dougdirt
01-26-2009, 03:39 PM
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=2099#more-2099
Ismael Guillon, one of the top international amateur free agent signings of 2008, is still a Cincinnati Red. He just has a little less cash in his pockets.
The Reds voided Guillon’s contract after finding a problem with his physical that raised a red flag for the club. The team then re-signed Guillon for a lower bonus amount than the original $600,000 that the two sides had agreed upon in October.
Guillon, who signed as a 16-year-old from Venezuela, was going to begin his career as a lefthanded pitcher. However, some teams liked Guillon better as a corner outfielder or a first baseman. Reds scouting director Chris Buckley didn’t say whether Guillon would begin his career on the mound or with a bat in his hands, but the Reds are still sold on his potential.
"He’s 16, so we don’t see a lot of urgency there," Buckley said. "We always felt that if there was any issue that we liked him as a hitter. We felt strongly that this wasn’t a guy we wanted to walk away from."
Buckley declined to comment on the specifics of the physical, other than to say that "there’s going to be a rehab involved."
An injury to Guillon wouldn’t surprise many international scouts, a few of whom predicted earlier in 2008 that Guillon’s sweepy arm action and the wrap out of his hand could lead to health problems down the road.
"He’s got a good arm, but it’s a funky delivery," one international scout told BA back in June. "He’s kind of thick, and with his funky delivery it makes you wonder, if you put 100 innings on that arm, how it’s going to react."
Ismael Guillon, one of the top international amateur free agent signings of 2008, is still a Cincinnati Red. He just has a little less cash in his pockets.
The Reds voided Guillon’s contract after finding a problem with his physical that raised a red flag for the club. The team then re-signed Guillon for a lower bonus amount than the original $600,000 that the two sides had agreed upon in October.
Guillon, who signed as a 16-year-old from Venezuela, was going to begin his career as a lefthanded pitcher. However, some teams liked Guillon better as a corner outfielder or a first baseman. Reds scouting director Chris Buckley didn’t say whether Guillon would begin his career on the mound or with a bat in his hands, but the Reds are still sold on his potential.
"He’s 16, so we don’t see a lot of urgency there," Buckley said. "We always felt that if there was any issue that we liked him as a hitter. We felt strongly that this wasn’t a guy we wanted to walk away from."
Buckley declined to comment on the specifics of the physical, other than to say that "there’s going to be a rehab involved."
An injury to Guillon wouldn’t surprise many international scouts, a few of whom predicted earlier in 2008 that Guillon’s sweepy arm action and the wrap out of his hand could lead to health problems down the road.
"He’s got a good arm, but it’s a funky delivery," one international scout told BA back in June. "He’s kind of thick, and with his funky delivery it makes you wonder, if you put 100 innings on that arm, how it’s going to react."