Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada is expected to receive a bonus that will absolutely shatter the previous record for an amateur player — international or domestic — and intrigue surrounding him only figures to grow in the coming months. Here’s the latest on the 19-year-old phenom…
- Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel has an outstanding breakdown of not only Moncada’s showcase in Guatemala yesterday, but of the puzzling, seemingly inexplicable way in which he came to leave Cuba. McDaniel writes that Moncada was seemingly granted permission by the Cuban government to leave the country for Guatemala and is free to return and leave again as he wishes (a bizarre phenomenon also noted earlier this month by MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez). Beyond that, Moncada is being represented by a CPA from St. Petersburg who has never negotiated a baseball contract before and will not enlist the help of any veteran MLB agents. In fact, two agents from the Boras Corporation attempted to attend Moncada’s showcase and were not only denied access, but escorted off the premises by armed guards, McDaniel reports. Moncada’s agent has no desire to make this a story about himself and therefore was not named, McDaniel adds.
- McDaniel, too, has spoken to several executives who expect Moncada’s bonus to land in the $30-40MM range, which would result in a 100 percent luxury tax on all overages, which could lead to a total commitment upwards of $80MM. McDaniel writes that were Moncada not subject to international spending limitations, he’d probably clear $100MM with relative ease. Some scouts, he notes, feel Moncada is more talented than Jose Abreu, Rusney Castillo and Yasmany Tomas. He adds that there are already rumors that the Cubs are looking to again blow way past their bonus pool in 2015, so if Moncada isn’t declared a free agent until after June 15, 2015, Chicago figures to be heavily involved. As it stands, the Cubs and Rangers aren’t eligible to sign a player for more than $250K after blowing past their bonus pools in the 2013-14 spending period.
- The Orioles scouted Moncada at yesterday’s showcase but consider the infielder too expensive, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. As Encina notes, Baltimore’s international bonus pool was roughly $2.253MM, meaning that in order to sign Moncada for $30MM, they’d have to invest more than $57MM once luxury tax is accounted for. Encina’s source for his article said he expects Moncada to sign for “at least” a $25MM bonus.
- MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets that the Angels definitely like Moncada but consider him to be out of their price range. The Halos currently hold the record for a Cuban amateur, having recently given Roberto Baldoquin an $8MM bonus. (Others, such as Abreu and Castillo, were not considered amateurs by the collective bargaining agreement.)
Really expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be in on this. They already blew past their slot.
That’s pretty low Boras there trying to poach players.
Armed guards? Yikes.
I’m in Guatemala right now! Wonder where this is…
Is there going to be some kind of International draft or signing bonus for these players? I know there were talks but is it not happening until the CBA expires? I can’t wrap my head around teams extremely overpaying players who haven’t had any MLB experience. I really hate it.
That’s the free market, buddy.
MLB teams don’t make millions of dollars by giving away money. These organizations are ran by very intelligent businessmen who understand the true value of the players they sign. More often these guys are coming from success in the financial sector and didn’t rise through the ranks by making poor contractual decisions. Who’s overpaid? Puig, Ryu, Darvish, Tanaka, Iwakuma, Jose Abreu, Aroldis, and Cespedes (to name a few of the most recent signings of the top of my head) all look like steals to me. Should teams be giving these 40-80 million contracts to the Michael Bourns or Nick Swishers?
Yankees, Red Sox are ineligible to sign him because hes considered an international amateur free agent because hes under 23. Its part of their penalties for going over their slots in last years international signing period. Really hoping the Mets go after him, but they probably wont.
And your not informed. Yankees and Red Sox can sign him still. This current signing period started in July, and goes until June. They just have to sign him before June.
Actually you are the one not informed. There was an article on MLB.com from when it was first announced that he had left Cuba. It specifically mentioned the Yankees and Red Sox along with i believe the Rays as not being eligible to sign him.
Actually you are the one not informed. When it was first announced he left Cuba there was an article by posted on the MLB website and put on facebook by baseball that specifically mentioned the Yankees and Red Sox as not being eligible. I believe the Rays were also mentioned as not being eligible.
International signing period runs from July 2 to June 15 of the following season. Yankees spent a fortune in the signing period right when it opened up in July of this year. How exactly does that make them ineligible?
For this period the Rangers and Cubs are currently unable to sign him. The Yankees/Rays/Red Sox/Angels would not be able to sign him only if he became cleared to sign after that June 15 deadline.
On MLB’s official website there was an article written by a writer hired by MLB that said they were ineligible. MLB obviously approved of the article and then posted it on it’s official Facebook. MLB is probably about as reliable source as there is on this stuff.