2017 International Free Agent Prospect Discussion

[TwistedLogic]

After being restricted in spending in the International Free Agent market in 2016 as a result of the 2015 signing of Vladimir Guerrero, the Blue Jays will be free of any penalties in the 2017 market. The new period begins on July 2 but rumors have already begun swirling. This thread will be used to discuss the IFA market and will be updated with official signings when the market opens up a few months from now.

 

MLB.com's international prospect rankings: http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=int

 

The Blue Jays are rumored to be tied with the #5 ranked prospect, RHP Eric Pardinho and the #17 ranked prospect, SS Miguel Hiraldo.

 

[John_Havok]

Black Swan and he's Brazilian. Interesting.

[Slade]

Is this going to be like the Vlad Jr. year where we miss out on the IFA market next year to sign some really good guys this year?

[Boxcar]

I have a feeling a guy who throws 95 at the age of 16 would be more highly regarded if he was Dominican. It would be cool to see baseball spread to Brazil.

 

However, before creaming our pants, let's remember TINSTAAPP.

[King]

Hometown: Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

Position: SS Age: 16 DOB: 9/5/2000 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 5'11'' Weight: 170 lb.

Watch

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50

Hiraldo is a pure hitter, arguably the best overall hitter in the class, and that's why he is one of the most coveted players on the market.

 

He can play shortstop and there's a chance he stays at the position, but there is also a belief that he might end up at third base. Second base is also a possible destination for the versatile fielder, as is the outfield.

 

This much is certain: Hiraldo is a hit-first prospect and he has a chance to be a special player on offense. Scouts like Hiraldo's approach and his swing. He's a mature player with quick hands, a plan at the plate and he can hit the ball hard to all fields. He's also been praised for his makeup and how he plays the game.

 

Hiraldo trains with Juan Herrera in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The Blue Jays are the favorite to sign the infield prospect.

[King]

Pardinho

 

Hometown: Lucelia, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Position: RHP Age: 16 DOB: 1/5/2001 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 5'10'' Weight: 155 lb.

Watch

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

The new face of baseball in Brazil, Pardinho burst onto the scene last summer when he pitched for his country in the under-16 Pan-American Baseball Championship against the Dominican Republic and struck out 12 batters in the win. He became an international sensation when he pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief for the country's team in the 10-0 win against Pakistan in the World Baseball Classic qualifier last September in New York.

 

The teenager's fastball has touched 95 mph, but it usually hovers in the 90- to 93-mph range. Pardinho also throws a curveball, slider and changeup. He's impressed scouts with his advanced approach on the mound and experience against top competition. Some scouts have expressed some concern about Pardinho's overall upside and projectability given his smaller frame.

 

Pardinho trained at the MLB Brazil Academy, located at the CT Yakult Academy, and is represented by Rafa Nieves of Beverly Hills Sports Council. The Blue Jays are the favorites to sign him.

[metafour]

I have a feeling a guy who throws 95 at the age of 16 would be more highly regarded if he was Dominican. It would be cool to see baseball spread to Brazil.

 

There is a guy on Youtube who seems to be some pitching mechanics expert; he went over Pardinho's mechanics and said that its frighteningly scary how advanced his mechanics are for 16.

[TwistedLogic]

The video metafour was referring to:

 

 

According to the guy in the video, he's doing things mechanically that only Chapman at the big league level is consistently pulling off.

[Boxcar]

The video metafour was referring to:

 

 

According to the guy in the video, he's doing things mechanically that only Chapman at the big league level is consistently pulling off.

 

You're a gem.

[TwistedLogic]

A different video, this one from the other side of the coin, with Brent Pourciau and David Aardsma (starts at 2:15, ends at 12:50):

 

 

These guys don't seem like they know what they're talking about as much as the Baseball Rebellion guy in the first video but it's still a different look, which can be healthy if you like to follow prospects from this early on.

 

They think that Pardinho looks like he's matured early and don't see him growing a whole lot more, which could be an issue for a kid who's 5'9".

 

They also think that as he grows, his body won't be as flexible and some of the picture-perfect, fluid mechanics he has right now might tighten up.

 

Lastly, they propose the idea because he's so far ahead of other kids his age right now, he might get complacent and won't continue to improve because apparently it's hard to have a work ethic if you've got nobody to chase.

[Boxcar]

A different video, this one from the other side of the coin, with Brent Pourciau and David Aardsma (starts at 2:15, ends at 12:50):

 

 

These guys don't seem like they know what they're talking about as much as the Baseball Rebellion guy in the first video but it's still a different look, which can be healthy if you like to follow prospects from this early on.

 

They think that Pardinho looks like he's matured early and don't see him growing a whole lot more, which could be an issue for a kid who's 5'9".

 

They also think that as he grows, his body won't be as flexible and some of the picture-perfect, fluid mechanics he has right now might tighten up.

 

Lastly, they propose the idea because he's so far ahead of other kids his age right now, he might get complacent and won't continue to improve because apparently it's hard to have a work ethic if you've got nobody to chase.

 

At FIFTEEN? lmfao, how in the hell could they POSSIBLY even guess this? God, these people are so stupid sometimes. I want to see scouty types quite trying to project like they have some kind of anatomical knowledge or that they can read the future. ZERO 15 year olds are fully mature. ZERO. This is even worse than the inevitable "he will outgrow the position" especially when so much of that stuff is reaction time. Why do they think that he's matured? Because he throws hard?

[John_Havok]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-black-swan-theory-of-drafting-pitchers/

 

Just change the word drafting to signing. .. Same principle.

 

also, at 5'9 he's already taller than the average brazilian male adult by about an inch. Maybe that's why some might think there's not much height projection left.

[TwistedLogic]

At FIFTEEN? lmfao, how in the hell could they POSSIBLY even guess this? God, these people are so stupid sometimes. I want to see scouty types quite trying to project like they have some kind of anatomical knowledge or that they can read the future. ZERO 15 year olds are fully mature. ZERO. This is even worse than the inevitable "he will outgrow the position" especially when so much of that stuff is reaction time. Why do they think that he's matured? Because he throws hard?

 

They think he's matured because he's stocky, lol. I don't know enough about anatomy and scouting to have a definitive opinion on the matter, and I'm not sure what being stocky has to do with projecting height. It does sound suspect to put a cap on a 15 year old no matter what his body looks like, especially considering Aardsma dropped the scientific bomb that "most people are pretty decently grown into their bodies" by 15.

 

I'm excited about this kid and I'm optimistic from the first video because he bases all of his analysis on the actual mechanics and has multiple angles from which to judge him. The second video, the guys didn't have a side view so all of their analysis was based on one angle, and it felt like they made too many assumptions.

 

The one consistent thing with both videos was that all of them marveled at his unbelievable mechanics, with the first video saying that he has god-given mechanical abilities that can't be taught, and the second saying that he was displaying some of the best hip-to-shoulder separation they'd ever seen.

[TwistedLogic]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-black-swan-theory-of-drafting-pitchers/

 

Just change the word drafting to signing. .. Same principle.

 

I like this. Pardinho's mechanics would definitely make him a black swan in that context. It's oddly relevant here, considering how the two guys in the second video base a lot of their doubts on how extraordinary he is for his age.

[John_Havok]

I like this. Pardinho's mechanics would definitely make him a black swan in that context. It's oddly relevant here, considering how the two guys in the second video base a lot of their doubts on how extraordinary he is for his age.

 

The one difference is that he's 16, rather than a college age guy getting good results while being under 6 feet.

 

Even if these not much height projection left, there's still the normal filling out that kids do between 16 and their mid 20s that will add to his velo. I wouldn't be scared to sign this kid at all.

[Boxcar]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-black-swan-theory-of-drafting-pitchers/

 

Just change the word drafting to signing. .. Same principle.

 

also, at 5'9 he's already taller than the average brazilian male adult by about an inch. Maybe that's why some might think there's not much height projection left.

 

That's all fine and dandy, but it's a stupid "criticism" to level because it's really not based on anything. I wouldn't try to guess how tall a kid is going to end up being or how much he'll fill out. It's a silly thing to even speculate on.

[John_Havok]

That's all fine and dandy, but it's a stupid "criticism" to level because it's really not based on anything. I wouldn't try to guess how tall a kid is going to end up being or how much he'll fill out. It's a silly thing to even speculate on.

 

I agree. Sign him up.

[o2cui2i]

That's all fine and dandy, but it's a stupid "criticism" to level because it's really not based on anything. I wouldn't try to guess how tall a kid is going to end up being or how much he'll fill out. It's a silly thing to even speculate on.

 

Jose Altuve approves of this post

 

[Pendleton]

Hometown: Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

Position: SS Age: 16 DOB: 9/5/2000 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 5'11'' Weight: 170 lb.

Watch

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50

Hiraldo is a pure hitter, arguably the best overall hitter in the class, and that's why he is one of the most coveted players on the market.

 

He can play shortstop and there's a chance he stays at the position, but there is also a belief that he might end up at third base. Second base is also a possible destination for the versatile fielder, as is the outfield.

 

This much is certain: Hiraldo is a hit-first prospect and he has a chance to be a special player on offense. Scouts like Hiraldo's approach and his swing. He's a mature player with quick hands, a plan at the plate and he can hit the ball hard to all fields. He's also been praised for his makeup and how he plays the game.

 

Hiraldo trains with Juan Herrera in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The Blue Jays are the favorite to sign the infield prospect.

 

Profile seems somewhat similar to Barreto, other than the run tool?

[Spanky99]

Is this going to be like the Vlad Jr. year where we miss out on the IFA market next year to sign some really good guys this year?

 

Sure looks that way, doesn't it.

[Boxcar]

Jose Altuve approves of this post

 

 

So does this guy

 

http://i41.tinypic.com/2m4b1it.gif