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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Scouts Update Reports On Rusney Castillo - BaseballAmerica.com

http://youtu.be/ci14LWlYGKI

Rusney Castillo

I remember back in the pre-testing days when if we heard a player "packed on 20lbs. of muscle" in a year or so he was the object of derision, suspicion and scorn. But now, it's just a prelude to the sound of a cash register ringing. It's a better day for Major League Baseball and of course, thank God, the children are safe.

from BaseballAmerica.com
Scouts Update Reports On Rusney Castillo - BaseballAmerica.com:

After watching Rusney Castillo’s showcase this weekend, several scouts went back and updated their reports on the 27-year-old Cuban free agent. Some scouts who had followed Castillo with the Cuban national team felt he would be a steady, everyday center fielder in the big leagues, while others felt he would fit best as a fourth outfielder, with good speed and defense in center field, a line-drive stroke, an aggressive hitting approach and occasional power. When Castillo showed up on Saturday at the University of Miami, scouts saw a different physique, which has translated to more power. At 5-foot-9, 205 pounds, Castillo is 20 pounds heavier than he was in Cuba, and it’s in a good way, with plenty of muscle packed on to his athletic frame.

...

Before Castillo’s rapid strength increase, he was a similar player to Rajai Davis, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound righthanded-hitting outfielder, when they were the same age. Davis, now 33, was another similarly-built speedster who could play center field with an aggressive hitting approach, a solid bat and occasional power, with an underappreciated skill set for a player who was often thought of as a fourth outfielder himself.

Davis might not be the flashiest comp, but during his age 27-29 seasons, Davis amassed 6.5 Wins Above Replacement (per Baseball-Reference.com), with a peak of 3.3 WAR for Oakland as a 28-year-old in 2008. That’s an average of a little over 2 WAR per season at the same age as Castillo, which is a league-average player.

That, however, was before Castillo increased his raw power. If Castillo can give teams comparable production to Davis at the same age with a little extra pop, he might not be a star like Yoenis Cespedes or Jose Abreu, but that’s a very solid everyday player, with no draft picks or prospects to surrender to acquire him.

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Anyone want to bet money that Yoenis Cespedes was dumped because the "effect" of his pre-workout, pre-signing cycling  was about to wear off?

Time will tell, but don't be too surprised with anything that happens in baseball anymore.

This is another example of where the money attached to baseball prospects allows international players to have a distinct advantage over their American counter parts.

All of a sudden athletes are coming  to America with distinctly different physiques than a generation ago, never mind a year or two ago. And there hasn't been a corresponding increase in the standard of living, diet or nutrition that would help to explain such an extraordinary change.

Hmmmm, I wonder what could be happening here. But 2+2 still equals 4, right? Do the math.

 

Rays Set To Sign International Shortstop Prospect Adrian Rondon

This would be a big pick-up for the Rays but as usual, you're going to have to wait -- Rondon is 15 years old!!! Unbelievable. At that price, you have to be right. Comps are to Starlin Castro, let's hope the mean from the neck down.



from baseballnewssource.com

Rays Set To Sign International Shortstop Prospect Adrian Rondon:

The Tampa Bay Rays are set to sign international shortstop prospect Adrian Rondon, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com, but technically cannot sign the the youngster until July 7 because he has yet to turn 16. Thats right, he is 15 years old.

Rondon was considered the top prospect in the 2014 International Draft. He projects to be a shortstop at the Major League level. He is a slick defender and has shown gap to gap power at the plate.

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from Baseball America:

1. Adrian Rondon, ss, Dominican Republic

Born: July 7, 1998. Height: 6-2. Weight: 180. B-T: R-R.

Some scouts consider Rondon the most advanced hitter in the class. He has good bat speed and a quick, compact stroke, showing a knack for barreling the ball with good plate coverage to make plenty of contact in games. He has good rhythm and balance with the ability to square up high-end velocity. He will chase hard breaking pitches off the plate at times, but he has a mature hitting approach for his age, working deep counts and using the whole field. He’s more of a line-drive hitter than a power threat, but there’s loft in his swing and projection in his frame, so his doubles should turn into more home runs with more strength.

Rondon also has the attributes that should allow him to stick at shortstop. He’s more of a steady defender than a flashy one, with speed and arm strength that both grade out as 50-55 tools on the 20-80 scale. Given that he’s still 15 and has a live, athletic frame, both of those tools could tick up, although that’s always tricky to project. Rondon will have to improve his footwork, but he has good hands and plays under control with a knack for slowing the game down on both sides of the ball.

Scouts highest on Rondon think he could make a rapid rise, along the lines of Starlin Castro. Sources believe the Rays are so enamored with Rondon that they are willing to shatter their international bonus pool to make sure they get him, which is why they’re seen as the favorites to sign him.

Daniel Carbonell: Giants next five-tool prospect

Daniel Carbonell ~ CF ~ Camagüey Music by Imagine Dragons per

I guess this is the SF Giants next superstar CF. I liked the workout video, although at times it seemed like a Cuban underwear video or some American commercial for cheap cologne.  The beat was good and you could dance to it. Or at least tap your feet to it.

A 6.44 forty doesn't lie. And 6-3, 220 is really going to look good going through airports or getting off the team bus.

A switch-hitter with power? Well, the switch-hitter part I saw, but with a wood-chopper swing against some real meatballs. We'll see how professional pitchers carve him up. If he hits, it looks like he has the rest of the goods. Didn't really see him air out the arm much, but there was more beef than bone there, that much you could see.

The routes to the ball looked better than Pagan recently, not saying much, and those were room service fly balls as well. The INTL dollars count against last years dollars, so that's a plus. The Giants can go after another guy, maybe a near-ready pitcher and maximize the signings.

This makes up somewhat for a rather pedestrian, nondescript 2014 Draft.

from  MLB Trade Rumors: (before the Giants signing, they appeared to fly under the radar)

Daniel Carbonell Weighing Five Offers – MLB Trade Rumors:

By Mark Polishuk [May 19, 2014 at 9:11am CDT] 

Cuban outfielder Daniel Carbonell has received five offers from Major League teams, all of which range from five to seven years in length, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports. 

Carbonell is said to be looking for a four-year deal.  If he doesn’t sign by July 2, Carbonell’s signing bonus will count against his new team’s 2014-15 international signing period pool money.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported over the weekend that the Mariners and Yankees were two of the five finalists for Carbonell, though Chavez doesn’t believe either team has made the 23-year-old a concrete offer. 

The Dodgers also aren’t finalists and the White Sox, Red Sox and Braves are “not among the favorites to sign” Carbonell, though those teams showed interest in him earlier this year.

The only other team linked to Carbonell on the rumor mill is Minnesota, who attended his recent showcase and are “monitoring” him.  1500ESPN.com’s Darren Wolfson tweeted, however, that the Twins don’t seem to be “heavily involved” to the extent of other clubs like the Yankees.

Carbonell is a 6’3″, 220-pound switch-hitter with four years of pro experience in Cuba.  Chavez notes that Carbonell “is known for his speed and power” and is considered by some scouts to be a five-tool talent.

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Proposed changes to MLB Draft

Economic Changes:

Slotting Bonuses - this has been done on an informal (soft) basis, may be made more formal (hard) going forward. May only apply to the first five rounds with exceptions for multi-sport players, who have more leverage.

Drafting International Players - some sort of clearinghouse to verify players ages in Cuba and DR could complicate this, but an area that would put foreign players on somewhat equal footing with their American counterparts and may curb some of the abuses seen in Dominican Republic with agents and baseball academies in that area.

Capping Signing Budgets and Trading of Draft Picks.



Operational Changes:

Moving the Draft to after the CWS - currently held the first week of June -- before the CWS -- may be moved to the end of June. The colleges need early clarity for recruiting.

Possibly, MLB could arm twist the colleges to adopt composite bat standards that more closely mimic wood bat performance in order to better evaluate hitter / pitchers.

The pros would like to see pitchers operate under stricter pitch counts, perhaps formalized.

In return, hopefully the colleges could arm twist the NCAA to allow for a higher scholarship level for men's baseball. Title IX considerations now seem to be pinching men's programs up and down the line at a time when the is little or no discrimination against women's programs.