2009 International signing period

[OnBaseMachine]

The 2009 International signing period is now roughly two months away (July 2nd) so we should start to see some info on the top prospects available. Shortstop Miguel Angel Sano is thought to be the best prospect available. Here's a little piece on Sano from a Pittsburgh newspaper:

Another long-shot gem
Much younger than Strasburg, but no less pursued, is a terrific 15-year-old shortstop in the Dominican Republic named Miguel Angel Sano who is seen as one of the best prospects available in the upcoming July 2 international free-agent class for 16-year-olds.

And the Pirates are one of ... well, 30 teams interested in him, with word that the young man's bonus could reach $3 million, miles above the Dominican average bonus of $108,000. And the Pirates' entire budget for international players last year was $2 million, so this venture would require quite the extra expenditure on the part of ownership.

Still, the Pirates, known to have been on Sano's trail for an extended period, are seen as one of the favorites.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09123/967312-63.stm

Here's a video on Sano:

http://www.globalpost.com/video/spor...uel-angel-sano

[medford]

3 million? That seems a little low for the top IFA, or is that just me? Didn't Duran get like 2 million, and that was considerred cheap b/c they signed him w/ the loop hole no one else realized? didn't the other kid get 4 mil? And the Pitcher that signed w/ Oakland get like a 6-7 mil offer from the Reds?

Is the economy driving down the offerring price for IFAs? Hopefully the Reds will be a strong in the IFA market this year as they were last year. A solid infielder or 2 plus a prized pitching prospect or 2 would be nice

[camisadelgolf]

Wow, what a great piece. Thanks, OBM. By the way, all of you should check out the movie Sugar. The movie isn't 100% a 'baseball' movie, but it's a great movie and gives you an idea of what a lot of these international prospects have to go through to play baseball in the States. Keep the movie away from your kids, though.

[corkedbat]

I'd love to alnd this kid and also take another SS in the first round (if there is a worthy candidate there when we pick). Take two and you've got twice the chance of one making it. I haven't overlooked Cozart at all, but you can never have too many talented SSs - at the very least, you can alwasy flip any extras for another need.

I guess I was spoiled by being fortunate enough to be a Reds fan for the entire careers of Davey & Barry -I want that kind of security back.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by medford

3 million? That seems a little low for the top IFA, or is that just me? Didn't Duran get like 2 million, and that was considerred cheap b/c they signed him w/ the loop hole no one else realized? didn't the other kid get 4 mil? And the Pitcher that signed w/ Oakland get like a 6-7 mil offer from the Reds?

Is the economy driving down the offerring price for IFAs? Hopefully the Reds will be a strong in the IFA market this year as they were last year. A solid infielder or 2 plus a prized pitching prospect or 2 would be nice

3 Million is a lot of money. Only one player got that last year and he was considered a once in a generation talent. There usually aren't even 15 players who will get $1,000,000 in a signing period.

[TOBTTReds]

With the Pirates new facility in the DR, they will be in the running for a few top guys.

http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/ne...=.jsp&c_id=pit

[Bumstead]

Are there any rumors out there about the Reds being in the running for any of the top available players?

Bums

[lollipopcurve]

Reds made a huge splash last year. My guess is they dial it back this year.

[medford]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

3 Million is a lot of money. Only one player got that last year and he was considered a once in a generation talent. There usually aren't even 15 players who will get $1,000,000 in a signing period.

Duran got 2 million, Yorman got 2.5 Mil, I guess I remember him making more.

Didn't the pitcher the A's sign get like 6 mil last year, or am I remembering that wrong?

anyhoo, I would have thought the true top IFA would pick up more than 3 millon, present economy aside.

Any word on the progress of Yorman & Duran down in Sarasota Doug? Has Juan fully healthy? I'm looking forward to the start of GCL play.

[Bumstead]

I believe that Michael Inoa got $4.5M from the A's; also, if I remember correctly, the Reds offered him more than the A's did.

Bum

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Bumstead

I believe that Michael Inoa got $4.5M from the A's; also, if I remember correctly, the Reds offered him more than the A's did.

Bum

The Reds and Rangers both offered him more money and he went with the A's anyways. I think the Rangers offered him a Major League Deal too.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

The Reds and Rangers both offered him more money and he went with the A's anyways. I think the Rangers offered him a Major League Deal too.

So it would seem that based on that 3 million wouldn't seem to be "as special". I think that's what people are getting at, including myself.

[OnBaseMachine]

I wish the Reds would get in on this kid...

Pirates have shot at elite Dominican prospect
Power-hitting shortstop's signing bonus could top $4 million
Friday, May 15, 2009
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates have an inside track on signing one of Latin America's top amateur prospects, Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano, but the cost of the signing bonus could top $4 million and become the highest in Major League Baseball history for that region.

"The Pirates are one of many teams interested, and they've got as good a shot as any team as long as the money is there," Sano's agent, Rob Plummer, said yesterday. "There's no question they're interested, just as there's no question this is a special talent."

The Pirates assess Sano the same way, privately raving about Sano's body -- already 6 feet 3, 189 pounds -- and remarkable right-handed power to go with an arm rated as superb.

They have had significant concerns about his age, though those might have been placated in the past week: Sano, whose 16th birthday was Monday according to Plummer, has maintained that, despite his mature physical stature, he is being truthful about his age. The Pirates, highly skeptical, conducted an investigation, one that included a bone-graft test Wednesday that assigns an age range based on DNA, and Sano's range was between 16 and 17. An investigation of birth documents is ongoing.

One American League team conducted an investigation earlier this month and confirmed Sano as being of age, according to Plummer. Two other teams, also in that league, are conducting their own.

But it is the Pirates who have been most aggressive, including arranging a private workout three weeks ago in the Dominican, one attended by most of the team's upper brass. The Pirates also have the most inside connections, having courted Sano and his family extensively. To boot, Sano, Plummer and Rene Gayo, the Pirates' Latin American scouting director, have a long-standing relationship, and Plummer goes back years with general manager Neal Huntington.

The Pirates do not comment on potential personnel moves.

The investment, if it were to occur, would be extraordinary for the Pirates, whose record bonus in the region was $400,000 for Venezuelan center fielder Exicardo Cayones last year. But the team has vowed a greater commitment to finding talent in the region, most visibly through the $5 million academy it opened last month in Guerra, Dominican Republic. That idea was formed and implemented by owner Bob Nutting.

The Pirates spent $9.8 million on the amateur draft last year, plus $2 million in Latin America, each a franchise record. Most of that draft money went to first-round pick Pedro Alvarez -- a $6 million bonus, plus $355,000 more guaranteed -- but there will be no Alvarez type available at No. 4 overall in the next draft June 9. Thus, the team has flexibility to move from one pool to the other if needed. Or it could simply add to the pool, with ownership's authorization.

Players outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico are not subject to the draft. Rather, they can be signed as free agents as young as age 16. The international signing period begins July 2, but teams are free to reach verbal agreements with players before that date.

Baseball's record Latin American bonus of $4.25 million was set last year by the Oakland Athletics, for 16-year-old Dominican pitcher Michael Inoa. The average bonus in the Dominican last year was $108,000.

Plummer, who has signed players to seven of the top 13 bonuses in Dominican history, declined to discuss numbers. But offers already are believed to have topped $3 million.

"Sano is the best player I've ever had, and other people feel that way, too," Plummer said. "I think sky's the limit for him as player, so I would hope the bonus would reflect that."

Statistics are scarce in the Dominican amateur ranks, so Sano's prowess is evaluated almost entirely by scouting on sandlots. The consensus is that Sano will move to a corner outfield spot once he turns professional, probably right field to take advantage of the arm. The consensus of his offensive potential ranges from excellent to extraordinary.

"Based on what I've seen and heard from talent evaluators, his upside is that he's Albert Pujols in Hanley Ramirez's body," Plummer said of the stars of the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins, respectively. "He might not stay at short the way Ramirez has, but he's been compared to Pujols' bat because of a short, compact swing with lots of power."

That might sound like agent-speak, but the praise for Sano was equally effusive from others in the industry interviewed for this story, none of whom wished to go on the record in advance of the July 2 signing period.

A player's age -- often hard to determine in the Dominican, where paperwork can be scattershot and bribery or forgery routine -- is essential in a team's decision to offer a bonus. Even a year or two can make a large difference in assessing potential.

Sano told the Global Post, an international news agency, in an April 29 online video that he was 15 at the time.

"Let them investigate me," Sano said in the video. "There is just a doubt in their heads, and investigating me can get this doubt out of their heads."

Plummer, who declined the Post-Gazette's request to interview Sano, described him as a modest person with a humble background.

"He's outgoing, but not in a cocky way," Plummer said. "He acts just like a kid who happens to be good at baseball. And he loves the game. He'll run in the morning, practice in the afternoon and go running against at night. He's all about being best player he possibly can be."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09135/970290-63.stm

[OnBaseMachine]

Fred (Ohio): At this moment, who would you say are the top 5 prospects for the July Second international signing period?

Ben Badler: I'll get this one out of the way because there are about 20 July 2 questions in here and probably double that amount in the last few ESPN chats I've done, which I think is great. I've been talking to scouts about this year's July 2 crop for the last three-plus months�well, technically I've known about some of the players since last year, I guess�but I'm not going to comment on any specific prospects here in a chat, on Twitter (@BenBadler) or anywhere else until I write a story about him, for a variety of reasons, which I hop you can understand. I'm happy with but still aiming to improve upon the expanded July 2 coverage we were able to provide BA readers with last year. I've put systems in place to separate signal from all of the noise, hype and spin that goes on with these players, some of which I've already read. I don't care one bit about being first with the latest July 2 rumors. My aim is for you guys to see BA as a trusted source of high-quality information about Latin American prospects, and know that you'll get a high signal-to-noise ratio with information directly from scouts when you read something about a player in BA, just like our draft coverage, which is by far the best in the business. But trust me, we will have plenty of stuff on July 2 soon.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/chat/?1242405074

[OnBaseMachine]

Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus wrote an article today on the upcoming July 2nd deadline for International signings. I sent in a question asking him if he expected the Reds to be busy again this year. His response:

With OF Juan Duran and OF Yorman Rodriguez, they've set a pace of one super premium guy per year, with an expanded budget. They've been tied loosely to two of the top hitters, 3B Miguel Sano and OF Jose Pena, but there's nothing too concrete yet. Typically top players get tied strongly to teams in the last month. Whether Cincy gets a seven-figure guy this year or not, their financial commitment to Latin America looks to be for real.

Man, I would love to see the Reds get Sano. The scouting reports on his bat sounds amazing.