Michel Inoa Ignites Three Team Bidding War

A ML deal? Who would be so stupid as to give a 16 year old kid an ML deal?

"There’s no way I’d pay him 4 million. I’d rather sign 100 guys for 40K each than 1 guy for 4 million. I guarantee you that I’d get more major league production out of 100 cheaper guys than one expensive guy."

Doubtful.

This kid has Felix Hernandez level talent.

You can sign as many scrubs as you want, you won't get ace potential out of it.

In a similar vein, you can sign the whole Dominican Republic and not get an Alex Rodriguez level talent.

These guys don't grow on trees.

As a Reds fan I rather see the Reds give this kid 3 to 4 million over seeing the Reds give the same to a hack like Corey Patterson.

Inoa could be something special, Patterson's time in the majors has already proven him to be garbage.

Scout well and pay what it takes to bring in the top talent.

"A ML deal? Who would be so stupid as to give a 16 year old kid an ML deal?" ~AA

The Yankees gave Wily Mo Pena a Major League deal (with a $2.44m signing bonus) at age 16 out of the Dominican Republic in 1998 (some sources list it as 1999). Development is different for pitchers but it's still going to be limiting a player's development in the minors to 3 years (he would only have 3 years where he can be optioned down to the minors without having to clear waivers). It's not good business to invest $3m+ in a player and then essentially force a 3 year time table for him to develop into a major leaguer. Inoa may (or may not) be worth the signing bonus he'll generate but if it comes with a major league deal, he may not ever make much more than that. It's in the team and player's best interest long-term NOT to sign Inoa to a major league deal.

I'm sort of ignorant on the whole major league deal here, but I don't think that it comes with just a 3 year window to develop in the minors.

The major league deal, grants him most of the perks that MLB players get, including union representation. It also forces the team to place the kid on the 40 man roster. However, and I could be wrong, they have to use one of the 3 options to send him to the minors. He can stay there for (I think) either the duration of the contract or 5 years (which ever is less). The team can recall him, using another option year (assuming he's not recalled in his 1st season), and would be left with only 1 more option for another season.

Now I could be completely wrong on this, because there's not alot of easily accessable info on international players signing MLB deals....

Again, he is NOT interested in doing a ML deal. In the above portion it says he is not interested. In the article is says he is having NO PART of a ML deal. Doesn't it make that whole part of the discussion moot?

he wont get a ml contract he is not interested in that but like i said open up the wallet walt and get this kid in the farm system

Schellis,

Does the team have to use the option each year? To me, if they sign him to a MLB deal, they use 1 option on him to place him in the minors. Assuming he stays in the minors for the entire year his 1st pro season, then they won't have to use an option on him again until they add him to the 25 man roster. Unless of course at the beginning of each season they have to option him to the minors.....

In general, option years do not have to run together. It's just a year that a team uses an option on a player to remove him from the 25 man roster.....

i think the reds have a VERY strong chance at getting the kid for a couple reasons

1. the owner has made it a point to spend the money to improve and wants to get more dominican players in the reds system ( see juan duran earlier giving him 2 million or so at the age of 16 )

2. who do most dominican pitchers look up to ? MARIO SOTO and where did soto pitch ? the reds and he works with the young dominican pitchers in the system like volquez and cueto and you know he has or will have a conversation with this kid and try to pursuade him to sign with the reds

i think it comes down to the reds and a's

redsfan,

You really need to calm down. Maybe the reds go for it, maybe not. But your second suggestion is space cadet territory: such sentimentalities rarely have weight when it comes to these things (and who doesn't have good dominican prospects or well known dominican predecessors anyway?)

scatterbrian,

of those three statements, the 'king felix' and 'once in a decade' are assessments of particular people (some in the know, some not) based on projection--and all projections this early have risks. Also, not everyone has so high an opinion, but hardly anyone doubts Inoa could be something special.

So, some teams aren't as impressed, and others may be, but have money going elsewhere to bigger organizational needs (take for instance the giants, who will certainly have to fork over a nice bonus to Posey, and are reportedly set to sign a dominican outfield prospect for over 2 million. Being that power position players is a weakness for then, and pitching not, the direction is clear. One could say similar things about a few other organizations.

Ari,

Yes, it is difficult to see Beane go this hard after a prospect for so long and not come away with him. I wonder if the noise about Beane's level of interest has driven up the price; afterall, if sir billy ball is this impressed...

Laughed out loud at the Mario Soto reference.

Other teams can sit down though, Beane has saved millions upon millions of dollars over the years, this is his 1 guy he wants the owners to shell out decent money to. He will be in the green in gold in 3-4 years, no doubt about it.

"While Inoa would not likely make it to Oakland, we don't know if Fremont will be a Pitchers or Hitters park, but it will not be worse than Texas and probably better than Cincinatti. The A's have a solid history of developing pitchers in their system and bringing them up fast."

Zonis, I'm pretty sure your an A's fan. Not positive. But I'm not sure what you mean by he probably won't make it to Oakland. You could mean a couple of things:

1) Beane trades him. Why would he invest 4+ milion on someone just to trade him. I realize 1st rounders are traded all the time but it doesn't make sense with Inoa.

2) The A's move to Freemont. Just to point out, it's not official that they are moving.

Just wanting some clairifcation. But Reds and Rangers fans calm down, you aren't getting him. But if you do, go ahead and make fun of me forever. Just don't see it happening.

P.S. Hey Tim I'm liking how you are following the foreign player rumors. Could you do it on some of the others too. Like the two Rodriguez.