, Age 19

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

Luis Valenzuela, RHP

R/R, 6'2 170, Age 17

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

So the Cubs have signed 27 IFA since the start of the 2018-19 ISP on July 2 (see complete list below)

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/05292019/cubs-2018-international-signing-period-j-2-players

[Regular Show]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

In the mid-2000s, federal law enforcement agencies started taking intense interest in the smuggling of Cuban players. Under code names Operation Boys of Summer, Operation Safety Squeeze and Operation Sisyphus, agents with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security worked a series of investigations aimed, in part, at determining whether MLB team employees were doing business with human smugglers.

In interviews with The Post, two retired federal prosecutors who oversaw previous investigations accused MLB of ignoring obvious signs of the corruption they believe the league’s rules incite across Latin America. Under rules collectively bargained between the league and the MLB Players Association, a Cuban who defects to the United States has to enter the MLB draft, where salaries are suppressed, while a Cuban who defects elsewhere is declared a free agent and can sign with the highest bidder.

 

“MLB’s own rules and regulations . . . encourage the smuggler and fraudsters to go through the charade,” said Patrick Sullivan, a retired former assistant U.S. Attorney who oversaw the 2017 prosecution of Hernandez and trainer Julio Estrada.

In 2016, one of those investigations led to the indictments of Bart Hernandez, a Cuban native and sports agent based in Florida, and Julio Estrada, a trainer of Cuban players. Their trial introduced evidence showing the rampant fraud around Cubans entering the major leagues, and raised questions about whether team and league officials ignored obvious red flags noticed years later by federal agents...

In Mexico, according to courtroom testimony, Hernandez partnered with gangsters nicknamed “Nacho” and “Tony Montana.”

 

So I guess Nacho does survive the events of BCS and becomes a human smuggler in Mexico in the future. Kinda sad...

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/06102019/cubs-2018-international-signing-period-j-2-players

 

6/10 UPDATE:

 

The Cubs have officially signed another 2018-19 IFA:

 

Andricson Salvador, LHP

Age 18

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

[CubsWin]

BA did their Cubs review of their IFA signings: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2018-19-international-reviews-chicago-cubs/

 

The Cubs signed 29 players in calendar year 2018. Ben Badler highlighted the big names:

 

• RHP Richard Gallardo - Was 89-93 when he signed but ticked up to 95 at Dominican instructional league. Had nice words for his 3rd pitch, the change.
  
• OF Jose Lopez - Shows sound grasp of the strike zone. Still has the big hitch and arm bar but his quick hands and bat speed makes up for it now.
  
• SS Rafael Morel - Good bat speed, fast-twitch player/good raw athlete (sounds like Chris...and apparently their dad was a former pro basketball player)
  
• LHP Joel Machado - Topping out at 89
  
• OF Yohendrick Pinango - Also a good eye for the strike zone with a patient approach
  
• SS Pedro Martinez - Signed in last year's class for low 6-figures. Played in the DSL last year.
  
• C Pablo Aliendo, Venezuela - Signed last May so class of 17-18 too. Played in the DSL last year.

That's the first I've heard Pablo Aliendo being mentioned as a "big name". Good to know...

It's a meaningless sample size, and there hasn't been much to write about from the minors lately so whatever, but that "big name" catcher, Pablo Aliendo, has started the year off well hitting .429/.600/.643. We'll see where he is towards the end of July.

 

The Cubs sure do like themselves a Venezuelan catcher. Of the 7 catchers they have in the DSL, 6 of them are from Venezuela (one of which is Aliendo). Jhonny Pereda, Gustavo Polanco and Henderson Perez are also from there along with Erick Castillo and minor league FA signing Francisco Arcia. With Willy's success, I can see why. Contreras makes 12 in total. But that number is about to go up. Recent signee Edgar Gamargo and rumored upcoming IFA signees Ronnier Quintero and Brayan Altuve are all Venezuelan catchers.

 

Hey, if it ain't broke...

[CaliforniaRaisin]

6/16 UPDATE:

 

With just minutes left before the midnight (Eastern) deadline, the Cubs signed two more 2018-19 J-2 IFA, bringing the total number of 2018-19 J-2 IFA signed by the Cubs to 39, including 21 since the Cubs acquired $750K in ISBP space from the Baltimore Orioles this past April in return for allowing the Orioles to keep 2017 Rule 5 draft pick RHRP Pedro Araujo.

 

Emir Blanco, P

NFI

 

Ricardo Green, P

NFI

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

6/14 UPDATE:

 

Jorge Arellano, P

NFI

 

Luis Barrelliza, OF

NFI

 

Starling Mateo, OF

NFI

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

6/13 UPDATE:

 

Elias Fabian OF

NFI

 

Anderson Feliz, P

NFI

 

Wilfri Figuereo, P

NFI

 

Samuel Rodriguez, P

NFI

 

Joanfran Rojas, INF

R/R, 5'11 162, Age 17

VENEZUELA

 

Wilker Ruiz, P

NFI

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/06162019/cubs-2018-international-signing-period-j-2-players#comments