Seven teams are interested in Mexican right-hander Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 6'4'' teenager is part of this year's July 2 class, so he will be able to sign exactly one month from today if the Mexican team that controls Heredia's rights makes him available. The Pirates, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays, Rangers and Mariners are interested, but acquiring the 15-year-old pitcher could cost as much as $2MM.
The Pirates have pursued international free agents aggressively under GM Neal Huntington. The club nearly signed Miguel Sano last summer, before the Dominican signed with the Twins. Alex Anthopoulos has also pursued international talent aggressively since taking over as Blue Jays GM last fall.
The kid is 15 years old. Doesn’t anyone have an scruples anymore?
What’s unscrupulous about this? Does signing a player represent a moral dilemma? (Apologies if you’re one of the seven GMs that are considering signing this kid, in which — you’re right.)
Ask yourself in a month if you’d take one Bryce Harper or five of this kid — that’s the number floating around as Harper’s signing bonus. And check to see if you’ve gone to the ballpark, watched or listened to a game. If so, then you’re supporting the problem. Just as I am!
What’s unscrupulous about this? Does signing a player represent a moral dilemma? (Apologies if you’re one of the seven GMs that are considering signing this kid, in which — you’re right.)
Ask yourself in a month if you’d take one Bryce Harper or five of this kid — that’s the number floating around as Harper’s signing bonus. And check to see if you’ve gone to the ballpark, watched or listened to a game. If so, then you’re supporting the problem. Just as I am!
Dude, it takes but one episode of Toddlers and Tiaras to realize your answer is ‘no.’
@Dennis
What do scruples have to do with it?!? The kid would come away with the better part of 2 Million dollars. Are there other job opportunities in Mexico that I’m unaware of that pay so well? Many of these young kids are saving their families with their talents. Is that a lot to put on a 15 year old? Probably, but so is living in poverty, like a lot of the kids taken in the international draft are. These aren’t kids who would be at home sitting on the couch playing their Nintendo DS and eating pizza rolls all day.
I would also note that the Giants have been aggressive in recent years, signing to high bonuses, Angel Villalona, then Rafael Rodriguez, plus they were in on a couple of high bonus babies last season, signing one but eventually voiding it (I think there was a problem that came out when they did his physical). They are reportedly also hotly pursuing Eskarlin Vasquez, who also might get a bonus over $2M.
Oh look, a prospect the Jays are interested in, shock horror 😉 Starting to become a pleasant trend this year.
Jays with their 1:1 scout to player ratio… imagine that!
Unless he’ll play for peanuts, you can count the Dodgers and McCheap out of the running.
If that Pirates pass on Taillon, which looks more and more certain by the day, I hope they can sign this kid.
If that Pirates pass on Taillon, which looks more and more certain by the day, I hope they can sign this kid.
Same here. I don’t mind if they draft Machado, but they need to get legit pitching prospects from somewhere. Neal is delusional if he thinks that teams are just going to give up good pitching prospects for the marginal players that they’ve been dealing out. The only pitcher that could be a potential ace- though this is a stretch- is Bryan Morris. I’ve been disappointed in the Pirates’ lack of signing top international prospects because I always hear about how good they’re scouting is, but they always fail at actually signing the good players.
Same here. I don’t mind if they draft Machado, but they need to get legit pitching prospects from somewhere. Neal is delusional if he thinks that teams are just going to give up good pitching prospects for the marginal players that they’ve been dealing out. The only pitcher that could be a potential ace- though this is a stretch- is Bryan Morris. I’ve been disappointed in the Pirates’ lack of signing top international prospects because I always hear about how good they’re scouting is, but they always fail at actually signing the good players.