Latest on the international market (Perez conf. call)

[interloper]

Just now, scOtt said:

MMMMMM!!!!! Left handers that keep the ball down.

Yeah! Small guy, looks like he does't have great command but he does throw it down. 91 mph with room to grow. I'm not a scout so I know nothing, but I do know he is left-handed. 

[Redskins Rick]

24 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I didn’t have any problem with DD playing his cards close to the vest. He wasn’t a very compelling communicator when he did communicate, however.   And the reports from several people of phone calls not getting returned were disturbing.    

I agree totally, but others in OH, felt the need for DD to keep the fanbase duly informed.

 

[weams]

2 minutes ago, scOtt said:

MMMMMM!!!!! Left handers that keep the ball down.

Seventeen

[weams]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

Yeah! Small guy, looks like he does't have great command but he does throw it down. 91 mph with room to grow. I'm not a scout so I know nothing, but I do know he is left-handed. 

How hard did Josh Hader throw at 17?

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, weams said:

How hard did Josh Hader throw at 17?

No idea. I'll take 91 from a 17 year old lefty though. Matusz only threw 92. 

[Redskins Rick]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

No idea. I'll take 91 from a 17 year old lefty though. Matusz only threw 92. 

With 10+ difference in Heat and other pitches, 92 is just fine.

Control and location, as well as movement on that 92 heat is critical.

[weams]

10 minutes ago, interloper said:

No idea. I'll take 91 from a 17 year old lefty though. Matusz only threw 92. 

Pedro Martinez was smallish.

[weams]

16 minutes ago, interloper said:

No idea. I'll take 91 from a 17 year old lefty though. Matusz only threw 92. 

It is reported

Quote

Beginning his professional career, Hader's fastball velocity increased from 84 to 88 miles per hour (135 to 142 km/h) as a high school player to 94 to 95 miles per hour (151 to 153 km/h) as he changed his workout routine

 

[atomic]

11 minutes ago, weams said:

Pedro Martinez was smallish.

Let's not go there. 

[Redskins Rick]

Just now, atomic said:

Let's not go there. 

Sir, not sure that picture is funny.

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Sir, not sure that picture is funny.

Oh come on.    Regardless of whether you’re for or against the President, that picture is pretty funny.    

[TonySoprano]

23 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Oh come on.    Regardless of whether you’re for or against the President, that picture is pretty funny.    

Politics are verbotten here.  Back on topic.
 

Quote

But the international scouting department was almost completely abandoned. When Fred Ferreira left without fanfare in 2017 — and without any tangible Orioles successes in Latin America — Duquette attempted to piece the department together with the few scouts and administrators he had. But Orioles ownership, led by Peter Angelos, didn’t believe in spending money overseas for various reasons, including the rampant corruption that encompasses a large faction of the international market.

Duquette made a pronouncement in the middle of 2018 that the Orioles would rebuild, and there would be a new commitment to international scouting and development, one championed by Angelos’ sons, John and Louis.

Quote

It hasn’t been announced, but Ayala commanded a six-figure signing bonus; he is at least the seventh international amateur the Orioles have signed this period for $100,000 or more. In contrast, it’s believed the organization signed only one player for $100,000 or more in the 2017-18 period. Furthermore, of those seven signings this period, at least four are from different countries.

Quote

The Orioles continue to possess the most international bonus slot money of any big-league team — roughly in the $4-million-to-$5-million range — which allows them to be in a good position to pluck off any late-blooming amateurs or new entrants into the international pool (such as defecting Cubans) before this period ends in June.

Elias acknowledged, though, that the reality is most of the top talent eligible during the 2018-19 signing period is already gone. The further reality is much of the talent that’s about to sign on July 2, 2019 is also already spoken for. 

Quote

Here’s the good news: Perez, who grew up in New Jersey, is a Dominican native. He has tons of contacts in Latin America and lived there for a spell while working for the Philadelphia Phillies, which has one of the most prestigious international departments in baseball. Elias, who handled international scouting for the Astros, has his own contacts in Latin America. And so does Calvin Maduro, the former Orioles pitcher who grew up in Aruba and has been credited with the signing of Curacao’s Jonathan Schoop for $92,500.

It’s not like Maduro or Ferreira or whomever couldn’t find talent in Latin America. It’s just that they couldn’t afford to buy much of it given the financial constraints and ownership philosophy.

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The Orioles have Maduro as a full-time scout in Latin America. They have Mike Snyder running the organization’s Asian operation (which has yielded talent for the big-league club in the past decade). And that’s about it. Some part-time scouts here and there. By contrast, good international programs have 15, 20 or more scouts, many in full-time roles.

The lack of personnel shows. The Orioles don’t have a true presence (no full-timer) in Venezuela, which boasted the third-highest number of big-leaguers on Opening Day rosters in 2018, behind only the U.S. and the Dominican.

Quote

The Orioles have Maduro as a full-time scout in Latin America. They have Mike Snyder running the organization’s Asian operation (which has yielded talent for the big-league club in the past decade). And that’s about it. Some part-time scouts here and there. By contrast, good international programs have 15, 20 or more scouts, many in full-time roles.

The lack of personnel shows. The Orioles don’t have a true presence (no full-timer) in Venezuela, which boasted the third-highest number of big-leaguers on Opening Day rosters in 2018, behind only the U.S. and the Dominican.

 

 

[Frobby]

Nothing too surprising in the Connolly article.    But I’m taking Elias at his word that his goal is to have the Orioles be “leaders” in the international market.    That won’t happen overnight but hopefully we’ll see steady progress.   

[Redskins Rick]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Nothing too surprising in the Connolly article.    But I’m taking Elias at his word that his goal is to have the Orioles be “leaders” in the international market.    That won’t happen overnight but hopefully we’ll see steady progress.   

I dont have a solid read on Elias at this point, but he doesnt seam the type to pay lip service, to just pay lip service.

He appears to want to be in the international market, it was no secret that Daddy Peter did not agree. Surely, the boys are not of the same opinion and that this subject was discussed before mutually agreeing to a contract as GM here.

[El Gordo]

2 hours ago, atomic said:

Let's not go there. 

Yes but Pedro had freakish long fingers.