The Dodgers have indeed agreed upon a $16MM bonus with Cuban right-hander Yadier Alvarez, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (links to Twitter). That is expected to be the single largest payout given a single player on this year’s international market and is the second-largest bonus ever given to an international amateur, trailing only Yoan Moncada’s $31.5MM bonus with the Red Sox. Alvarez is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council and Rick Thurman, Rafael Nieves and Nelson Montes.
Alvarez popped onto the scene earlier this year with a big fastball and exciting slider. He has drawn some mixed reviews, but obviously the Dodgers are believers. The opportunity to sign Alvarez, among other players, was cited as a primary reason that the organization declined to top the Red Sox’ offer for Yoan Moncada this spring.
In the eyes of Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, Alvarez was the best player available on the basis of his mid-to-upper nineties heater, plus slider, and promising change. He also possesses good athleticism and good overall physical tools, leading McDaniel to believe that he has a good chance of harnessing his stuff. Ben Badler of Baseball America expresses more concern with Alvarez’s lack of a track record and current tendency toward being wild, explaining that there is plenty of risk to go with the obvious upside.
Los Angeles has also agreed with outfielder Starling Heredia on a $2.6MM bonus and with infielder Ronny Brito on a $2MM bonus, per Sanchez. Those players, both hailing from the Dominican Republic, also rated amongst the thirty best international prospects available according to most analysts. MLB.com placed Heredia fifth on its list, citing his “raw power and projectable body.” McDaniel had Brito in the 15th place on his board, noting that he has the upside to develop into a prospect on the order of J.P. Crawford if he can pair a useful bat with good speed and fielding ability.
With just these three signings alone, Los Angeles will easily land well over its fairly meager international spending allocation of $2,020,300. Every dollar spent above that mark will be taxed at a 100% rate, meaning the Dodgers are already nearing $40MM in total obligations.
Money money money!
Buying a farm system. What a disgrace.
Right, the Dodgers invented this system.
This system has been as long as Branch Rickey implemented it for the Cardinals. It’s just matured. It’s not as the Dodgers invented this system, nor should it really matter.
The irony is the Dodgers’s legendary farm and scouting system was run into the ground by two team owners who didn’t understand its value, but I don’t recall anyone back then (other than Dodger fans) calling that a disgrace. But now that the team has owners who understand baseball, the rebuilding of the farm system becomes a disgrace. Funny how that works.
What do you expect them to do? Beg for a farm system?
MLB needs an International Draft, now. It’s sad that International prospects can get much more money than US prospects. Seems unfair.
To a certain extent, it is unfair. However, a lot of these guys get little money compared to most top prospects in the US.
An international draft would help, but what MLB really needs is more revenue sharing. If team resources were more evenly balanced, at least some the other disparities would take care of themselves.
Absolutely not. It’s pretty ridiculous that US talents have their market restricted to one single team – no sense in forcing the same on international players.
The concept of a draft – ie you will play for who we tell you to play for (or no one at all), and you will get paid this amount, is so ingrained into US sports that it’s hard to see how unfair it is.
No wonder loyalty to a team is such a rare thing – players are told who they have to represent until they “qualify” for the right to choose.
Imagine coming out of college and being told you must work for a certain firm, in a city you’ve never had anything to do with, for a capped amount of money, and it’s years before you get to go where you actually want to.
Some people approach fairness by the philosophy winners should lose. I would take a style where losers win.
International prospects receive perhaps miniscule amounts compared to market value to start while a lot of US prospects are far less.
The Braves just bought Touki Toussant for 10 million and it was considered a steal while Touki received miniscule portions comparatively.
The draft killed baseball in Puerto Rico. They need to figure out what went wrong there before implementing it elsewhere.
Any word on Andy Ibanez? Have not seen anything on him since early June when he switched agents.
I was wondering the same thing. According to McDaniel at Fangraphs he is ranked as the No. 40 international prospect and is projected to receive a bonus of $700,000.
Remember when the dodgers had the MCourts, now no one comments on that. they wouldn’t spend a dollar now that they spend everyone complains.
We could have had David Price and Paul Goldschmidt [drafted by Dodgers] with generous bonuses.
Anyone calling for international draft is showing off their ignorance to how baseball actually works. Kiley’s written about it before but there’s a reason baseball hasn’t instituted a J2 Draft, it would kill baseball in these countries. What works for our economic system isn’t what’s best for other systems.
Really? So that means Rob Manfred is showing off his ignorance of how baseball actually works when he speaks in favor of it. The fact is, nobody in MLB is worried about killing baseball in any of these countries. Those players can be signed by MLB teams as young as 16 years old already, and all the best ones are. The reason we don’t have an international draft is because it would be impossibly complex to implement and the MLBPA is opposed.
Manfred is only interested in increasing baseballs revenue streams not the health of the talent stream. MLB could impliment a international draft it’ds not complex at all. Go read some writer much better than myself on the subject like Kiley Mcdaniel. Then you’d be less ignorant on the truth of this situation.
Sorry, but this makes no sense at all. But then I suppose it is pretty tough to explain how baseball not only survives but thrives in countries where players can be signed by the highest bidder at age 16, but would be destroyed if they could only be drafted at age 18.
I think that a draft will happen and it may kill off baseball in those countries and the current system probably contributes against baseball in america too.
Owners do not care because profits are short term.
Players from countries outside the current draft system can sign with MLB teams as young as 16 years old, but some of those countries (the DR in particular) continue to be baseball factories.
Go read about baseball in Puerto Rico, kid.
Go read about baseball in the DR, pal.
You’re exactly right.