2012 International Free Agent Thread

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

Rays sign right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica for $1.0 million - #3 on Baseball America's list.

So the BA top 3 are in the AL East?

[NY_GOLDENARMS]

So the BA top 3 are in the AL East?

Top 4

[MrFortune3]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler #Padres Sign No. 8 International Prospect Carlos Belen

looks like some very quick signings today.

[MrFortune3]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler With the Yankees pretty much done with their $2.9 million for the year, seems like Wendell Rijo could be a fit for the Rangers.

that makes me kinda sad, but then again, i'm a greedy Yanks fan and would sign the entire top 10 if possible.

[Steeler51]

I wonder why they invested in an Outfielder, Catcher & Shortstop? 1: Is it think those guys are exceptional? 2: Is it they think the pitching talent in Latin America is not that good? 3: The budget limit? 4: Is it They are going to use the $$$$$$$$ on Hensley & Dawe (Keep in mind, they have only signed two teenage pitchers (Frare & Lail)). 5: Some combination of reasons 1-4? The next two weeks will be interesting.

[MrFortune3]

I wonder why they invested in an Outfielder, Catcher & Shortstop? 1: Is it think those guys are exceptional? 2: Is it they think the pitching talent in Latin America is not that good? 3: The budget limit? 4: Is it They are going to use the $$$$$$$$ on Hensley & Dawe (Keep in mind, they have only signed two teenage pitchers (Frare & Lail)). 5: Some combination of reasons 1-4? The next two weeks will be interesting.

those three positions tend to be the most expensive via trade and FA outside of pitching.
so it makes sense to load up and really... the Yanks always sign catchers. whether it's college,HS or IFA. they learned from the Rangers to always have top tier catching prospects cause 3 is a luxury but all could flame out.

[dpbddd99]

Wendell Rijo is still unsigned.

[MrFortune3]

yeah Badler is expecting the Rangers to get him with the Yanks low on cash.

[RICO7]

Is the cuban signing official? didn't see any writeup.

[dpbddd99]

Is the cuban signing official? didn't see any writeup.

Rodriguez is signed but still must get his visa. He does not count against the spending cap since he signed prior to today.

[RICO7]

I dont know. Did he get his Visa?

"Via Ben Badler, it’s a $4M bonus and Rodriguez needs to secure a visa before the deal can become official."

[nhyankeefan]

I don't remember July 2 ever being this busy, I guess the cap is having an impact on the FAs as they probably want to sign quickly before the cap space is gone.

[kan_t]

I don't remember July 2 ever being this busy, I guess the cap is having an impact on the FAs as they probably want to sign quickly before the cap space is gone.

That's my question. If they are unsigned for a year, do their signings count to next year budget?

[Posada_20]

From twitter



Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler
Love it. Got two of the best hitters in Latin America RT @Hopjake what did you think of the Yankees haul today?

[Yankees1962]

That's my question. If they are unsigned for a year, do their signings count to next year budget?

Yes, it counts towards next year's budget.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

I don't remember July 2 ever being this busy, I guess the cap is having an impact on the FAs as they probably want to sign quickly before the cap space is gone.

Absolutely. Teams are not going to want to get caught not spending their money, so this is going to end up being more like college signing days than a drawn out process in the future. Not going to be as much fun when the Yankees have less to spend than other teams, though.

[Posada_20]

How far over the cap can Yanks go to sign RIjo without being penalized? They currently have about 150K left

[Yankees1962]

How far over the cap can Yanks go to sign RIjo without being penalized? They currently have about 150K left

They can't go over 2.9M without penalties unless it's for contracts of 50K or less for a total of six contracts or minimum contracts of 7500 each

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

They can't go over 2.9M without penalties unless it's for contracts of 50K or less for a total of six contracts or minimum contracts of 7500 each

Absolutely true, but they can go up to 5% over with the penalty only being money, so there is a bit of flexibility on the number before it really starts to impact future signings.

[NY_GOLDENARMS]

With the budget restrictions and less players being signed the possibility is very good that they won't need 2 DSL teams sometime in the near future. I just don't know how this is good for baseball. We'll have even less money to spend next year.

[Yankees1962]

With the budget restrictions and less players being signed the possibility is very good that they won't need 2 DSL teams sometime in the near future. I just don't know how this is good for baseball. We'll have even less money to spend next year.

It doesn't mean less players will be signed. However, it does mean that players will be signing for less money as currently the highest bonus reported is 1.75M from the Mets. Beras that prospect the Rangers signed months ago has a bonus of 4.5M that MLB hasn't ruled on. Next year, I think the max total any team can spend on the IFA market is 4.9M or something close to that figure.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

It doesn't mean less players will be signed. However, it does mean that players will be signing for less money as currently the highest bonus reported is 1.75M from the Mets. Beras that prospect the Rangers signed months ago has a bonus of 4.5M that MLB hasn't ruled on. Next year, I think the max total any team can spend on the IFA market is 4.9M or something close to that figure.

Exactly. Unless there is a lot of money suddenly flowing from Japan or elsewhere, these players are still going to end up in MLB. Sadly for us, though, fewer of the top ones are likely to end up on the Yankees.

Personally, I think the system (between IFA and the draft) is now too tilted toward the teams that aren't performing well, but Bud's getting his way, I guess.

[Posada_20]

Exactly. Unless there is a lot of money suddenly flowing from Japan or elsewhere, these players are still going to end up in MLB. Sadly for us, though, fewer of the top ones are likely to end up on the Yankees.

Personally, I think the system (between IFA and the draft) is now too tilted toward the teams that aren't performing well, but Bud's getting his way, I guess.

Makes you wonder too if teams that once they are out of playoff contention will start tanking games to finish lower and get a bigger draft/IFA spending budget

[lemonjello]

Makes you wonder too if teams that once they are out of playoff contention will start tanking games to finish lower and get a bigger draft/IFA spending budget

I can't imagine that they would, given the potential impact on attendance (which would likely lead to lost $$$). It's not like the NBA or NFL where the #1 overall pick is likely to make a big impact from day 1.

[MrFortune3]

Makes you wonder too if teams that once they are out of playoff contention will start tanking games to finish lower and get a bigger draft/IFA spending budget

it would begin to come into the strategy of the club much like selling off pieces when you're out of it is now.
it's not against the rules so there are teams that will do it to get any advantage they can to get better.