Giants sign infielder Fox as int'l free agent | sfgiants.com (I call BS on the International part though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSetHzJyedI

First let me preface that I'm glad the Giants got him and the Dodgers didn't, but the system stinks to high heaven.

If I'm Jalen Miller, the Giants 3rd rounder, who was a higher regarded high-school SS prospect who didn't have the benefit of some foreign country background in his past where he could dosie-do out of the June draft and into the International Draft, I am pissed off today.

This signing is everything that was wrong with the International signing system, which I have previously railed about, and then some new wrinkles thrown in.

• How does an American kid for all intents and purposes get MLB approval to circumvent the system and gin up a higher bonus? He played in America, went to HS in America, he doesn't fit the previous prevailing definition of an International player. 
• Why doesn't MLB put these teams who are ignoring and flouting the penalties listed in the current system on notice that any penalties accrued will be transferred in some fashion to the next system? 

This latest signing and others before it seem to indicate that teams are under the impression that they should take the penalty now and sign the player,  because the penalties go bye-bye under the new system. This is contributing perversely to a further spiral and a further inequity to the American player versus the International player and makes a mockery of a system that's already a joke to start with.

C'mon Man!!!

Fine them all, or adjust their bonus slots, or take away future draft picks if necessary to all the teams involved and that includes the Giants. There shouldn't be a system that discriminates against American kids versus their International counterparts. Level the playing field.

Other than that, I'm OK with the signing, although from the YouTube above his actions both on the field and AB look a little stiff and mechanical, not very fluid. Is this what $6M buys these days or is there some sort of currency conversion rate that I'm not taking into account?

from sfgiants.com
Giants sign infielder Fox as int'l free agent | sfgiants.com:

The Giants are on the verge of adding another athletic infielder to their Minor League system, coming to terms with shortstop Lucius Fox of the Bahamas on a bonus of $6 million, according to industry sources.

Fox, who turned 18 today, ranked No. 3 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list.

A press conference to announce Fox's signing is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET in the Bahamas.

The Giants also agreed to sign catcher Ricardo Genoves of Venezuela for $550,000. The club has not confirmed the agreements.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool with four slot values based on the team's record in 2014 for the international signing period, which started Thursday. The Giants' overall pool total for this year's signing period is $ 2,130,900.

Fox's signing would send the Giants into the penalty. He had been linked to the Dodgers for several months and was expected to sign for an estimated $4 million.

Teams that exceed the pools by 0 to 5 percent have to pay 100 percent tax, and teams that exceed the pools by 5 to 10 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $500,000 during the next signing period and also have to pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Teams that exceed the pools by 10 to 15 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next signing period and have to pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage.

In the most severe penalty, teams that exceed the pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100 percent tax on the pool overage.

Fox grew up in the Bahamas and played high school baseball in the United States. He eventually participated in showcases such as the Perfect Game National and the East Coast Pro Showcase. On defense, Fox is a sure-handed fielder with quick actions, and he has a strong enough arm to keep him at shortstop. He can also play second base. On offense, he's known for his ability to put the ball in play, and he can spray the ball to all fields.

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