Two part Melewski interview with AM about international operations.

[Frobby]

He's avoiding all Latin American talent that get a bonus north of $300K as far as I can see.

How many players is that? Not a rhetorical question, I am curious how many international players get $300 k bonuses each year.

[LookitsPuck]

Neftali Feliz

Braves in 2005 - $100,000

Elvis Andrus

Braves in 2005 - $500,000

Michael Pineda

Mariners in 2006 - ????

[LookitsPuck]

Only very recently have latin american bonuses gone north of $4 million, which is why using that as some sort of statement figure for "big bonuses" is a little disingenuous.

Right, but just putting this information out there for people to chew on.

[El Gordo]

What I have a difficult time understanding is why someone who had to chopse between spoending 4M on a 16 YO kid from the DR, who's age and name on his passport could be questionable, who has been essentially bred(and fed steroids?) and trained to give impressive workouts in order to garner a big bonus, mostly to the profit of his buscone, and who has hardly, if at all played in organized competition, and whom you haven't been able to observe extensively in either a workout setting or a competive one, or a 20 YO college kid in the rule 4, who has been playing organized baseball since 8 and exposed to eperienced and knowledgeable coaches, the likes of Tony Gwynn,etc., whose objective was developing winning baseball players, and who you have extensively scouted since high school,both in workouts and competition, and also for whom you have amassed a body of statistical information, you would choose the rule 4 college kid, when you could tear off your sweater vest, exposing the hairy chest of a highstakes roller and bet on the kid from the DR......:scratchchinhmm:

[The Maestro]

I am not so sure you are right here. It is obvious that the international market has changed a lot just in the last few years. It is by no means clear that the teams who have bid up the cost of a handful of high-priced prospects are going to be happy with those investments five years from now.

I want to make my position on this crystal clear -- I am not saying that MacPhail is correct. But the fact that he isn't choosing to do what some other teams are doing certainly doesn't make him wrong. Only time will tell.

And, it is too simplistic to say, "the Orioles have poor record in bringing in Latin American talent, therefore MacPhail must be doing it wrong." MacPhail hasn't been here that long, and the main results of his Latin strategy won't be known for several more years.

Again, I'm not defending the strategy, just saying that we don't really know yet if it is right or wrong.

I understand what you're saying, but if what we've been doing for the past 4+years under AM and 10 years before that isn't working, at what point do you roll the dice and take a chance? What's there to lose really other than the money to sign another past their prime FA that isn't a part of the future anyways. JMO.

[JTrea81]

How many players is that? Not a rhetorical question, I am curious how many international players get $300 k bonuses each year.

Well count all the signings this year. I think most of them are $300+ K.

The Pirates have 3 thus far.

Here's a link as of July 4:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/07/july-4-international-signings-roundup/

15 out of 20 on that list.

[Stotle]

What I have a difficult time understanding is why someone who had to chopse between spoending 4M on a 16 YO kid from the DR, who's age and name on his passport could be questionable, who has been essentially bred(and fed steroids?) and trained to give impressive workouts in order to garner a big bonus, mostly to the profit of his buscone, and who has hardly, if at all played in organized competition, and whom you haven't been able to observe extensively in either a workout setting or a competive one, or a 20 YO college kid in the rule 4, who has been playing organized baseball since 8 and exposed to eperienced and knowledgeable coaches, the likes of Tony Gwynn,etc., whose objective was developing winning baseball players, and who you have extensively scouted since high school,both in workouts and competition, and also for whom you have amassed a body of statistical information, you would choose the rule 4 college kid, when you could tear off your sweater vest, exposing the hairy chest of a highstakes roller and bet on the kid from the DR......:scratchchinhmm:

Why are you choosing between the two? No one outside of the 1st Round has ever received a $4million bonus. You aren't spending that money on some mythical, safe college arm that drops to the lower round. It's simply a different avenue of talent acquisition.

It's an easy choice when you pretend like you can only have one or the other, but EVERY OTHER TEAM in the AL East has found ways to invest in BOTH the Rule 4 and internationally.

[Frobby]

Well count all the signings this year. I think most of them are $300+ K.

Where would I find them?

[Frobby]

Where would I find them?

To answer my own question, the top 30 signing bonuses in 2010 all were $475 k or more. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2011/2611344.html

[JTrea81]

To answer my own question, the top 30 signing bonuses in 2010 all were $475 k or more. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2011/2611344.html

Bingo. And teams like the Indians, Pirates, Astros are doing this.

[NewMarketSean]

The one question I wished he had asked was the one about being careful spending 4-5M on international players but wasting twice as much on risky aging FA.

You'd think any reporter worth their salt would ask that question. And upped ante and asked why he wasted that money on players who were clearly on a decline (Atkins, Lee, Guerrero, etc) and players who are expensive and cost draft pick (Gonzalez).

[Frobby]

Why are you choosing between the two? No one outside of the 1st Round has ever received a $4million bonus. You aren't spending that money on some mythical, safe college arm that drops to the lower round. It's simply a different avenue of talent acquisition.

It's an easy choice when you pretend like you can only have one or the other, but EVERY OTHER TEAM in the AL East has found ways to invest in BOTH the Rule 4 and internationally.

In 2010, the Rays spent $1.73 mm internationally, the Sox spent $1.64 mm, the Orioles spent $1.18 mm. The Yankees ($5.27 mm) and Jays ($4.18 mm) were much higher. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2011/2611345.html We spent more in the Rule 4 draft than the Rays (by $2 mm) and the Yankees (by $2.5 mm). http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2010/08/bonus-expenditures-2008-10/

The Orioles have the lowest number of international prospects in their organizational top 30 of any team in the majors (3 of their top 30). http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/03/evaluating-international-signings-points-to-farm-system-health/

[El Gordo]

Why are you choosing between the two? No one outside of the 1st Round has ever received a $4million bonus. You aren't spending that money on some mythical, safe college arm that drops to the lower round. It's simply a different avenue of talent acquisition.

It's an easy choice when you pretend like you can only have one or the other, but EVERY OTHER TEAM in the AL East has found ways to invest in BOTH the Rule 4 and internationally.

You've got 4 M to spend; you can have Sano or spend on a fIrst round college kid. Now taking that 4 M and spreadiing it around the DR at 2 or 300,000K a clip is another matter. Isn't MacPhail saying he's doing the latter? If he's going to drop 4M on one player, why prefer the 16 YO DR kid, to the rule 4 college kid?

[Frobby]

You've got 4 M to spend. you can have Sano or spend on a forst round college kid. Now taking that 4 M and spreadiing it around the DR at 2 or 300,000K a clip is another matter. Isn't MacPhail saying he's doing the latter?

He's not spending anywhere near $4mm down there.

[Can_of_corn]

You've got 4 M to spend; you can have Sano or spend on a fIrst round college kid. Now taking that 4 M and spreadiing it around the DR at 2 or 300,000K a clip is another matter. Isn't MacPhail saying he's doing the latter? If he's going to drop 4M on one player, why prefer the 16 YO DR kid, to the rule 4 college kid?

Then you can not sign Vlad and have another 7.6 Million to play with.