International free agents

[Mikeleelop]

1B Abreu - strong bat, scouts not sure he can hit above average fastball

 

2B Guerarro - skilled 2b, now has Boras as agent....

 

P Tanaka - undefeated in Japan

 

Is there any chance Jays go after these guys? Guerarro with goins as backup plan would shore up 2b. Always need more pitching

[Angrioter]

[GD]

2B Guerarro - skilled 2b, now has Boras as agent....

 

I think you answered your own question here

[G-Snarls]

 

Seriously?!?!?!

[HERPDERP]

Cubans are the same as Dominican - angrioter, can you give us a report on Guerrero?

[Angrioter]

Cubans are the same as Dominican - angrioter, can you give us a report on Guerrero?

 

Seven teams have bid for Alexander Guerrero

 

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox, Giants, Rangers, Reds and Dodgers are among the teams "in the running" for Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero.

A total of seven teams are said to have made bids. The Dodgers were reportedly close to a five-to-seven year, $32 million contract with Guerrero not too long ago, but the deal fell through and he has since hired Scott Boras to represent him. However, they shouldn't be ruled out as a possible landing spot.

 

[GD]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/10/cuban-catcher-yenier-bello-cleared-to-sign-by-mlb.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

 

Yenier Bello was caught trying to escape Cuba around this time last year and wound up being suspended from baseball in his native country. Now, Bello has successfully fled the country and is in the process of being cleared to sign with a big league team, agent Bryce Dixon of Primo Sports Group told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

 

Multiple teams have already expressed interest in the backstop, but he still needs to be unblocked by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) before negotiating an agreement and that could take several months to get done. Regardless, teams are anxious to see the power hitter and he is expected to audition for major league clubs in Mexico or Arizona at some point.

 

Bello, 28, hit .274 with 13 homers playing in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2011. BN-S notes that the Phillies, Mariners, and Blue Jays are among the clubs expected to consider offseason catching upgrades.

 

Hmmm.. Ang, got anything on him?

[z3r0s]

Bello, 28, hit .274 with 13 homers playing in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2011.

 

Nice of them to give us a good picture of his numbers

[GD]

Nice of them to give us a good picture of his numbers

 

He hit poorly in the 5 years before that then something clicked I guess and he's hit decently ever since.

[Angrioter]

Yankees Expected To Aggressively Pursue Tanaka

Golden Eagles this season have turned quite a few heads in the United States, and according to George A. King III of the New York Post, the Yankees "are going to be serious players" for the Japanese ace.

 

King spoke with several executives who guessed that the posting fee for Tanaka could go as high as $60MM, but the Yankees aren't overly concerned about that number given the fact that the posting fee wouldn't count against their stated desire to get underneath baseball's $189MM luxury tax threshhold. The expected $50-60MM contract that would go along with such a posting fee -- contract totals are usually in the same ballpark as the posting fee -- certainly would.

 

King writes that assistant GM Billy Eppler and pro scout/former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu have both watched Tanaka extensively this season. While the common consensus has been that Tanaka is a lesser prospect than Yu Darvish was prior to joining the Majors, King spoke to a scout who prefers Tanaka to Darvish:

 

"He is better than Darvish because he is a strike thrower," the scout said. "Overall, Darvish’s stuff might be a little bit better, but this guy knows how to pitch. He is like Kuroda, he has a lot of guts. He throws four pitches but when it gets to [stone]-cutting time, it’s fastball and splitter."

[The Cats Ass]

So I guess Tanaka is going to end up with the Yankees.. They have to spend all their money on something, since they are trying to get under the luxury tax.

 

Yankees + Luxury Tax + Darvish's Success = Record setting posting fee.

[z3r0s]

That system is so retarded.

[GD]

Well that was a fun idea while it lasted.

[Angrioter]

We don't need spend money in Tanaka....Right?

 

McGowan + Morrow + Drabek + Hutchison = 35 GS

[GD]

We don't need spend money in Tanaka....Right?

 

McGowan + Morrow + Drabek + Hutchison = 15 GS

 

ftfy

[GD]

Wait a minute?!?! Didn't the posting system change to the 3 top bidders, it's supposed to make it more fair on the player in negotiating a contract, he'll have 3 choices now, instead of one and done. So, basically the team that offers the best contract will get him, or where he chooses to play will get him. There's still a very realistic chance.

 

That hasn't actually happened yet, has it?

[TheHurl]

He hit poorly in the 5 years before that then something clicked I guess and he's hit decently ever since.

 

He had a much bigger year in 2010

 

His slash lines in the Cuban league

2011 - .274/.312/.414 in 399 PA's.

2010 - .318/.386/.541 360 PA's 19 HR's

2009 - .253/.304/.415

 

it looks not so bad but keep in mind the league average OPS is like .850. and Bello's team plays in the best hitting park.

[o2cui2i]

Yankees Expected To Aggressively Pursue Tanaka

"[/i]

 

AA expected to aggressively pursue mental midgets with horrible OBP who hit dingerz, one inning bullpen guys and one dimensional speedsters.

 

book it