Nats storming Latin America

[edabbs44]

Cincy needs to get involved...plain and simple. What would you rather have - Stanton for the next 2 years or having the franchise sign 8 players from Venezuela and DR? Kudos to JimBo.

After Traveling, Nats Sign Four Venezuelan Teenagers

By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 18, 2007; Page E02

The Washington Nationals' aggressive mining of the international talent market continued yesterday with the signing of four Venezuelan teenagers, days after two team executives traveled to the country on a scouting trip and only a week after the team landed a quartet of players from the Dominican Republic.

Yesterday's bounty included Sandy Leon, a 17-year-old switch-hitting catcher; 16-year-old shortstop Adrian Sanchez, also a switch hitter; 17-year-old center fielder Jesus Morales; and 6-foot-4 first baseman Juan Urdaneta, who also is 17.

Both of the Nationals executives who scouted the players last weekend in Venezuela, scouting director Dana Brown and assistant general manager Mike Rizzo, pointed to Leon as the one who stood out. Leon is expected to begin his professional career in the (Fla.) Gulf Coast rookie league this season, while the others will play the season in the Venezuelan summer league; none can be expected to impact the big league team for at least several years.

"When you get a switch-hitting catcher who has a chance to be an everyday big league player . . . those kind of guys don't come along every day," Brown said of Leon. "We're thrilled about that."

Added Rizzo, "He swings equally well from both sides, with power, and he has legitimate catching skills."

After all but ignoring international amateur talent while the franchise was under Major League Baseball's stewardship from 2002 until last July, the Nationals have moved aggressively in Latin America under new owner Theodore Lerner, and also are upgrading their scouting operation in Asia.

"When I first came in, [the team] had a budget of zero" for international scouting, General Manager Jim Bowden said last week. "After discussions with [ownership] we were able to reallocate some dollars for Latin America. We walked. Now, I think we're jogging. And eventually, we'll be sprinting."



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...011701234.html

[Danny Serafini]

What would you rather have - Stanton for the next 2 years or having the franchise sign 8 players from Venezuela and DR?

I'd take a known commodity over 8 huge long shots. Stanton is a legit Major League pitcher. It's unlikely any of these kids will ever make an impact. Ideally I'd take both, I'd like to have a bigger Latin American presence because some of these kids do work out every once in a while. But if I have to choose I'll take someone I know can play over someone who might if he's lucky.

[edabbs44]

I'd take a known commodity over 8 huge long shots. Stanton is a legit Major League pitcher. It's unlikely any of these kids will ever make an impact. Ideally I'd take both, I'd like to have a bigger Latin American presence because some of these kids do work out every once in a while. But if I have to choose I'll take someone I know can play over someone who might if he's lucky.

Stanton won't make enough of a difference this and next season. I'll take the farm building.

[Z-Fly]

Stanton won't make enough of a difference this and next season. I'll take the farm building.

Have to agree with this. All Stanton will probably do for us this year is drop our draft pick by one or two, and eat up a few million dollars or salary.

[UKFlounder]

Stanton won't make enough of a difference this and next season. I'll take the farm building.

Is it farm building or farm manure? How long until we find out?

Besides, if the Reds came out and signed a bunch of young kids instead of any players to the current team, the response would be "What about winning now? We've had so many losing seasons, and are always building for the future" and similar types of complaints.

[UKFlounder]

Have to agree with this. All Stanton will probably do for us this year is drop our draft pick by one or two, and eat up a few million dollars or salary.

And those 8 kids will what for "this year?"

[edabbs44]

Is it farm building or farm manure? How long until we find out?

Besides, if the Reds came out and signed a bunch of young kids instead of any players to the current team, the response would be "What about winning now? We've had so many losing seasons, and are always building for the future" and similar types of complaints.

Not me...Stanton will not help the team to win now. Weathers won't either. Neither will Gonzo, Moeller, Lohse or the rest of the retreads.

Cincy cannot afford Zito. Cincy can't even afford Meche. How do you then get talent into the system?

The draft and international FAs.

And the old regime never built for the future. You don't pass up Kazmir or draft players like Schremek ($$) and Sowers (no shot at signing) when legitimately building for the future. Truly build for the future by spending money and you'll see results. All 8 might not pan out to be superstars, but they have a better shot than no signings.

[edabbs44]

And those 8 kids will what for "this year?"

There is no "this year." Lock it up.

[ickey333]

Stanton won't make enough of a difference this and next season. I'll take the farm building.

With all due respect, if the Reds' ability to scout and sign players anywhere in the world is directly tied to signing any player to a 2-year, $5 million contract then the Reds, and us fans, have bigger problems than the prospect of Mike Stanton closing games for the 2007 Reds. While I understand your larger point, if the Castellini regime is going to be any better than the previous ownerships, then the budgets for and emphasis upon scouting and development will need to be independent of team payroll.

[Redsland]

"We walked. Now, I think we're jogging. And eventually, we'll be sprinting."

"After that, we'll probably get winded. That might make us slow down a little bit. But then we might get a second wind or something. If so, then maybe we'll speed back up for a while. Regardless, I think it's fair to say we'll be sweating a lot. It's not like this leather jogging suit breathes, you know?"

[Handofdeath]

Cincy needs to get involved...plain and simple. What would you rather have - Stanton for the next 2 years or having the franchise sign 8 players from Venezuela and DR? Kudos to JimBo.

An 18 year old from the D.R. or Mike Stanton? Well, since they are both about the same age I'll take the proven Stanton.

[Tom Servo]

Yeah, but JimBo also signed Tony Womack. :ughmamoru

[redsmetz]

With all due respect, if the Reds' ability to scout and sign players anywhere in the world is directly tied to signing any player to a 2-year, $5 million contract then the Reds, and us fans, have bigger problems than the prospect of Mike Stanton closing games for the 2007 Reds. While I understand your larger point, if the Castellini regime is going to be any better than the previous ownerships, then the budgets for and emphasis upon scouting and development will need to be independent of team payroll.

Exactly!

And I'm not sure why this "news" about the Nationals has anything to do with the Reds. The OP would assume that the Nats are doing alot and we're doing nothing. The truth is we've got a presence down there with one team in each summer league (Dominican & Venezuelan) wheras as the Nats have two teams in the Dominican Summer League and 1/2 a team in Venezuela (they share a team with the Marlins). [Caveat: I've pulled this info from Wikipedia - the VSL site doesn't show the Nats having a team there last year and I can't find the site for the DSL]

The point is that we do have a presence there and none of the contracts we have right now are keeping the club from developing players anywhere (I think we've still got a scout in Australia - Luke Prokopec, but I could be wrong about that too!). I do wish we could hear more about the Latin American clubs and how those players are doing. Maybe I'll email the public relations folks.

[edabbs44]

Exactly!

And I'm not sure why this "news" about the Nationals has anything to do with the Reds. The OP would assume that the Nats are doing alot and we're doing nothing. The truth is we've got a presence down there with one team in each summer league (Dominican & Venezuelan) wheras as the Nats have two teams in the Dominican Summer League and 1/2 a team in Venezuela (they share a team with the Marlins). [Caveat: I've pulled this info from Wikipedia - the VSL site doesn't show the Nats having a team there last year and I can't find the site for the DSL]

The point is that we do have a presence there and none of the contracts we have right now are keeping the club from developing players anywhere (I think we've still got a scout in Australia - Luke Prokopec, but I could be wrong about that too!). I do wish we could hear more about the Latin American clubs and how those players are doing. Maybe I'll email the public relations folks.

What a great program we have down there...let me know how many players have come through that program to get to the majors.

[noskill27]

We've seen first hand what JimBo can do to a farm system... I feel sorry for the Nats...