Draft/ International Signing Day?

[Ranma]

If he is under 23 then we aren't going to be able to sign him right?

I had the same fleeting concerns earlier, but I'm fairly certain that the international signing period restrictions, which typically applies to Latin American prospects, do not apply to the posting system used by the KBO (Korea) and NPB (Japan). There are no posting fees required to sign any of the Cuban prospects we've signed and, conversely, I have not heard of any Korean or Japanese player being taxed through the posting system although such signings from the Pacific Rim typically wouldn't qualify, anyway, given the age and experience of such players when they are posted.

The confusion is due to the misnomer of the "international signing period" as it really doesn't apply to all international signings; it should be labeled more as the "Latin American signing period" even if that is not entirely accurate either. The Japanese and Korean posting systems aren't exactly the same compared to each other either but they are separate from the system currently used to sign Cubans, Mexicans, and those from the Dominican Republic.

If I am wrong for some reason, then I would be very upset that we missed out on signing Otani because of our Cuban signings. It may be unreasonable, but I would sacrifice all of our current international signings--which includes Maeda, Alvarez, and Diaz--and put all our eggs in the single basket represented by Shohei Otani.

[Neddy]

If he is under 23 then we aren't going to be able to sign him right?

I had the same fleeting concerns earlier, but I'm fairly certain that the international signing period restrictions, which typically applies to Latin American prospects, do not apply to the posting system used by the KBO (Korea) and NPB (Japan). There are no posting fees required to sign any of the Cuban prospects we've signed and, conversely, I have not heard of any Korean or Japanese player being taxed through the posting system although such signings from the Pacific Rim typically wouldn't qualify, anyway, given the age and experience of such players when they are posted.

The confusion is due to the misnomer of the "international signing period" as it really doesn't apply to all international signings; it should be labeled more as the "Latin American signing period" even if that is not entirely accurate either. The Japanese and Korean posting systems aren't exactly the same compared to each other either but they are separate from the system currently used to sign Cubans, Mexicans, and those from the Dominican Republic.

If I am wrong for some reason, then I would be very upset that we missed out on signing Otani because of our Cuban signings. It may be unreasonable, but I would sacrifice all of our current international signings--which includes Maeda, Alvarez, and Diaz--and put all our eggs in the single basket represented by Shohei Otani.

meh you have no reason to be upset. you are 100% right about having separate rules for Latin prospects versus Asian players. in fact, every country have different agreements with say, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan and none of them allow their top guys to defect without some kind of a major penalty for skipping out on native drafts.

[Ranma]

The "out of quantity comes quality" quote by Branch Rickey certainly applies to the Dodgers' current strategy towards the international signing period, but I'm sure it's just one of many things being implemented by the organization to recapture the former glory of our farm system.

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[Ranma]

Sports Illustrated (1/19/16)

The MLB is set to investigate Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish after his brother, Sho Darvish, was caught running an illegal gambling ring, reports The Japan Times.

MLB spokesperson Michael Teevan said in a statement to The Times the league is aware of the situation and will look into it according to protocol.

However sources told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the pitcher is not being investigated. Jeff Wilson reports that the league is looking into the situation only in regards to Sho.

MLB Investigating Yu Darvish After Brother Caught Running Gambling Ring

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

The "out of quantity comes quality" quote by Branch Rickey certainly applies to the Dodgers' current strategy towards the international signing period, but I'm sure it's just one of many things being implemented by the organization to recapture the former glory of our farm system.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JWonCATCHING/status/688966139393650688[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/JWonCATCHING/status/688969867857276928[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/DanEvans108/status/688970759562072064[/tweet]

how did i miss this?

are they getting the ball below the line or above it?

[Ranma]

how did i miss this?

are they getting the ball below the line or above it?

I believe the ball goes above the line soon after the pitcher's release in order to give it more of a downhill plane as it approaches the plate, but Neddy will have to confirm given his expertise and background. However, the tweet mentions "over & under". The kid on the far right is showing heat, though.

[Neddy]

how did i miss this?

are they getting the ball below the line or above it?

I believe the ball goes above the line soon after the pitcher's release in order to give it more of a downhill plane as it approaches the plate, but Neddy will have to confirm given his expertise and background. However, the tweet mentions "over & under". The kid on the far right is showing heat, though.

I'm flattered, but I think you are giving me too much credit. It's not like I am a professional scout or anything, I am just a fan who is obsessed with baseball, just like you.

as for that drill, it's as you have described already, to release the pitch above the line and to make sure it hits the target downward where the catcher has his glove positioned, thus creating a vertical plane for the pitch to be released froma high point, to land at the bottom of the strike zone, making the pithers get used to throwing in a vertical plane rather than a dart that comes from and lands with relatively no movement which makes it easy to hit off of regardless of the velocity.... which this reminds me that newly signed Cardinal Oh comes with nearly a foot of vertical movement on his 4 seam. the stonebuddah's fastball isn't about its velocity but its movement. I am not looking forward to seeing this guy in the cardinal red, to be honest.

PS- I think the commish talking about making NL to have DH too is a pile of ****.

[Ranma]

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[Neddy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JeffWilson_FWST/status/691034332601782272[/tweet]

what is up with all these nonsense by relatives of Major Leaguers from Far East.

Yu's brother was arrested for running an illegal gambling joint, and current Ranger Choo's dad was arrested for a fraud over half a million dollars worth of investment money he failed to pay back in South Korea. IF a father from a confucian culture can't get a half a million from his 9 digit worth son, he must have **** up his relationship with his son a long time ago.

[Ranma]

With recent talk of possible change(s) to the Japanese posting system after 2016 where the posting fee would be increased and thus spur Shohei Otani becoming available sooner rather than later, I wanted to point out a few things I noticed in a fairly recent article and video highlights of the pitching phenom:

• The video shows his last name spelled as "Ohtani" on at least two different uniforms but practically everywhere on the Web has it without the "h" in his surname.
• In the article cited below, it was noted that that he had some troubling non-arm injuries in his most recent season. I'm particularly concerned with his rolled ankle injury. In the video below, there were multiple times that Otani would almost spastically drag his left foot in his follow-through upon releasing of pitches. It seems to come and go within the same inning, so I'm not sure if it is dependent on the type of pitch he is throwing, but struck me as risking ankle injury when I first noticed it even before reading the aforementioned article. It's something to keep in mind and I hope he rectifies this soon without downgrading the quality of his pitches.
• The article also mentions Otani's tendency to get behind in the count to start off games on occasion. If I recall correctly, Yu Darvish had similar issues with control of his breaking pitches during his NPB career, so Otani's mild struggles in that regard shouldn't keep him from pitching effectively in MLB.

Kazuto Yamazaki, TheDynastyGuru.com (11/8/15)

Let’s talk about his stuff. This past season, Otani mostly employed a three-pitch mix of a mid-90s fastball , an upper-80s splitter, and a low-to-mid-80s slider, while occasionally flashing a slow curve in the mid-upper 60s. Each of his three main weapons missed bats at an above-average clip, with latter of which featuring an astounding 29.9 whiff rate. At the age of twenty-one, Otani dominates the hitters in the league at the highest offensive level in Japan.

While Otani shows an advanced feel for pitching for his age, there are cons about him. The right-hander gets behind in the count in the early innings on occasion. When he struggles to find the zone with the breaking stuff, the opponents sit on his fastball and hammer it, like the Marines did in the playoffs.

There are other concerns, too. During the season, Otani had some early exit due to a rolled ankle and a leg cramp that sidelined him for three weeks. Although he went injury-free in the second half of the season, some still question about his health. At least the good thing is that it’s not arm-related. But to consider his age, there’s plenty of time for him to overcome these problems.

Shohei Otani, A Monster in the Making

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[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

I just realized something earlier. First, the Dodgers agreed to a deal with Hector Olivera on March 24th, which predates the current international signing period. Granted, he didn't officially sign the contract until May 19th, but even that was before the July 2nd start date of the 2015-16 signing period. Second, the Dodgers happened to be set to sign Yadier Alvarez soon after the period opened. The significance of those signings is that while Alvarez was subject to international signing guidelines, Olivera was not.

Third, that means Olivera did not factor at all into our international bonus pool limitations. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to sign Alvarez, Yusniel Diaz, Starling Heredia, Ronny Brito, and Yaisel Sierra among others because signing Olivera happened during the previous international signing period. Fourth, the reason that is so is because Olivera is 30 years-old and had significant experience playing professional baseball in Cuba, which made him ineligible for and completely outside of the international signing guideline.

Per MLB.com, those guidelines no longer apply to players who are are at least 23 years of age and have played at least 5 years of professional baseball in a league recognized by the Commissioner's Office. Lourdes Gourriel, Jr. is currently 22 and will celebrate his next birthday on October 19th. He also debuted in Cuba's highest professional baseball league at the age of 16 and may or may not play baseball in Japan for NPB. Ben Badler recently replied to my query via Twitter to confirm that he would meet the 23-and-5 rule once he turns 23 years-old.

This is great news in our pursuit of Tito. I was previously fretting over U.S.-Cuban relations not being resolved soon enough for the Dodgers to sign him before restrictions would be imposed on the organization for blowing past our budget for this current international signing period. In either case, we can sign him if the front office is inclined and Lourdes Gourriel, Jr. is interested. The only difference is if we sign him now, we'd be paying a 100% tax on his signing bonus just like we did for Alvarez and Diaz. If we sign him after June 15th, the offer won't be taxed since he's free from the guidelines that would otherwise restrict us to only $300,000 just like we did for Olivera and Sierra.

The only possible hang-up would be if he would have a strong preference to play on the same team as his brother Yulieski once he does come over to the States. Yulieski grew up a Yankees fan and admires Alex Rodriguez. However, Lourdes has stated that his dream is to play in the best baseball league in the world in MLB. I would assume that would mean even if it meant playing without his brother, but it wouldn't be the worst thing to also get Yulieski in a package deal since he's considered the best player in Cuba and a third baseman even at 31 years-old.

I'd rather just sign Lourdes Gourriel, Jr. separately to be our SS. Although, I'm sure he can handle 2B as well. Once our current haul of international prospects from this signing period is finalized and assuming an international draft is not instituted beforehand, my primary objective is now to get both Shohei Otani and Lourdes Gourriel, Jr. We may miss out on both IF Kevin Maitan and C Abraham Gutierrez in the next crop of pool-eligible prospects, but I'll take my preferred pair against anyone else's combo.

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Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com (7/20/15)

The international signing guidelines do not apply to players who previously signed a contract with a Major or Minor League club, nor do they apply to players who are least 23 years old and have played as a professional in a league recognized by the Commissioner's Office for a minimum of five seasons. Cuban players who are at least 23 and have played in a Cuban professional league for five or more seasons are also exempt.

Top International Prospects Signing Breakdown


Ben Badler, Baseball America (1/29/16)

For Cuban players, being at least 23 with five seasons in Serie Nacional is the sweet spot where players become exempt from the pools, which significantly enhances their earning power. Not only are their contracts not subject to any pool limitations or overage taxes, but any team can sign them, regardless of a team’s current status with regards to international amateur signing restrictions.

That means a team like the Yankees or Red Sox, who are limited to signings of no more than $300,000 for pool-eligible players after they exceeded their international bonus pools in 2014-15, have no restrictions when it comes to signing Cuban players who are exempt from the bonus pools. That freedom for top Cuban players to negotiate with all 30 clubs will take on even more importance after July 2, when at least 10 teams—including the Cubs and Dodgers—will be in the penalty box for pool-eligible signings but can still spend freely on Cuban players exempt from the pools.

And unlike players subject to the bonus pools, who are all required to sign minor league contracts, players exempt from the pools are allowed to sign major league deals, enabling teams to spread out the financial expenditure over a longer period of time.

Updates on Top Cuban Players Outside the Pools


Edit: Added relevant excerpt from Badler's latest subscription-locked article about Cuban players who fall outside the international signing guidelines.

[Ranma]

Well, we know that the Braves are 1 of the 9 teams with high interest in Lazaro Armenteros. If the Dodgers are interested in him, we'd not only have the advantage of financial wherewithal but we'd be one of the teams inclined to sign him immediately. Atlanta supposedly already has both IF Kevin Maitan and C Abraham Gutierrez lined up for the next signing period, so it's trying to convince Armenteros to wait until July 2nd to sign.

Both Maitan and Gutierrez are no-brainers for teams to sign as Maitan is widely considered better than Moncada while Gutierrez is also highly thought of as well. I'm disappointed in missing out on Maitan but Gutierrez also sounds like someone I'd prefer to Moncada. If the Braves do indeed get both, that would be a big win for that organization.

http://baseball.realgm.com/wiretap/44635/Source-Braves-Making-Push-For-Lazarito

IDC if this kid is worth it for us. Someone wants him.
Win the bid and deal him.

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[Ranma]

Bill Mitchell, Baseball America (2/5/16)

Yet the majority of the attention from the hundreds of fans and mostly Japanese media observing the workouts is on one man. Shohei Ohtani, the 21-year-old sometimes referred to as “The Fastball Prince,” is already a rock star wherever he goes. The 6-foot-3, 202-pound righthander is one of the most talented pitchers in the world after three seasons with the Fighters as well as appearances in November’s Premier 12 tournament and the Japan All-Star Series against Major League Baseball stars in 2014.

Not only is Ohtani a dominant pitcher, he’s also spent time in the Fighters outfield. If major league teams ever get their wish and Ohtani makes the jump to MLB, he would almost certainly have to give up being a two-way player, but that doesn’t concern him at this point.

“I can’t make that decision right now,” Ohtani said through a team interpreter. “I’m going to try to be a two-way player … That’s all I can say for now.”
...

Yet it’s Ohtani’s electric right arm that has generated so much buzz in the scouting community. His pitching metrics have consistently improved each year, winning 15 games last season with a 2.24 ERA while fanning 196 batters in 160 2/3 innings. His fastball regularly registers in the upper-90s and has been recorded as high as 101 mph, tying the Japanese record set by former major leaguer Marc Kroon.

The fastball is the jewel of Ohtani’s five-pitch repertoire. He most often complements the heater with a slider and splitter (what he calls his forkball) that reaches the low 90s, along with a changeup and curveball.

In his two bullpen sessions this week, Ohtani showed a good, repeatable delivery from a high-three-quarters arm slot. He has a durable pitcher’s frame that should be able to add strength. Ohtani said that he is working mostly on improving his basic pitching skills and mechanics.

Shohei Ohtani Draws a Crowd at Padres Complex

[Ranma]

It's interesting that today's articles are reporting both Shohei Ohtani and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. at shorter heights than was previously listed, respectively. Shohei goes from 6'4" to 6'3" and Lourdes Jr. goes from 6'4" to 6'2". Also, I totally see Tito (Lourdes Jr.) as the top prospect still in Cuba, but that has to do with his youthful age. His brother Yulieski is considered the best player in Cuba who seems to be more Adrian Beltre than Hector Olivera while Lourdes Jr. is typically listed as the 4th best overall player still on the island.

Jesse Sanchez also seems to be confusing Yulieski with Yunieski, the oldest brother, who is not as good as either of the highly sought-after Gurriel boys. In any case, I'm encouraged to read that Tito is taking Jon Jay's advice about respecting the game and people as well as doing the little things such as defense and baserunning.

Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com (2/5/16)

The 22-year-old is considered the top prospect still on the island and a rising star in Cuba's Serie Nacional, the country's top league. If he ever fulfills his dream to play in the Major Leagues, Gurriel knows it will be because of the ongoing shift in politics between Cuba and the United States off the field and the advice he received from Padres outfielder Jon Jay that day at Havana's most famous ballpark.
...

It was also Jay that introduced the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Gurriel Jr. to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the narrow hallway under the stadium behind home plate. Pena and Ramirez, who are also from Cuba and knew Gurriel Jr. as a child, were shocked to see how much he had grown when they were reunited in the home dugout a few minutes later.

Gurriel Jr. posed for countless photos with the Major Leaguers on the dugout bench. Then Jay pulled him to the side for a quick chat.

"Baseball is the universal language, and I talked to him about what helped me get to the Major Leagues and taking pride in doing the little things to win ball games. Things like treating people right and respecting the game," Jay said. "I stressed to get better at the little things, like defense and baserunning. I take a lot of pride in it, and it's what separates Major Leaguers."
...

Lourdes Jr. has expressed his desire to play in Japan. He's also trying to stay focused on his life and baseball in Cuba. He is hitting .321 with eight home runs, 32 RBIs and a .924 OPS in 43 games for the Havana Industriales this season.

"I'm having a great season and enjoying this experience here with my teammates and my brother," Lourdes Jr. said. "I think everybody gets flattered when you hear or see good things written about you and baseball people consider you somebody to watch. At the same time, it motivates me to get better. Be the best I can be and work on the little things like Jon Jay said."

Top Cuban Prospect Gurriel Jr. Dreams of MLB

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[Quake Griffin]

Saw a poster say something about the Gorriel brothers on another forum.


What you got Ranma?
any news?

[Quake Griffin]

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2016/2/8/10937086/yulieski-gourriel-lourdes-gourriel-jr-defect-from-cuba

[Quake Griffin]

Ranma.

you have anything on scouts talking about Lourdes Gourriel's defense at SS?

[Neddy]

can't say much about Tito but Yulieski Gourriel I know a lot about, and I love that middle child.

I remember him from WBC, and he also made waves for signing with Yokohama Baystars back in 2014 for 60 games or so. he posted from my memories, something like 300/350/540 with 11 HRs in around 250 ABs. I would actually rely on him to be our everyday 3rd base while making Turner an ultimate utility guy to save his knees, and we won't lose a step at 3rd offensively.