July 2nd IFA Signing Thread

[Angrioter]

Hey Angrioter, do you have a link to someone connecting us to Amador or Jimenez? I Haven't heard us on anyone other than Gudino yet. I'm hoping to hear us connected to more players, notably Asuncion.

 

Spanish

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/blogs/index?entryID=1798412&name=Dionisio_Soldevila&cc=5800

[ace3113]

Spanish

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/blogs/index?entryID=1798412&name=Dionisio_Soldevila&cc=5800

 

Awesome, I forgot you are fluent in Spanish.

 

I'm shocked we're in on Jimenez. I don't think we have the bonus space to match the Cubs who are enamoured with him, but in the end it's the player's choice who he signs with. If him or his trainer likes our organization better he may take less money like Barreto did.

 

I'll have to brush up on Amador, don't really know a lot about him, and he wasn't one of the top players on my list. I'd rather have Encarnacion or Asuncion personally. I like their bats better at this stage.

[Angrioter]

Awesome, I forgot you are fluent in Spanish.

 

I'm shocked we're in on Jimenez. I don't think we have the bonus space to match the Cubs who are enamoured with him, but in the end it's the player's choice who he signs with. If him or his trainer likes our organization better he may take less money like Barreto did.

 

I'll have to brush up on Amador, don't really know a lot about him, and he wasn't one of the top players on my list. I'd rather have Encarnacion or Asuncion personally. I like their bats better at this stage.

 

Eloy Jimenez will be a Cubs, 99%.

[Angrioter]

Eloy Jimenez will be a Cubs, 99%.

 

Asuncion

http://www.power-showcase.com/finals/7th-annual-event-december-2012/7th-annual-line-up/dominican-republic-luis-asuncion

[ace3113]

I just realized something after reading that article. They mentioned that this could be one of the last July 2 classes before an International Draft. I can see a team like the Jays eschewing the spending limits this year (especially if the next free agent class is weak), and just signing whoever they want. They would not lose a draft pick cause there's no International Draft next year, and the penalties for exceeding the bonus pool by even as much as 100% isn't really that punitive. It would explain a lot, since the Yankees and a bunch of other teams without much bonus pool space keep getting connected lots of players, who they couldn't possibly hope to all sign, unless they exceeded the bonus total.

[Angrioter]

I just realized something after reading that article. They mentioned that this could be one of the last July 2 classes before an International Draft

 

That article is too old...There will be no international draft until 2016.

[ace3113]

Spanish

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/blogs/index?entryID=1798412&name=Dionisio_Soldevila&cc=5800

 

I figured I'd google translate it for everyone.

SANTO DOMINGO --- The 2013 is an interesting year for international baseball. Major League intend to establish an international draft to select foreign players so far have been hired as free agents.

 

Bud Selig's office has made it clear that by June 1 will inform the players union if you seek a draft for 2014. The union, in turn, has until June 15 to accept or reject the proposal that was agreed at the last labor agreement.

 

That leaves open the following question: will the July 2, 2013 the last to be hired Latino players (those who would be affected mostly by the draft) as free agents?

 

Given this probability, let some of the top prospects that will be available in what could be the last class of Dominicans signed as free agents on the open market.

 

1) Eloy Jiménez: An outfielder 6'4 "tall and 198 pounds. Has for years attracted the attention of the baseball world and is considered the top prospect in Latin America. Pursued by the Cubs, Padres, Nationals, Jays and Royals, mainly. Was expected to get a signing bonus in excess of U.S. $ 2.5 million.

 

2) Jose Almonte: It is a versatile outfielder with capacity for hitting and good defense. It is said that Texas, the White Sox and New York Yankees have fought for their services. It is believed he would get over $ 1.5 million.

 

3) Rafael Devers: The third baseman of the International Prospect League, he's 5'11" and 180 pounds and is one of the players that has been pursued since he became eligible for the July 2. At least five teams are truly interested in his services and have the money available to sign. It's been said that Boston, Oakland, the Yankees and Texas are trying to sign him at a price that would exceed U.S. $ 1.25 million bonifación.

 

4) Yeizon Irizarry: As a shortstop, Irizarry is playing in one of the most important and demanding positions in the business. He has agile hands and a respectable bat. The Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres are interested in him. It is believed that he could get over $ 1.2 million signing bonus.

 

5) Luis Encarnacion: Third base 6'1 "tall and 185 pounds with the ability to smash the ball. The Philadelphia Phillies have my eye on Encarnacion and are said to be the most interested in his services . Mets, Dodgers and Mariners could get into the bidding. Encarnacion is in the range of million dollar bonus.

6) Wilson Amador: At just 16 years and is 6'1 "tall and 176 pounds expects to increase over time. Has a defense at shortstop above average, with good arm and occasional power, according to scouts who have observed. Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves seem to be most interested. Could receive a bonus of $ 800,000.

 

7) Maikel Zapata: Another of the many outfielders who get could get a good bonus on the open market this year. Zapata has exceptional talent and ability to break the barrier of one million dollars in bonus. The San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have it in their sights.

 

8) Lewin Diaz: Lots of great strength and athletic ability in the outfield stand to talk about this player. It is rumored that the Yankees are very interested in his services, but due to limitations in the available budget by the regulations for international players could not reach the amount that would require its representatives. There is talk of more than U.S. $ 1.3 million to hire. The Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals would be in the mix.

 

9) Anderson Franco. A burly physique, with 6'1 "tall and 185 pounds, Franco visited for its condition at the plate. Has ability to get to the park and hit balls to the opposite field. Therefore, is expected to be close to a million bonus dollars. The Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and New York Mets would go after the services of the third baseman.

 

10) Lucas Tirado: He has experience of having participated in some international tournaments, where he demonstrated his athleticism and skills with the glove and the bat. They talk about the Dodgers as the most interested in his services as a shortstop but Kansas City and the Angels could also sneak into the auction. His bonus would be around $ 800 000.

 

Bonus extra: An outfielder has gone unnoticed despite its good condition is Francis Martinez, a lefty hitter 6'4 "tall, pulling with his right. Those who have seen it say it could be in a neighborhood near Eloy Jimenez and Jose Almonte.

[GD]

Haha, I had google translate the entire webpage for me and it called Jimenez a gardener, not an outfielder. Makes much more sense now.

[ace3113]

Haha, I had google translate the entire webpage for me and it called Jimenez a gardener, not an outfielder. Makes much more sense now.

 

Yeah, I made a few changes so it would make sense. lol

[Angrioter]

Haha, I had google translate the entire webpage for me and it called Jimenez a gardener, not an outfielder. Makes much more sense now.

 

lol

[imsorry4beatinU]

Old article about trading for Bonus Pool space.

Blue Jays (Pool: $2,817,000)

 

Toronto already has the ninth-highest bonus pool, but Alex Anthopoulos has made the Blue Jays one of the most aggressive spenders on amateur talent since he became general manager. In 2011, the Blue Jays spent an estimated $7.57 million on international amateur signings. Through trades, the Blue Jays could get up to around $4.23 million for their total pool.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/targeting-likely-international-trade-partners/

 

 

So stating from this means we are only allowed to trade up to half of our bonus? if it is, it kinda sucks it's only that much

[ace3113]

Baseball America's on July 2 free agents:

 

Eloy Jimenez Stands Out Among International Prospects

June 17, 2013 by Ben Badler

 

Teams were divided over who they felt was the best prospect on the international market two years ago.

 

Some scouts thought the top player was Ronald Guzman, a 6-foot-5 Dominican outfielder with a smooth lefty swing, a polished hitting approach for his age and projectable power who ended up signing with the Rangers for $3.45 million. Others preferred Elier Hernandez, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound Dominican outfielder who signed with the Royals for $3 million. Hernandez, who trained with Amauris Nina, showed good bat speed, a level righthanded stroke and the type of frame where he could put on a major league uniform and blend in easily.

 

While teams focused on Hernandez in 2011, a 14-year-old outfielder in Nina’s program began to draw their attention. That’s when Eloy Jimenez, who had been training with Nina since he was 13, started to emerge as one of the top prospects for July 2, 2013. Now Jimenez is in line for what is widely expected to be the biggest signing bonus of the 2013-14 international signing period when it opens in two weeks, with a price tag expected to be in the $2.6 to $2.8 million range. The Cubs, who have the second-biggest bonus pool of the signing period, have been in heavy pursuit.

 

No player in this year’s class stands out along the lines of Michael Ynoa in 2008 or Miguel Sano in ’09, but several teams have Jimenez as either the No. 1 prospect on their board or at least among their top handful of prospects available for July 2.

 

“I think it’s safe to say that, if he’s not the best, he’s in the top three,” said one international director. “I’d probably say he’s the best.”

 

Better Than Elier?

 

Growing up in Santo Domingo, Jimenez was a standout athlete. He competed in local basketball tournaments and earned a green belt in karate, traveling to national karate tournaments until he was 10. He also played in organized youth baseball leagues, including Cristian Pimentel’s youth league. In 2008, Jimenez traveled to Aberdeen, Md., to play in the Cal Ripken World Series. His teammates there included three players who would develop into high-profile players for the 2012 signing class, including Padres outfielder Euri Minaya ($700,000), Tigers shortstop Domingo Leyba ($400,000) and Mets shortstop Amed Rosario, whose $1.75 million bonus was the largest of the 2012-13 signing period.

 

Jimenez also played in the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, where in August 2012 he traveled to Miami to help the Dominican Republic win its third straight RBI junior division World Series title, following in the steps of Guzman and Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara in 2010 and Giants outfielder Gustavo Cabrera in 2011.

 

Now 16 and 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Jimenez draws the inevitable comparisons to Hernandez, another righthanded outfielder with similar size who also trained in Nina’s program. Several scouts think the comparison fits, with Jimenez a better version of Hernandez. Jimenez has run the 60-yard dash as fast as 6.7 seconds, which is above-average speed. Other scouts have said his speed plays closer to average, and as he matures physically, he should be a corner outfielder if he doesn’t start there immediately, with average to a tick-above-average arm strength.

 

“He’s similar to Elier,” said a second international director. “Eloy has an easier swing when I’ve seen him. It’s a good comparison, but because of his hitting ability, I would put Eloy ahead of Elier. They’re two really good-looking bodies and swings paths. I see good bat speed and a fluid swing. Once he gets more experience against breaking pitches and really good fastballs, he’ll be able to make adjustments he needs to hit both of those.”

 

While most international signings debut either in the Dominican Summer League or one of the Rookie-level complex leagues, the Royals surprisingly pushed Hernandez to the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Hernandez, who scouts said would have to make adjustments to hit breaking pitches, understandably had a difficult time as a 17-year-old in Idaho Falls, hitting .208/.256/.280 with 66 strikeouts in 60 games.

 

“He’s a lanky, long-armed hitter,” said a third international director. “He’s very similar to Elier Hernandez. They’re calm in the box during BP—(Nina) teaches them well—so they’re pretty efficient, pretty simple. They don’t have a lot going on before the swing and they’re not wild hackers, so that’s all good. But it’s all about games, tools turning into skills and how they perform in the game.”

 

When Hernandez signed, several scouts felt he was a high-risk, high-reward player. Like any 16-year-old, Jimenez comes with his share of risk, but he’s a more advanced hitter than Hernandez was at the same age.

 

“They’re similar,” said a fourth international director. “I like this guy’s stroke better. (Hernandez) got longer, more shouldery with his swing. Jimenez will end up being a better hitter, but you’re going to have to hang with him. He doesn’t hit much in games, I think. For me, that’s a natural thing—either you can hit or you don’t. He’s got power, so can he get to the point where he gets to it know to where it’s playable? I think so. He’s not going to be a pure hitter, but he’s a good enough makeup kid that I think he will be able to get through some stuff.”

[ace3113]

Continued...

Results Business

 

While some scouts do believe Jimenez is one of the top hitters in this year’s class, they are split on how polished he is at the plate right now. Some teams have seen him hit in games, but when international directors and other top team officials were in the Dominican Republic in January for MLB’s showcase and the International Prospect League all-star event, Jimenez didn’t dominate against live pitching like some were expecting.

 

“I think at that point, he was going through a period of fatigue, especially when kids are bouncing around from event to event,” said the second international director. “It was probably the worst I had seen him. I think he’s going to hit. He has a big league body. He’s certainly going to play a corner, probably depending on how well the arm develops whether it’s left field or right field, but I think he’s going to hit enough to be a corner outfielder. With his work habits, his personality, those are good and he shouldn’t have any trouble blending in with kids in the U.S. and pro ball. He’s a very outgoing kid.”

 

With the first year of tiered bonus pools based on last season’s big league standings, there came a point in the year at which certain teams admitted they stopped bearing down on Jimenez. It simply became clear that Jimenez would be out of their price range.

 

“He played well in the games we saw,” said the fourth international director. “In the national showcases open to everybody, he didn’t play as well, but he played well for us. He’s a premium guy who brings a lot to the table. He’s like Jermaine Dye, that kind of player. Everything is solid to plus, he shows some raw power and he can really run for a big man, even though that will probably slow down in the future. He has a good arm and he’s a good kid who’s been around sports his entire life.

 

“I would definitely put him in the top five. He uses all fields. We did see him drive the ball to the gaps, so a kid with his size, with the hand-eye coordination that he had, I think he’ll generate at least average power in the future. He’s only going to get stronger. I don’t see him as a premium power bat like (Dominican third baseman Luis) Encarnacion, but you’re looking at a big, strong kid who’s squaring up the ball all over the place. A lot of those balls going in the gap now, eventually those balls are going over the fence.”

 

Even some scouts who haven’t seen Jimenez hit in games as much as they were expecting based on his expected price have said that the ingredients are there for Jimenez to put it together.

 

“You almost have to trust the process,” said a National League scout. “He didn’t perform for me a lot, if you just look at the numbers. But you have to trust the fact that he has the swing plane, bat speed and he stays up the middle, which is different from most Dominicans his age. It’s a line-drive bat with a flat barrel and he takes good at-bats. He’s huge, too. He’s going to grow into more power.”

 

Jimenez doesn’t have the pure power that Encarnacion or Dominican outfielder Micker Zapata bring to the table, but his bat speed results in plenty of loud contact—it’s just more hard line drives than loft.

 

“He’s a good-looking kid with a big league body,” said another NL scout. “He does things easily for a 16-year-old. The ball jumps off the bat differently from a lot of guys. The hardest thing to project in this market is power. You can look at his swing plane, and it’s hard to say he’s never going to hit home runs, but I can see where people say he doesn’t have a lot of lift to his swing. He’s not a big swing-and-miss guy though, so he’s not a feast-or-famine guy.”

 

Several scouts think the adjustments Jimenez will have to make are more subtle tweaks than any type of major overhaul. If the expected price ranges end up becoming a reality, some scouts wonder how Jimenez could command nearly $1 million more than Encarnacion, third baseman Rafael Devers or center fielder Leonardo Molina, but all indications are that his bonus will be well beyond anyone else’s this year.

 

“I think he’s going to be a good hitter,” said an American League scout. “Eloy is a big guy—I just don’t see the power—but I think he’s a really good hitter. He knows how to play baseball, he’s got a good arm—he’s a Jermaine Dye type of guy. He’s probably one of the best baseball players out there. I’ve seen him a lot. He has good instincts. The thing with him is, he has good bat speed, I just think he spins his hips so quickly and his hands don’t get through. He makes good solid contact to all fields, so once he learns to control his hips more, he’ll have more power. I think it’s there, he just gets through his hips real quick, but he centers the ball and he hits to all fields. I like him a lot.”

 

There is a long way to go for Jimenez to realize his potential, but he’s made a striking impression for scouts both on and off the field.

 

“He’s a good character kid,” said the fourth international director. “Because he’s a high-character kid and he’s intelligent, he’ll work hard. He’s the kind of guy who down the road could make you look good. He has a lot of the components you like. He’s a good kid, smart and a hard worker who’s been raised properly.”

[ace3113]

Hey Dougie, found some new footage of Mayky Perez from the Perfect Game showcase last weekend, that I thought you'd enjoy.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuoqlpI0JR8

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaFNHoOoKGk&feature=youtu.be

[GD]

Hey Dougie, found some new footage of Mayky Perez from the Perfect Game showcase last weekend, that I thought you'd enjoy.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuoqlpI0JR8

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaFNHoOoKGk&feature=youtu.be

 

Wow this dude is tall. Damn.

 

Is he doing something weird, a little jerk, with his elbow or is that just my feed lagging every so often?

[ace3113]

Okay, so I have the latest BA update on July 2 free agents, but to protect this board from further Baseball America goonery I have posted it on the old board and linked it to here. Quote parts of it here if you guys like, just not the full article.

 

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=91353.1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-bluejays

[GD]

Okay, so I have the latest BA update on July 2 free agents, but to protect this board from further Baseball America goonery I have posted it on the old board and linked it to here. Quote parts of it here if you guys like, just not the full article.

 

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=91353.1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-bluejays

 

Further? What happened?

[Deadpool]

Further? What happened?

 

I too am interested in this.

[admin]

BA emailed me to remove an article. No big deal.

[GD]

Bleh, screw them.

[Deadpool]

BA emailed me to remove an article. No big deal.

 

I know you did it voluntarily, but I'm wondering on what grounds? DMCA holds no sway on a Canadian site (assuming your hosting company is in Canada that is...)

[ace3113]

It's not a big deal guys. I was just being facetious. Admin already told me it was okay, I just wanted everyone to know big brother BA was watching. lol

 

Anyway I don't think there's much BA can do anyway. I just wanted to make sure there's no way this board gets taken down or whatever because of me.

[admin]

I know you did it voluntarily, but I'm wondering on what grounds? DMCA holds no sway on a Canadian site (assuming your hosting company is in Canada that is...)

 

Being in Canada isn't safe. Not sure of the exact rules, but only way to avoid it would be to do crazy s*** like the torrent sites do.

I think it's not just the hosting, but also where you registered the domain.

I think that's why torrent sites register the name with an offshore registrar and host it with off shore hosting.

[ace3113]

Speaking of IFA's, the Blue Jays signed a Venezuelan infielder named Luis Castro last year for $800,000k but voided his contract after they discovered a pre-existing knee injury. Castro who was rated by Baseball America as the 9th best international free agent in 2012, eventually signed with the Rockies for only 50k. He's hitting pretty well so far this year, so I hope we put that 800k we saved to good use.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/statistics/players/cards/3952

 

Luis Castro, ss, Venezuela

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 190. B-T: R-R.

 

14g 51ab .353/.452/.431 9rbi 2(2b) 1(3b) 6bb 4so 4sb 1cs

 

Castro is among a group of several polished Venezuelan hitters who have shown they can handle live pitching on the international circuit. A 16-year-old who trains with Jose Aguiar, he played in the Junior Caribbean Series in Barquisimeto in April 2011, then went to the 16-and-under World Championship in Mexico last August. Castro hit .583/.655/.750 in Mexico, going 14-for-24 with four doubles, four walks and two strikeouts. He tied for the tournament lead in OBP and doubles while tying for second in batting average. His performance included a 4-for-5 game with two walks and a pair of stolen bases against Team USA.

 

Castro doesn't have the loudest tools, but scouts like his ability to hit and his power potential. His hitting approach is sound, he has good bat speed with a short swing, and he squares up the ball easily. He hits to all fields and has a good idea of the strike zone. With his size, some scouts think he has the potential to hit for average and power, though others don't see quite that much offensive impact since his power now is more gap to gap.

 

Castro is an instinctive player, both in the batter's box and in the field. He's a fringy runner at best, so he doesn't have great range, and many teams think he projects as a third baseman, with second base or even catcher as a possibility. He's expected to sign as a shortstop, but he would fit well at third because he has clean hands and a solid arm. The Rockies once appeared to be the most likely destination for Castro, but if the Blue Jays have indeed backed off Mujica, they could land Castro, who should be able to get around $1 million.

[admin]

Damn, too bad we couldn't have dropped it down to like $100k.

[GD]

Any news on Aybar-Lara?

[ace3113]

Here are the original reports on the guys we did sign.

 

1. Franklin Barreto, ss/cf, Venezuela

Ht: 5-9. Wt: 175. B-T: R-R.

 

There are few amateurs who have ever had Barreto's extensive track record of dominance representing Venezuela during international competitions. Barreto has played in international tournaments since he was 10 in 2006. He was the MVP at the Pan American 12-and-under tournament in September 2008, then later that month led Venezuela to another title by winning the Criollitos de America title en route to being named the 2008 athlete of the year by the Corporacion Criolltos of Venezuela. He won another MVP in July 2010 at the 14-and-under Pan American championship, then last August starred at the 16-and-under World Championship, where he he .515/.568/.978 in 33 at-bats, tied for the tournament lead with three homers (including two against Team USA) and led the tournament with eight steals in eight tries.

 

Several teams have Barreto as the top player on their boards. A 16-year-old from Miranda, Barreto has two standout tools in his hitting and his speed. Some scouts project Barreto as a future plus hitter. He has quick hands, a short swing, recognizes pitches well and hits the ball to all fields. With his hitting acumen and plus-plus speed, he could become a potential .300 hitter. Barreto is small and is already a strong, physically mature player, so there are questions about projection, but he hits hard line drives and has shown he can hit the ball out of the park in games, with 15-20 homer potential.

 

Most teams don't think Barreto can stick at shortstop. He has a solid arm for the position, but his footwork and actions aren't ideal for the infield. With his speed, some teams view him as a good fit in center field, while others project him as a second baseman. High-end projections range from Rafael Furcal with less defense to a Shane Victorino type in center field. Barreto trains with Ciro Barrios, whose program last year delivered outfielders Wuilmer Becerra and Jesus Gonzalez and righthander Jesus Tinoco to the Blue Jays. Most sources believe the Blue Jays will sign Barreto, who is expected to sign for close to $2 million.

 

13. Richard Urena, ss, Dominican Republic

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 160. B-T: L-R.

 

Urena is a 16-year-old from San Francisco de Macoris who trains with Decarte Corporan and plays in the Dominican Prospect League. He attended the Perfect Game national showcase at Target Field in Minnesota earlier this month. Scouts who like Urena say he stands out more in games than tryout settings. He doesn't have one calling card in his tool set, but he has several average tools and good baseball instincts.

 

Urena has a tendency to drop his hands when he swings, but he has a sound stroke, good hitting rhythm and the ability to work the count. His power is below-average, and while he has shown more power recently, he projects more as a line-drive hitter than a power guy. Urena is an average runner with clean hands, a quick release and a solid arm. He might be the top true shortstop in Latin America among players who project to stick at the position. The White Sox have been the main team linked to Urena, though the Reds have also been mentioned.

[imsorry4beatinU]

Speaking of IFA's, the Blue Jays signed a Venezuelan infielder named Luis Castro last year for $800,000k but voided his contract after they discovered a pre-existing knee injury. Castro who was rated by Baseball America as the 9th best international free agent in 2012, eventually signed with the Rockies for only 50k. He's hitting pretty well so far this year, so I hope we put that 800k we saved to good use.

 

what does that mean? can they carry over the money they didn't use from last year to this years budget restriction?

[ace3113]

Any news on Aybar-Lara?

 

Not yet Dougie. I have to check, but I'm pretty sure he can't sign until next May or June now because of his age falsification. The same thing recently happened to Venezuelan lefty Gabriel Noguera, and the article says he can't sign until next spring as part of the punishment.

[ace3113]

what does that mean? can they carry over the money they didn't use from last year to this years budget restriction?

 

No, it doesn't carry over. I meant hopefully they spread it around on some lesser known 16-17 year-old IFA's who emerged later in 2012 or early in 2013. The Rangers for instance, who still had almost their full 2.9mm in bonus pool space for 2012 (since they didn't sign anyone but Berra who did not count against the pool because he was 17), recently signed lefty Francis Cespedes. The article is here:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/rangers-sign-dominican-lefty-francis-cespedes-for-750000/

 

If the Jays still have that 800k, we could still put it to good use, by paying it to lesser known players from trainers of players who we actually do want this year, with the wink-wink nudge-nudge, understanding that we'll get their guys at a slight discount. People suspect that's how we got Barreto for so cheap (1.4mm) in 2012.