2009 International signing period

[OnBaseMachine]

Reds sign four Venezuelan amateurs
Haul includes Valor, considered a top position player
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

07/06/09 8:59 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA -- For the second consecutive year, the Reds have scored during the international signing period.

It was announced Monday that 16-year-old shortstop Humberto Valor was signed out of Venezuela. In various reports, Valor, listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, was considered by some scouts to be the country's best position-player prospect.

A signing bonus wasn't revealed, but it's believed that Valor received something far below the seven-figure range.

Also signed by the Reds from Venezuela were third baseman Juan Peraza and outfielders Argenis Aldazoro and Adrian Rodrigue.

In 2008, the Reds signed two 16-year-old outfielders in Juan Duran and Yorman Rodriguez. Duran was considered one of the game's best international prospects and received a $2 million signing bonus.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[Plus Plus]

Anything at all re: Peraza, Aldazoro or Rodrigue?

[OnBaseMachine]

Kudos to New Fever for posting a link from Peter Gammons in the Humberto Valor thread. According to Gammons, Humberto Valor signed for $1.5 million. He also says the Reds have spent $3.8 million on International signings, the sixth highest total of any organization.

Here's the link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...=gammons_peter

[bellhead]

Who are the other guys????

[princeton]

it's an interesting link. I think that the quote that really jumps out is this one:


"It is amazing to see these kids in a tryout setting -- they can tune up a BP fastball and run the 60 but lack instincts and most basic fundamentals," one international scouting director said. "When we put them in games, their lack of game-playing skills stick out -- they can't slide, don't recognize situations. But buscones continue to emphasize power, arm strength and speed -- nothing else."


looking at several scouting videos, I was thinking the same thing-- these kids have REALLY trained to hit in batting practice. their feet are set to one speed (slow).

but they do produce a nice video.

let's hope all that money wasn't thrown down a rathole.

[OnBaseMachine]

Who are the other guys????

Also signed by the Reds from Venezuela were third baseman Juan Peraza and outfielders Argenis Aldazoro and Adrian Rodrigue.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[bellhead]

Also signed by the Reds from Venezuela were third baseman Juan Peraza and outfielders Argenis Aldazoro and Adrian Rodrigue.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

tx

[OnBaseMachine]

Miguel Sano Agrees To Terms With Twins

Posted Sep. 29, 2009 6:05 pm by Ben Badler
Filed under: International

Nearly three months after becoming eligible to sign, Miguel Sano has agreed to terms for a $3.15 million bonus with the Twins. The deal will be officially signed tomorrow.

Sano, 16, is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound shortstop from the Dominican Republic. Excluding Cuban defectors, Sano’s bonus is the largest bonus given to a player this summer for an international amateur player. It’s the second-largest Latin American signing bonus ever behind Dominican righthander Michael Ynoa, who signed with the Athletics last year for $4.25 million, and the largest ever for a Latin American position player.

Dominican catcher Gary Sanchez, who signed with the Yankees for $3 million on July 2, held the previous record for a Latin American position player. The Cardinals had agreed to terms with Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo for $3.1 million on July 2, but voided the deal because the organization said he did not pass his physical.

Baseball America subscribers can access Sano’s full scouting report here.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=6658

[Brutus]

Miguel Sano Agrees To Terms With Twins

Posted Sep. 29, 2009 6:05 pm by Ben Badler
Filed under: International

Nearly three months after becoming eligible to sign, Miguel Sano has agreed to terms for a $3.15 million bonus with the Twins. The deal will be officially signed tomorrow.

Sano, 16, is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound shortstop from the Dominican Republic. Excluding Cuban defectors, Sano’s bonus is the largest bonus given to a player this summer for an international amateur player. It’s the second-largest Latin American signing bonus ever behind Dominican righthander Michael Ynoa, who signed with the Athletics last year for $4.25 million, and the largest ever for a Latin American position player.

Dominican catcher Gary Sanchez, who signed with the Yankees for $3 million on July 2, held the previous record for a Latin American position player. The Cardinals had agreed to terms with Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo for $3.1 million on July 2, but voided the deal because the organization said he did not pass his physical.

Baseball America subscribers can access Sano’s full scouting report here.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=6658

Now THAT sure came out of left field. I kept hearing about the Orioles and Pirates over and over. Kudos to the Twins. If it turns out he's not 21 years old, this might be a great signing. Heck, even if the kid is older than 16, it still might be a real good signing (of course, the crux is that if he is older, he may not be able to stay in the country.)

[Bonzo]

Now THAT sure came out of left field. I kept hearing about the Orioles and Pirates over and over. Kudos to the Twins. If it turns out he's not 21 years old, this might be a great signing. Heck, even if the kid is older than 16, it still might be a real good signing (of course, the crux is that if he is older, he may not be able to stay in the country.)

Somehow it seems like, in his situation, being a year or two older actually might be a blessing in disguise for Sano. One of the primary concerns with him is that he'll get too big to stick at SS or even 3B, perhaps necessitating a move to a corner outfield spot. If he was a bit older than 16, though, he'd have a lot less growing to do.

[Will M]

if the Reds can continue to sign high risk high ceiling youth out of Latin America they can use their first few picks in the draft to sign college players who are 'safer' picks. for example: lets say Leake projected to be a MOR starter in the bigs who is already polished. (ie a low risk medium return type of player). another choice was a high schooler who has all the 'tools' but is very raw (high risk high return). skip the high school player and sign the Leake type because you have already signed several guys similar to the high schooler from Latin America.