latin america scouting

by daverclear on Jun 15, 2008 10:58 AM EDT Comment 12 comments

according to this story from ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3433834 the draft isn't over. This "draft" includes the next Miguel Cabrera and Pedro Martinez. One scouts say that top three or four talents in this draft "would [challenge] the first selection if they were eligible for the American draft this year; I have no doubt about that," according to one AL exec.

Maybe we'll get to see how well GMDM's stepped up the scouting efforts in Latin America if we sign any of these fellas. Seems like an even bigger risk than signing high schoolers is signing 16-year-old LAs but maybe even more "upside".

Has this been on our radar before? I don't remember the Royals picking up guys like this in the past.

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Since Moore became GM, the Royals have spent significantly more money on Latin American scouting, acquisition and development

Last year, they were 7th in the majors in Latin American spending. Very generally speaking, there are two kinds of Latin American free agents. The first group is small and it includes the elite talents which will get $1+M. Some will get $2-4M and maybe even more. The LA FA with the most hype is Michael Inoa, a 16-year-old RHP who is 6-7, 210 with a 93 mph fastball. If he develops as expected, he projects as a future ace with a high-90’s fastball to go along with a curve and change. According to ESPN, seven teams are ready to offer him a signing bonus of at last $3M. That kind of bidding war is going to push his final price well over $4M.

The second group of LA FA’s is much larger. These guys sign for six figures or less, often much less. Some of the best Latin American talents signed for a pittance. The key is getting scouts all over Latin America to find talent that not everyone knows about.

One thing that everyone needs to remember is that the vast majority of these LA FA’s are 16 or 17 years old. Many of them have high ceilings, but they are the most speculative of all prospects. So, while we may want the Royals to bid on multi-million dollar guys like Inoa, it is the riskiest way to spend millions. I would argue that it makes more sense to sign a dozen $100-250K guys than one $4+M guy.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Jun 15, 2008 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree with signing a dozen guys than the one $4million player

With Latin American players, the talent may be easier to spot but intangibles play a larger role. How quickly will he adapt to culture, will he be homesick, what about language – those are items with an international player that could cause even a super physical talented kid to fail. KC needs to build depth with Latin players and not reach for the star. The 2008 draft has star power with Melville and Hosmer.

by daveyork on Jun 15, 2008 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

link?

I believe you’re thinking of the draft, as we were 7th in spending for last year’s draft.

We made great strides in Latin America last year, but I find it very hard to believe that we were 7th in total L.A. spending last year.

Also, I would like to add that in the second group of L.A. players you made note of, a huge part of that strategy is hiding the players you’re really excited about before other teams come sniffing around. Latin America is obviously much poorer than the U.S., thus not many kids play for select travel teams or showcases like we do here. The result of this is that kids don’t get much exposure, and even when they make a name for themselves, information travels much slower.

Founder of the Rowdy Hardy Fan Club

by eazyb81 on Jun 15, 2008 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rany reported on his blog that the Royals were 7th in LA spending last year

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Jun 15, 2008 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Some info on LA FA's

NO. PLAYER POS AGE (BIRTHDATE) COUNTRY
1 Michael Inoa RHP 16 (Sept. 24, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: His father was an outstanding amateur ballplayer (Simon Inoa) and his mother a stellar softball hurler (Juana Ventura), so it is only fitting to find him throwing strikes so comfortably and consistently. Inoa could get a bonus in the range of $3 million to $4 million. The Oakland A’s loom as the front-runner.

2 Yorman Rodriguez OF 16 (N/A) Venezuela
Comment: Many scouts compare Rodriguez with his countryman Miguel Cabrera. Like the Detroit star, Rodriguez is not fleet-footed, but his bat is extremely powerful and fast. His agent stopped showing him around awhile ago, which presumably indicates that he already has an oral agreement with a club.

3 Adis Portillo RHP 16 (Dec. 20, 1991) Venezuela
Comment: A big guy (6-3) with big hands and fingers, Portillo can toss a mean fastball (88-92 mph), changeup and curve with great command. He keeps the ball around the plate and is not afraid to throw his changeups in the dirt. Many clubs want him, but none of them will get him for less than $2 million.

4 Rafael Rodriguez OF 16 (N/A) Dominican Republic
Comment: To many, he is a duplicate of Vladimir Guerrero because of his size and power with the bat. Rodriguez can work the entire outfield and drive the ball anywhere. He has reportedly accepted an offer from the San Francisco Giants worth $2.5 million.

5 Luis Domoromo OF 16 (Feb. 4, 1992) Venezuela
Comment: Domoromo looks like a typical center fielder, although he has a good arm that could be used in right. He is a smart hitter and occasionally hits powerfully to the alleys. Perhaps he’ll get $1.2 million from San Diego? It’s possible.

6 Alvaro Aristy SS 16 (Dec. 9, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: A great middle infielder with good legs and average arm. Aristy has solid mechanics in his swing but lacks power. He has a solid build (6-0, 155) with room for growth in weight and strength. San Diego is closing in on him.

7 Gustavo Pierre SS 16 (N/A) Dominican Republic
Comment: Many scouts suggest Pierre’s big frame (6-2) could cause teams to move him to third base early in his career. An agile player with a great swing, he has looked better in batting practice than in games. Rumors say he
may have agreed to a deal with Toronto for almost $700,000.

8 Santo Franco RHP 16 (Nov. 28, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: Franco has a great build for a pitcher (6-5, 175). His fastball (88-90 mph) has yet to reach its potential, but he has shown good command of his changeup and curve. He has looked better in real games than in exhibitions.

9 Swarling Jimenez LHP 16 (Nov. 27, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: Jimenez is a left-handed version of Pedro Martinez. He is not so big (6-0, 165 pounds), but he has wide shoulders and a good arm. He likes to pitch inside using a fastball (88-90 mph), changeup and curve.

10 Elvin Tavarez RHP 16 (Sept. 7, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: Tavarez (6-2, 170 pounds) is a diamond in the rough that, once properly polished, can become a great pitcher in the majors. Right now he has an 87-90 mph fastball that may speed up with more maturity. He has great presence on the mound.

11 Julio Morban OF 16 (Feb. 13, 1992) Dominican Republic
Comment: Morban can play anywhere in the outfield, but his good defense and arm belong in center field. He is not too big (5-11, 178) but has speed on the base paths and swings an occasionally powerful bat. Morban bats from the left side and has a strong grasp of the game.

12 Ramon Flores OF 16 (March 26, 1992) Dominican Republic
Comment: Flores is a fast runner and an excellent defensive outfielder. This left-handed hitter has good mechanics at the plate, great control of the bat and power to the alleys. He can easily add 25 pounds to his frame (6-0, 160) and gain more power in the process.

13 Jose Valdivia RHP 16 (March 19, 1992) Nicaragua
Comment: Valdivia has a nice build (6-3, 185) but needs to work on his mechanics, something that is not surprising if we take into account that he turned 16 in March. Valdivia pitches with a three-quarter arm slot, and his fastball reaches 91 mph.

14 Carlos Perez LHP 16 (Nov. 20, 1991) Dominican Republic
Comment: Perez is a lefty with a lot of presence, a loose arm and smooth moves on the mound. He will have to work on toning his body. He has a fastball that moves a lot and a curve with a lot of spin. The Yankees have showed great interest in him and are rumored to have offered a hefty $850,000 bonus for him.

OTHER HOT PROSPECTS
Dominican Republic: 3B Aderilyn Rodriguez, OF Easdras Abreu, OF Yeico Calderon, SS Jose Osoria, 3B Jose Lorenzo, LHP Alfredo Heredia, RHP Manuel Montilla, SS Engel Vallejos, 3B Jefry Peña, 3B Roberto Pina, 3B Darwin Rivera

Venezuela: C Jackson Valera, LHP Ismael Guillon, RHP Alvin Mejias, C Oscar Perez, SS Luis Cortes, RHP Jose Perdomo, SS Luis Villogas, RHP Josue Castellanos

Colombia: SS Jonathan Barrios, OF Jair Lopez

Panama: OF Abdul Nieto

Of course, these rankings are highly speculative. It’s not unlikely that the LA players who end up being the best major leaguers aren’t even on this list.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Jun 15, 2008 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Current LA players in Royals system

Thanks NY Royal
Are there some young LAs in the Royals system as a result of these sort of pick ups?

go royals

by daverclear on Jun 15, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rosa, Cegarra, Duarte

Salvador Perez is a name to keep an eye on, as well as Angel Franco, Giancarlo de la Cruz, and Kelvin Herrera.

Founder of the Rowdy Hardy Fan Club

by eazyb81 on Jun 15, 2008 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

last year...

Yowill Espinal, SS ($250,000)
Geulin Beltre, SS ($230,000)
Vicni Pereira, OF ($200,000)
Samuel Carmona, 3B ($125,000)
Edul Escobar, C ($103,000)

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Jun 18, 2008 3:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

follow up

The first two listed will be playing for the AZL royals, while the latter three are playing for the DSL royals.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Jun 18, 2008 3:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are those real ages, or

do they need to be adjusted, like so many other latin players?

by loyal2sdad on Jun 16, 2008 5:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good question

I don’t know if those ages have been verified. It’s possible that the ones with actual birth dates have been verified. Suffice it to say that every organization is looking into the actual ages of these guys by now. And not having an actual birth certificate decreases a player’s value because everyone is going to assume he’s 2-4 years older than he said.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Jun 16, 2008 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs