July 2, 2018: International Signings

[Krylian]

The Draft is done for 2018 but the fun keeps going.

 

July 2 is a mere 10 days away and it sounds like the Jays are in on one of the top talents of the class, and a couple of others.

 

Post any IFA news here so it doesn't get lost in one of the other threads.

 

Cheers.

[TheHurl]

May as well repost

 

Toronto Blue Jays

 

The Blue Jays have become one of the most aggressive teams in Latin America. This year, they are expected to give the top bonus for a 16-year-old player in the 2018 class, with Dominican shortstop Orelvis Martinez connected to the Blue Jays and likely to sign for more than $3 million. Martinez is a physical righthanded hitter who generates easy power, and while he might begin his career at shortstop, he profiles well at third base. Venezuelan catcher Javier D’Orazio and Dominican outfielder Amell Brazoban are also Blue Jays targets.

 

[TheHurl]

And my favourite

 

Baltimore Orioles

 

Orioles' ownership has essentially decided to punt on signing any notable players from Latin America, a remarkable demonstration of incompetence and poor strategy from the top of the organization. There are no signs of change in 2018, with other teams likely to hit up the Orioles for their bonus pool money in exchange for fringy, longshot minor leaguers.

[Pendleton]

And my favourite

 

Lol, how on earth could they possibly justify this?

Terrible organization that should have a "leave no stone unturned" approach, rather than virtually the opposite.

[Krylian]

And my favourite

 

Lol. This is so good.

[Bobthe4th]

Lol, how on earth could they possibly justify this?

Terrible organization that should have a "leave no stone unturned" approach, rather than virtually the opposite.

 

Their original justification was so they could trade slot money to acquire pitching that was ready sooner to help the team while it’s a contender (I’m not joking). Now.... xenophobia I guess? Make Baltimore Great Again.

[Slade]

Lol, how on earth could they possibly justify this?

Terrible organization that should have a "leave no stone unturned" approach, rather than virtually the opposite.

 

They just have a terrible owner, I'm sure the majority of the people in the organization think it's incredibly stupid but they can't do anything.

[TheHurl]

They just have a terrible owner, I'm sure the majority of the people in the organization think it's incredibly stupid but they can't do anything.

 

Buck did say that numbers guys are ruining baseball again...while managing his team the old school way to a 22-52 record. So not all might think it's stupid.

[Slade]

Anyone know what's the word on the Mesa Brothers?

[metafour]

From Ben Badler's new Top 50 article I take it:

 

 

Born: Nov. 19, 2001 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

 

Scouting Report:

 

While it remains to be seen what happens with Cuban outfielder Victor Mesa, the top signing bonus this year for a 16-year-old international player is expected to go to Martinez, who is projected to sign with the Blue Jays for more than $3 million. Martinez trains with Rudy Santin, whose program last year produced the No. 1 international prospect for 2017, Wander Franco, a switch-hitting Dominican shortstop who consistently dominated at the plate. Martinez isn’t at Franco’s level—there isn’t one 2018 hitter from the Dominican Republic who has clearly separated himself with overwhelming performance—but Martinez stood out for his ability to drive the ball with impact from an early age. Martinez starts his swing with the bat wrapped behind his head, which adds extra length for the barrel to travel, but he has quick hands and keeps them inside the ball well. He has a calm, relaxed swing that generates loft and easy power from right-center field over to his pull side, with the physical projection to develop plus power. Martinez has shown solid game performance in terms of both hitting ability and power, though some scouts have reservations about the adjustability of his swing. Martinez might begin his career at shortstop, but he projects better at third base. A slightly below-average runner, Martinez has soft hands and a strong arm, but he’s a physical player who could grow to 220-230 pounds, with his range better suited for third.

[Pendleton]

Anyone know what's the word on the Mesa Brothers?

 

Last I read they were both expected to be available as part of this summer's IFA crop. Sounds like the older brother (Victor Victor) should be pretty legit, tough to find much info on Victor Jr.

[Spanky99]

From Ben Badler's new Top 50 article I take it:

 

He's got Beltre comps, drools.

[Krylian]

From Ben Badler's new Top 50 article I take it:

 

Not really excited to hear about a 5'11" guy growing to 230 pounds.

[burlingtonbandit]

Are the Jays linked to anyone else in the top 50?

[Krylian]

Are the Jays linked to anyone else in the top 50?

 

Likely not if they're going to blow the majority of their cap on Martinez. We'll probably see a couple of $200K-$300K guy and then a whack of sub $100K dudes.

[Slade]

From Hurls earlier post.

 

Venezuelan catcher Javier D’Orazio and Dominican outfielder Amell Brazoban.

 

 

I think our pool this year was close to $5 Million so there may still be room to extend an offer to one of the Mesa brothers.

[Brownie19]

Buck did say that numbers guys are ruining baseball again...while managing his team the old school way to a 22-52 record. So not all might think it's stupid.

 

Do you think what Buck said in his fangraphs interview was all just BS to try and show he's not a dinosaur?

[L54]

Not really excited to hear about a 5'11" guy growing to 230 pounds.

 

Well he's 16. If he's 230 he's probably 6'3

[Krylian]

Well he's 16. If he's 230 he's probably 6'3

 

Well...let's hope. Actually, I've seen varying reports on his height. I've seen 6'1" and 5'11".

[Krylian]

 

Does this mean what I think it means?

[Krylian]

https://notinotas.blogspot.com/2018/07/orelvis-martinez-un-julio-2-de-us-35-mm.html?m=1

 

Guess this means it will be official on Thursday?

[Boxcar]

And my favourite

 

Lmfao the Orioles are such a gift. That little blip where they weren't completely s***** was annoying but looks like another decade at the bottom is imminent.

[Jimcanuck]

Lmfao the Orioles are such a gift. That little blip where they weren't completely s***** was annoying but looks like another decade at the bottom is imminent.

 

Just like your dynasty teams

[jays4life19]

Lmfao the Orioles are such a gift. That little blip where they weren't completely s***** was annoying but looks like another decade at the bottom is imminent.

 

This quote from this article made me laugh: https://thebaltimorewire.com/2018/07/01/baltimore-orioles-minor-league-pitchers/

 

"The Baltimore Orioles have been painful to watch this year, but there’s reason to have hope when looking at their minor leaguers"

 

lol

[Pendleton]

"The Baltimore Orioles have been painful to watch this year, and there's no reason to have hope when looking at their bottom ten farm system and inexplicable indifference to the international market".

 

I wonder if they're hiring editors.

[MarcoSanchez]

Fun fact Orioles have had more playoff appearances than the Jays in this decade

[glory]

[Daniel Labude]

Love this signing!

[Spanky99]

 

They were always linked as the favourite, nice to see it as official... Yippee!!!

[flafson]

Looks like we aren't registered on any of the other top30, too bad as we still have ~1.5M to spend.