Author Topic: 2016 Int'l Signings (Read 11491 times)

Nate Colbert · « **on:** February 16, 2016, 06:17:39 pm »

Baseball America has the bonus pools for the international signing period beginning July 2. Based on winning percentages from the 2015 season, the Astros have one of the lowest pools at $2,197,000 (that compares to the $4,248,800 available last year). Note that 10 teams (which includes the Angels) cannot sign individual players during this upcoming period for more than $300,000 due to having exceeded the pools in the 2015 signing period.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2016, 12:54:50 pm »

Ben Badler of BA with an article today (behind a paywall so I won't bother linking) identifying which teams are linked at this point to certain players. As far as the Astros, the player/country and expected bonus are as follows:

SS Anibal Sierra/Cuba--$3MM (he was discussed previously in this thread)
SS Yorbin Cueta/Venezuela--$1MM
RHP Angel Macuere/Venezuela--$500K or thereabouts
RHP Jairo Solis/Venezuela--$500K or thereabouts
C Nerio Rodriguez/DR--$500K or thereabouts
SS Deury Carrasco/DR--$500K or thereabouts

Another name being mentioned is Dominican SS Freudis Nova with both the Astros and Padres identified as the most "probable" suitors. Nova had been locked up by the Marlins previously but a positive steroids test caused Miami to back away and with it a supposed bonus in the $2.5MM range. Recent scouting reports say that Nova even off the 'roids is still considered one of the top players in the class.

jbm · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2016, 01:08:39 pm »

2.5 for someone who has already been caught?

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2016, 01:14:20 pm »

Quote from: jbm on May 31, 2016, 01:08:39 pm

2.5 for someone who has already been caught?

Even the clean players aren't really clean.

VirtualBob · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2016, 02:03:41 pm »

Quote from: jbm on May 31, 2016, 01:08:39 pm

2.5 for someone who has already been caught?

I think that is what he gave up by getting caught. No telling yet where the $ will end up.

pots · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2016, 02:13:33 pm »

Has there been any new news as to why the Astros dropped 3+ million on a 22 year old middle infielder with no power or speed?

moriartp · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2016, 02:17:31 pm »

Michael Feliz was one of those guys. Had a deal with the A's but ended up taking a good deal less from Houston after getting tagged, I believe.

jbm · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2016, 02:26:32 pm »

If true, this does certainly calm my concerns

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2016, 02:28:36 pm »

Quote from: jbm on May 31, 2016, 02:26:32 pm

If true, this does certainly calm my concerns

Feliz, 21, originally signed with the Athletics in 2010 for $800,000, but that deal was voided when he tested positive for an anabolic steroid. He then signed with the Astros for half of his initial bonus.

Link

Reuben · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2016, 05:12:40 pm »

Quote from: Nate Colbert on May 31, 2016, 01:14:20 pm

Even the clean players aren't really clean.

Exactly. Badler makes it sound like steroids are very prevalent among these kids. They 'roid up long enough to get lucrative oral agreements arranged, then cycle off in time (usually) to pass the PED test when signing time is approaching.

astrosfan76 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2016, 09:46:57 am »

Quote from: Reuben on May 31, 2016, 05:12:40 pm

Exactly. Badler makes it sound like steroids are very prevalent among these kids. They 'roid up long enough to get lucrative oral agreements arranged, then cycle off in time (usually) to pass the PED test when signing time is approaching.

A lot of times, it's at the urging/control of the trainers that this happens. Many of the kids have no clue how things work, they just follow the advice of the trainer, who also has heavy incentive for the kids to receive a large bonus.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #11 on:** June 03, 2016, 03:10:44 pm »

Paywall article again, but BA now calls the Astros the "frontrunner" to sign Freudis Nova at a reduced bonus cost in the $1.5MM range. Five tool player potential, one scout opined in the article.

(BTW, if he makes an error, will it be a Freudian slip? Just getting a head start on the many wiseass comments to come in the years ahead...)

austro · « **Reply #12 on:** June 03, 2016, 07:17:55 pm »

Quote from: Nate Colbert on June 03, 2016, 03:10:44 pm

Paywall article again, but BA now calls the Astros the "frontrunner" to sign Freudis Nova at a reduced bonus cost in the $1.5MM range. Five tool player potential, one scout opined in the article.

(BTW, if he makes an error, will it be a Freudian slip? Just getting a head start on the many wiseass comments to come in the years ahead...)

Sometimes a bat is just a bat. Or a selfie stick.

moriartp · « **Reply #13 on:** June 03, 2016, 07:37:25 pm »

I hope to see some monster dongs from him one day at MMP.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2016, 05:53:35 pm »

BA with their ranking of the top 50 intl prospects (excluding the Cubans) leading up to July 2. As noted upthread, Astros are linked to Nova (#5), Cueta (#11), Macuare (#40), Rodriguez (#43) and Carrasco (#46).

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #15 on:** June 29, 2016, 03:03:53 pm »

Another behind the paywall article by the excellent Ben Badler at BA talks about players expected to sign with various clubs. The only new name mentioned as far as the Astros are concerned is DR infielder Juery Castillo ("best tool is his bat"). He and previously-mentioned Venezuelan RHP Jairo Solis apparently both were considered for the Top 50 International Prospects list.

Badler also said more signings (including Cubans other than Anibal Sierra) from the Astros are likely. I read that to mean higher-dollar signings.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #16 on:** July 01, 2016, 09:30:53 pm »

MLB busted the Red Sox for getting around the international pool limits via package deals (see #9 in this article if you are unfamiliar with those). Took the unprecedented step of voiding contracts of 5 players signed last year--last year's #15th-ranked prospect OF Albert Gaimaro, #24th ranked prospect OF Simon Muzziotti plus SS Antonio Pinero, SS Eduardo Torrealba and RHP Cesar Gonzalez. All become free agents and able to sign with any team. Other players who had oral agreements in place with Boston for the current signing period are also in play now as the Red Sox were also banned from any signings for 2016-2017. The most prominent of these is OF Roimer Bolivar out of Venezuela who was the #31st-ranked prospect on BA's Top 50 list.

Teams who are already expected to exceed their pools in the current signing period such as the Astros are (according to Baseball America) the most likely to sign the above-mentioned players.

Read Ben Badler's report on the sanctions here.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2016, 11:46:39 am »

BA has a signings tracker reflecting all the signings that occur today. So far nobody new for the Astros other than those discussed above.

However, Antonio Puesan on twitter (@antoniopuesan) does report some smaller signings that BA does not have on their list:

RHP Freylin Garcia--DR pitcher signed for $20K.
RHP Oscar Severino--DR pitcher signed for $10K.
RHP Ronny Garcia--signed for $30K.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2016, 11:56:37 am »

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (@JesseSanchezMLB) reported today that the Freudis Nova signing by the Astros was for $1.2MM (slightly less than the earlier $1.5MM range suggested by BA).

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #19 on:** July 02, 2016, 11:21:33 pm »

Brian McTaggart ‏@brianmctaggart 4 hours ago
Astros announce signing of 12 16-year-olds, but wound up inking 20 total. Five of the 12 are top prospects.

The Astros PR where they chose to announce the 12. All have been mentioned previously in this thread with the following exceptions: SS Sean Mendoza, RHP Angel Ortega, C Jose Alvarez and CF Leonardo Gonzalez. All are 16 years old and all are from Venezuela.

No Cuban signings (including SS Anibal Sierra) were announced in today's press release.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #20 on:** July 06, 2016, 02:20:01 pm »

Astros continue to sign pitchers out of Mexico, the latest being 18-year old RHP Jose Bravo and 17-year old LHP Juan Lopez (Astros PR).

"Both players will report to the Astros complex in the Dominican Republic. Bravo will appear in games this season, but Lopez will not appear in games until the 2017 calendar year."

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #21 on:** July 23, 2016, 07:31:34 pm »

In the press release today announcing the Anibal Sierra signing, the Astros had this:

"...the Astros also announced today the signing of four international free agent prospects, LHP Jervic Chavez, RHP Freylin Garcia, RHP Jonger Ochoa and RHP Oscar Severino. All five players will report to the Astros complex in the Dominican Republic and are subject to the 2016-17 international bonus pool limits. Since the international free agent signing period began on July 2, the Astros have signed 19 total players, including nine players from Venezuela, seven players from the Dominican Republic, two players from Mexico and one from Cuba."

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #22 on:** September 12, 2016, 07:17:04 pm »

Per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com:

"Not including [Cionel] Perez, the Astros have signed 19 prospects for an estimated $6.8 million, and they are already in the maximum penalty because they have exceeded their pool total -- $2,197,000 -- by more than 15 percent."

"Houston will have to pay $16.5 million, a total that includes penalties, when Perez's deal is complete."

Hmm...that $16.5MM figure doesn't make sense if the $5.15MM reported for Cionel Perez is bonus only and doesn't include the penalty. The actual total would be $21.6MM and not $16.5MM. Some clarification needed as to whether Sanchez is reporting bonus only for Cionel Perez or the total inclusive of penalty. Some sloppy reporting either way seems to me.

BizidyDizidy · « **Reply #23 on:** September 12, 2016, 08:54:46 pm »

Quote from: Nate Colbert on September 12, 2016, 07:17:04 pm

Some sloppy reporting either way seems to me.

Not everyone can be Nate Colbert. Say, are you a librarian by any chance?

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #24 on:** September 12, 2016, 11:40:57 pm »

Quote from: BizidyDizidy on September 12, 2016, 08:54:46 pm

Not everyone can be Nate Colbert. Say, are you a librarian by any chance?

Next you'll be asking me about ferrets.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #25 on:** March 10, 2017, 09:40:57 pm »

According the MLB transactions page, the Astros have signed a Dutch infielder by the name of Oliver Van Der Wijst. He's listed as 19 yrs old.

He's the 3rd Dutch player to be signed by the Astros. The first was Jan Baldee (remember him?) who was signed back in 2007. The other was Stijn van der Meer, drafted last year out of Lamar U in the 34th round.

Reuben · « **Reply #26 on:** March 17, 2017, 05:23:49 pm »

Quote from: Nate Colbert on March 10, 2017, 09:40:57 pm

The first was Jan Baldee (remember him?)

Wow that was a trip back in the time machine.

As it turns out, Jan didn't do so great in the hitting or fielding departments, although he also didn't get a lot of games (31) to prove himself.

VirtualBob · « **Reply #27 on:** March 17, 2017, 06:19:29 pm »

Quote from: Reuben on March 17, 2017, 05:23:49 pm

Wow that was a trip back in the time machine.

As it turns out, Jan didn't do so great in the hitting or fielding departments, although he also didn't get a lot of games (31) to prove himself.

OPS < .100? Even in a small sample size that seems somewhat less than promising.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #28 on:** March 24, 2017, 09:14:54 am »

BA is in the process of recapping the international signings that took place in calendar year 2016. In that process, they just published a list of the Top 50 International Signings in terms of signing bonus. The Astros had 5 signings on that list-- LHP Cionel Perez (T13), SS Anibal Sierra (T20), SS Freudis Nova (T27), SS Yorbin Ceuta (T33) and RHP Angel Macuare (50). You can of course add to that OF/1B Yordan Alvarez (T13), signed by the Dodgers but then quickly flipped to that Astros for Josh Fields.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #29 on:** March 31, 2017, 01:36:41 pm »

More from BA recapping the Astros' international signings (article may be behind paywall). A total of 57 players were signed in 2016. Beyond the top 5 signings of Perez, Sierra, Nova, Ceuta and Macuare (all of the following guys have previously been mentioned upthread):

SS Deury Carrasco--$480K
C Nerio Rodriguez--$450K
RHP Jairo Solis--$450K
INF Jeury Castillo--$400K
C Jose Alvarez--$195K
RHP Angel Ortega--$180K

According to BA, the Astros spent more than $15MM on their international signings (that includes penalties and reflects the lower bonus of $2MM paid to Cionel Perez).

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #30 on:** April 10, 2017, 07:30:30 pm »

Quote from: Nate Colbert on July 06, 2016, 02:20:01 pm

Astros continue to sign pitchers out of Mexico, the latest being 18-year old RHP Jose Bravo and 17-year old LHP Juan Lopez (Astros PR).

"Both players will report to the Astros complex in the Dominican Republic. Bravo will appear in games this season, but Lopez will not appear in games until the 2017 calendar year."

Lopez might be a guy to keep an eye on. Longenhagen covers him in his FG article today and thinks he'll skip the DSL and start this season in the GCL.

jbm · « **Reply #31 on:** April 11, 2017, 02:14:00 pm »

Not exactly the right thread, but close enough. I haven't looked at it with any real rigor, but it seems as if the international efforts of the last two and three years are really starting to pay off. Not big league contributors yet, but it seems like much of the minor depth is now international guys.

Nate Colbert · « **Reply #32 on:** June 15, 2017, 05:24:48 pm »

With the signing period ending today:

Houston signed 38 total players, including 16 from Venezuela, 13 from the Dominican Republic, four from Cuba and three from Mexico. Of those players, there are 25 pitchers, seven infielders, four catchers and two outfielders.