Yonder Alonso

[Caveat Emperor]

I'd go slightly above slot (not more than $1m) as a gesture of goodwill to the kid forgoing his senior year of school -- but this kid isn't worth breaking the bank over considering that he doesn't pitch and doesn't play a premium-defensive position.

Teams should take a hard-line stance on bonus and slot money. This isn't the NFL -- these kids aren't going to help your team immediately and many of them never live up to anything close to their potential. No sense in paying them more money than quality veteran major leaguers before they even suit up in rookie ball.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Does his family have money? His dad was a Cuban defector so he doesn't have a long family tradition of being weathy. The way I see it his senior year of college his leverage.

I'm not sure. I was saying that would be one of the scenarios that would make sense (along with scenery, college life, etc.) as far as making the decision easier for him to not fold and go back to school.


If it's strictly about the money, he has little to no leverage. Going back to school will not scare the Reds at this point, because he'll be available again (as well as Smoak, Beckham, etc.) in 2009.

[Kingspoint]

It's just smart negotiations by Alonso. Nothing more, nothing less.

He'll sign August 15th and his waiting will have earned him extra money from the REDS. He'll move past it from there.

He knows that he's going to be called up in September of 2009. He'll be on the Super-Fast Track. He'll probably start next season at Chattanooga and if he doesn't he'll only spend 2 weeks at Sarasota. By July, he'll be in Louisville.

The contract negotiations will be long forgotten.

[Falls City Beer]

If he calls the Reds' bluff, the Reds are still more screwed than Alonso is (no minor league hitters to speak of, sputtering of recent call-ups Bruce and Votto, four teams in the Central well in front of the Reds whose offenses are locked-up/affordable/young--well Houston's isn't young, but they are about trillion times tougher).

[LoganBuck]

It's just smart negotiations by Alonso. Nothing more, nothing less.

He'll sign August 15th and his waiting will have earned him extra money from the REDS. He'll move past it from there.

He knows that he's going to be called up in September of 2009. He'll be on the Super-Fast Track. He'll probably start next season at Chattanooga and if he doesn't he'll only spend 2 weeks at Sarasota. By July, he'll be in Louisville.

The contract negotiations will be long forgotten.

September of 2009? I think he could get a cup of coffee September 2008.

[OnBaseMachine]

If he calls the Reds' bluff, the Reds are still more screwed than Alonso is (no minor league hitters to speak of, sputtering of recent call-ups Bruce and Votto, four teams in the Central well in front of the Reds whose offenses are locked-up/affordable/young--well Houston's isn't young, but they are about trillion times tougher).

Neftali Soto and Todd Frazier say hi.

[fearofpopvol1]

Neftali Soto and Todd Frazier say hi.

I think he meant in the high minors, but point well taken.

I think those 2 kids (especially Frazier) will be good players.

[texasdave]

If he sits out a year and plays his senior year at Miami does that push back his major league debut by a year? Just curious. If so I wonder how much shortening his major league career by one year is gonna cost him? I think his best option would have been to sign immediately after Miami was eliminated in the NCAA tournament and push his way through the Reds farm system as quickly as possible.

[redhawk61]

beckham inked today no word on money, could set the bar up

[OnBaseMachine]

I also talked to someone familiar with the Yonder Alonso negotiations. The word "stalemate" was used. Alonso is still asking for a big league deal. That's the case with several top players. The deadline is Friday.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...cincinnati.com

[Buckeye33]

Latest from Fay:

I talked to Yonder Alonso a little bit ago. He was sticking to his tough stance, saying he wouldn't sign unless the Reds gave him what he wanted, which is believed to be a big league contract worth $7 million.

Before I hung up, I put it to him like this:

"If the Reds come to you Friday with a $3 million big league contract, what will happen?"

"You'll be writing a story about me going to the independent league," he said.

I thought this would get done. But what I hadn't count on is the ARod factor. Alex Rodriguez, that Alex Rodriguez, is Alonso workout partner and friend. ARod has told Alonso if things don't work to his liking, he welcome to live with Rodiguez next season and play for Newark or Long Island of the Atlantic League. My guess ARod doesn't live in fifth floor walk-up.

There hasn't been a lot of back and forth between Alonso's representatives and the Reds. But he did not rule out signing.

"I try to stay positive," he said. "They lost two big hitters. I'd love to play there. But hey knew what I wanted when they draft me. If they weren't going to give it to, why did they take me. They knew what they got themselves into."

If the Reds doen't sign Alonso, they get the eighth pick in next year's draft.

[redhawk61]

personally, I don't see what the Reds problem is. So the Reds obviously knew he wanted 7 and a ML contract. They offered Iona 5 mil and an ml contract that he turned down, he is a 16 year old, that they offered 5 mil!!!. add that 5 mil plus the 3 mil they are offering and they have more than enough to sign him for what he wants,as a college proven bat. I believe the guy will be worth every penny. get it done reds

[OnBaseMachine]

The Reds are going to look like idiots considering they knew how much money Alonso wanted and yet still took him despite Gordon Beckham still available.

[mound_patrol]

There's no way i'd give him 7 million dollars. Once he told me he wouldn't budge I'd say goodluck in Newark.

[redhawk61]

There's no way i'd give him 7 million dollars. Once he told me he wouldn't budge I'd say goodluck in Newark.

why not, you pay what you have to pay, even if it over the norm to get good players in your organization if you want to win. The money fits in the budget. Cheaping out is how we have had the past 8 years