The latest international signings…
- The Twins signed right-hander Mauricio Silva for $370K, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports. The 16-year-old Venezuela native had been considered one of the more promising Latin American pitching prospects to become eligible to sign last summer, Badler writes.
- The White Sox signed Venezuelan right-hander Luis Martinez for $250K, Badler reported yesterday. Martinez, who turns 17 this month, can reach 92 mph on the radar gun and also throws a curveball and change-up, Badler reports. This marks the first major international signing for the White Sox since they hired Marco Paddy from the Blue Jays to oversee their Latin American scouting efforts.
Does signing a 16 year old represent a risk, in that many pitchers aren’t ready for the majors until they are about 25, so you might have to put him on your 40-man roster prematurely and then keep him there while he works up through high-A and double-A ball, in order to not lose him?
I’d think it would present a certain amount of risk, but it also represents an obviously valuable talent pool. Another issue is that most teams are involved in Latin America and have players rostered from there at the lower levels. There’s not much risk due to the influx of talent. If a team loses a Latin player when they are unprotected….it is easier to replace them….with so many teams involved down there….it makes that many more players available.
If you sign under 18, aren’t you under control for 5 years? Doesn’t seem like too bad of a risk, seeing as how you should know if they are the real deal or not after so many years.
Anybody got the scouting report for Silva?
I’m hoping that this guy at least has a 93-94 MPH fastball, and not an 89 MPH fastball with good control.
In short, I’m wondering if the Twins are finally getting some power pitcher prospects.
“Though he’s still 15, Silva already has one of the best fastballs in Latin America. A big-bodied righthander with strong shoulders, Silva didn’t have the national attention of fellow Venezuelan righthanders Victor Sanchez or Antonio Senzatela coming into the year, but his stock has risen with his fastball velocity. He pitches in the low 90s and has topped out at 93 mph with heavy sink. He also flashes a power curveball in the high 70s with occasional hard bite. His changeup gets mixed reviews, but he shows a feel for the pitch with some deception. Silva will have to wait to sign until he turns 16 on July 24.”
Copied and pasted from the twinkietown blog. Sounds pretty promising to me.
That guy already sounds better than most of the guys in the Twins’ rotation.
That guy already sounds better than most of the guys in the Twins’ rotation.
nice.
Hope he’s actually 16.