Should DD make a play for Cuban prospect Lazaro Armenteros?

[Creamsicle]

Looks like Bell played in independent ball last year according the bbref page. Not so great either. Definitely the Orioles speed but how did he play in an independant league last year?

I thought no one was independant in Cuba?

[DrungoHazewood]

Looks like Bell played in independent ball last year according the bbref page. Not so great either. Definitely the Orioles speed but how did he play in an independant league last year?

A .787 OPS in the CanAm League at 31 isn't a major league player. I'd put the level of competition there a couple steps below Korea, maybe A ball-ish. None of Bell's Quebec teammates ever made the majors, and only a handful have played in AAA.

[Can_of_corn]

Looks like Bell played in independent ball last year according the bbref page. Not so great either. Definitely the Orioles speed but how did he play in an independant league last year?

No clue and I am certainly not suggesting he is an actual answer.

Just that he is much more the type of Cuban player the O's show interest in.

[DrungoHazewood]

Agreed but my point is that he must have defected last year if he was playing in Canada all summer.

Hasn't Cuba had normalized relations with Canada for a long time? I know Canadians have been able to travel to Cuba for vacations and such for many years. Maybe he was playing for the Quebec Capitales specifically because of that, and maybe he didn't travel with the team to the road games in the US.

[JLee2027]

Yankees and Red Sox are among teams not available to sign him.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/01/cuban-lazarito-armenteros-free-agent-mlb.html

Claims to be 16 years old, but is fully developed at 205 pounds with amazing muscles for a kid. I don't see any body fat.

Either he's really about 20 years old or on steroids. Worrisome.

[pastorfan]

I read that his idol is Cespedes whom he hopes to meet one day. So if you want this kid, then sign Cespedes and it gives you a lot of leverage, IMO.

[DrungoHazewood]

I read that his idol is Cespedes whom he hopes to meet one day. So if you want this kid, then sign Cespedes and it gives you a lot of leverage, IMO.

Or he could just go down to the Newark-area Barnes and Noble from 3-5 on Tuesday and get his autograph, and go sign whomever you want. I think I'd put more faith in infomercial healing magnets than the "sign a buddy" franchise building strategy.

[pastorfan]

Or he could just go down to the Newark-area Barnes and Noble from 3-5 on Tuesday and get his autograph, and go sign whomever you want. I think I'd put more faith in infomercial healing magnets than the "sign a buddy" franchise building strategy.

I didn't say we should want Cespedes or this kid, I just laid out a strategy. But you are right this type of thing never happens. No one ever signs somewhere based on these things. For instance, Vlad's son signing with Toronto had nothing to with his father playing in Canada. It was all just coincidence

[Can_of_corn]

Claims to be 16 years old, but is fully developed at 205 pounds with amazing muscles for a kid. I don't see any body fat.

Either he's really about 20 years old or on steroids. Worrisome.

Or, he's like Reyes and by 19 he's going to be 6'7" and a lot more then 205 pounds.

[Redskins Rick]

Or, he's like Reyes and by 19 he's going to be 6'7" and a lot more then 205 pounds.

Most likely he is still growing, sometimes so, kids do sprout early, I was 6-1 as a 14 year old, and that's when I stopped growing.

[Can_of_corn]

Most likely he is still growing, sometimes so, kids do sprout early, I was 6-1 as a 14 year old, and that's when I stopped growing.

My point was just that while I could see it being a point of interest his size/build doesn't prove anything.

Plenty of football and basketball players are that size at that age.

[scanfish]

Do It

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[DrungoHazewood]

I didn't say we should want Cespedes or this kid, I just laid out a strategy. But you are right this type of thing never happens. No one ever signs somewhere based on these things. For instance, Vlad's son signing with Toronto had nothing to with his father playing in Canada. It was all just coincidence

I'm sure Vlad Jr. signing with the Blue Jays had less to do with money and more to do with the fact his dad played in a different part of Canada for a different team that no longer exists 13 years ago.

[Tx Oriole]

With a limited budget, can't say I'm a fan of spending a lot of money on 16 year olds.

I agree.

[hoosiers]

There is a rare opportunity available internationally given how many teams can't bid on these top guys or the teams that don't spend much at the top of the international food chain (this second group includes the Os). There might only be 6-10 serious bidders on the top guys giving the Os and like-minded teams a chance to land four to six of the top 40 guys.

If one combines that with our draft haul, six of the top 90 picks right now, it becomes possible for the Os to have perhaps their greatest year of talent acquisition in recent memory (save perhaps the seven or so first and supplemental first round picks in the late 90s).

Also, considering how few teams are bidding on these top guys, there is less chance of a bidding war and perhaps there will be more spoils to go around.