The Victor Victor Mesa/Sandy Gaston thread

[Flacco Machado]

2 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

He hasn't been cleared yet, he's a Cuban defector.

Thanks. Keeping my fingers crossed the Orioles sign him.

[SteveA]

8 minutes ago, weams said:

I think we were referencing specifically the 16 year old Dominican and Venezuelan signings. I don't think the Orioles ever stopped Dutch spending. 

We signed a ton of Aruban/Dutch players in a short time frame.  Sidney Ponsom, Calvin Maduro, Eugene Kingsale, at least once more.  We went heavy into that one particular international market for a brief time.

[Flacco Machado]

22 minutes ago, weams said:

I'll say again. He determined that the return on investment was poor for the money that was spent. The spending was unbridled until the last CBA. Andy MacPhail opened his eyes to the abuses, subterfuge,  enslavement practices and the PED use in the two major markets after heading the MLB taskforce into the Buscones prior to being hired by Baltimore.

Those two reasons, money and disgust, built the Orioles strategy.

That explains a lot. I wasn't aware of any of that. Thank you.

[weams]

10 minutes ago, SteveA said:

We signed a ton of Aruban/Dutch players in a short time frame.  Sidney Ponsom, Calvin Maduro, Eugene Kingsale, at least once more.  We went heavy into that one particular international market for a brief time.

Jonathan Schoop

[Ripken]

Signing him would probably be the best thing that's happened this entire season so far.

[SteveA]

4 minutes ago, weams said:

Jonnathan Scoop

Yep, I meant that I think there was oneorr Aruban in the same generation as Ponson, Maduro, etc who I am forgetting.

[weams]

Just now, SteveA said:

Yep, I meant that I think there was oneorr Aruban in the same generation as Ponson, Maduro, etc who I am forgetting.

Kingsdale? 

[weams]

1 minute ago, weams said:

Kingsdale? 

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/040326

[weams]

10 minutes ago, SteveA said:

We signed a ton of Aruban/Dutch players in a short time frame.  Sidney Ponsom, Calvin Maduro, Eugene Kingsale, at least once more.  We went heavy into that one particular international market for a brief time.

Oh. You had him. My bad. 

[Hazmat]

55 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Yep, I meant that I think there was oneorr Aruban in the same generation as Ponson, Maduro, etc who I am forgetting.

I believe you are thinking of Ponson's cousin, Radhames Dykhoff.

[sevastras]

I hope we are in this Mesa + Pomares would be huge. That is like getting a top 5 pick and a supplemental first round maybe early second round pick for 5.5. I don’t know if Pomares has a commitment yet though. 

Found a Cuban article in Spanish on Jairo Pomares. The article basically says he is ranked 11th(currently 31) on the prestigious Baseball America international board. Scouts have described his swing as very efficient and fluid. Balanced approach at the plate with an excellent feel for the strike zone. He will develop more power as he matures. 

The projected bonus for Mesa 3.5 million and for Pomares is $1 million. Pomares is almost 18 and Mesa turns 22 this month. That would leave us a million to throw at a couple more 16 year olds or swoop in and take another top 25 prospect for this year. 

I wouldn’t sign any 16 year old pitchers that throw in the upper 90’s, I would go after athletic center fielders and shortstops. If the Orioles did this right, we could have some nice guys between this year and next year which next year is a stacked class. 

[sevastras]

Maybe grab Miguel Tejada Jr and only sign three guys instead of a dozen kids. 

Sorry, just armchair GMing out loud. Too bad my armchair rebuild is better than what will probably materialize. “Give that fan a contract!”

[Can_of_corn]

And they can send a team of Griffins down to pick up the players and save on airfare!

 

I'll be shocked if they sign Mesa and he seems to bypass the stumbling blocks ownership has strewn around when it comes to international signings.  They are not going to make three impact moves.

[sevastras]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

And they can send a team of Griffins down to pick up the players and save on airfare!

 

I'll be shocked if they sign Mesa and he seems to bypass the stumbling blocks ownership has strewn around when it comes to international signings.  They are not going to make three impact moves.

Only Mesa is an impact move, he would be the Orioles top prospect starting the season next year(with our current players not any potentially acquired through trade). Tejada Jr has the pedigree but is a ways out and Pomares is still a work in progress but does have great potential. Add in a top 3 pick in next years a mature draft and prospects from trading machado and we are looking at a decent farm system for the first time in a while. 

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, sevastras said:

Only Mesa is an impact move, he would be the Orioles top prospect starting the season next year(with our current players not any potentially acquired through trade). Tejada Jr has the pedigree but is a ways out and Pomares is still a work in progress but does have great potential. Add in a top 3 pick in next years a mature draft and prospects from trading machado and we are looking at a decent farm system for the first time in a while. 

Compared to what the Orioles usually do, all three would constitute impact moves.