As expected, the A’s have agreed to terms with Cuban teenager Lazaro Armenteros on a $3MM deal, as MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes. (Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote yesterday that the A’s were expected to sign Armenteros.) They also agreed to sign Dominican shortstops Yerdeluis Vargas and Marcos Brito for $1.5M and $1.1M, respectively, as Sanchez also notes. The A’s also added two more high-six-figure players to their signing class in outfielder Kevin Richards ($600K) and third baseman George Bell ($500K).
These moves all but assure that Oakland will take on the maximum penalties for exceeding its cap, which is just over $3.8MM. That will mean that the team won’t be able to spend over $300K for any single prospect for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods. Additionally, the club would pay a 100% overage tax for whatever amount goes over its limits.
Armenteros is, in many ways, in the same situation as the other young players who’ll soon sign. But he has long drawn added attention because of his immense physical tools, Cuban heritage, and perhaps also the recent case of another highly athletic young player from the island in Yoan Moncada.
As Badler explains, the bonus suggests that Lazarito rates as a top traditional July 2 prospect. But he’ll come nowhere near the $31.5MM contract given to Moncada (which cost double that with the penalty). Per the scouting report, Armenteros shows good power and speed, but has a ways to go in developing his hit tool and is likely to end up as a corner outfielder in the long run.
MLB.com ranks Vargas the No. 21 prospect available this signing period, praising his projectable frame, good contact ability and strong arm. Brito ranks No. 23, with MLB.com noting that the switch-hitting 16-year-old has solid bat speed and contact ability. Baseball America rates Richards the 39th-best international prospect available during this signing period, noting in its subscribers-only scouting report he’s very athletic and fast but currently has questionable offensive ability. Bell, who does not appear in either the MLB.com or BA lists, is the son of the former MLB star of the same name.
Interesting signing. So many different views on this guy but 3 million wont break anyone if A’s were already planning on going past their international limits
Your talking about the A’s…. It could break them. That’s a big check for them
Given their $200+ million in annual revenue, $3 million probably won’t break the A’s, or any other team for that matter. Their operating income, which ranks somewhere around the top 10, gives them some flexibility too. Saying $3 million could break the A’s is like saying $6 million could break the Red Sox.
The A’s signed Michael Ynoa for $4.25 million as an international signee in 2008 – that’s roughly $6 million in today’s MLB market, and twice as much as they’ll pay for Lazarito.
They’re paying Billy Butler $11M to be a platoon DH, they paid Jim Johnson $10M, they paid Hiroyuki Nakijima $6M to play at AAA for 2 years….lay off with this narrative, its not 2002 anymore.
Oh and also, Moneyball would have never been written had Jason Giambi not been greedy and wanted a 7th option year. The A’s matched the Yankees deal over 6 years. But no one likes having narratives ruined, the A’s never paid Eric Chavez $66M either, lets ignore all facts!
Moneyball also wouldnt have been written if the Minnesota Twins hadnt first refused the project when it was presented to them.
They should write a book about the Twins rising from oblivion with virtually the same, if not worse, payroll situation, where they went from a decade of irrelevance and being on the verge of being contracted… to ending the Moneyball A’s 20-game win streak and eventually knocking them out of the playoffs in the first round.
Except it’s not 3 millions, but 6 millions because of the penalties for going over their cap.
That being said, it is still worth the gamble, as a Braves fan I would have liked to have him, but obviously our scouts probably think his uppercut swing mechanics won’t translate well to the majors.
As long as its not the Dodgers, Red Sox or Cubs signing all the Cubans, its great for baseball.
100% agree
wait… I thought the Pads were favorites?
Favorites don’t always win, see: Warriors, Golden State, 2016 finals.
Lol good one
Jesus dude!
Dang it. I was hoping the Padres would sign this kid.
Im sure our big splash will be a bunch of 14 year old pitchers out of the Dominican instead. At least he isn’t a Giant.
With a name like that you’d hope he has a cannon. “Lazar Arm”
Try again.
Have fun with him guys… As a Twins (and Padres) fan, couldn’t be happier about this. Thought for sure San Diego was going to super overspend on this kid. Guaranteed fail. Sorry guys, maybe I’m just a little pessimistic.
Well of course your saying that coming from a Twins fan that just signed who’s that guys name from Japan I believe? That just got sent to AAA. Yes I’d say you are just a little but I feel you most of these guys are a bust!
I know most of these guys are a bust. Look at the past decade of international signings. Less than 10% of them make it the majors with even less being impact players. Furthermore, Cubans are known for being hot headed and incredibly stubborn. I have heard many people who work for major league clubs and hate dealing with these kids. But that’s besides the point. If this kid makes it to the Majors, great for him. I have nothing against him. I’m just glad San Diego is going after him.
Sidenote: Park is from Korea and yeah, it kinda sucks.
You’re ignorance is just……… Smh
You hear about the three or four hot heads because they bark the loudest, there are probably a hundred or so Cubans all over MLB and they’re no different than any other of the Latin American Ball Players.
Its just racism at this point. I hate people talking negatively about Cuban people’s personalities or the way the play the game. I think THEY play it the right way. There’s been so many famous elite Cuban players in the history of the game to make it sound like theyre all prima donnas who arent good….smh indeed.
“Less than 10% of them make it the majors with even less being impact players.”
Yeah that goes for literally all pro ballplayers. So dumb to single out a race of people for that. You are right, there’s so many in the game its absolute racism to make sweeping generalizations like that.
*grammar
How about stop posting on your phone then? Your comments are just painful to look at.
He’ll be a great face of someone else’s team when he’s traded for a no 2 starter in a few years.
If he becomes good enough to be traded for a No. 2 starter someday, then this is a steal for the A’s
We are not getting him we are going to sign Kevin maitan
I read. On line Braves where getting both of them.
Like said before . If you read it properly . You would understand . That Braves where going to sign both of them
Pretty sure it’s not the phone
Chris815, hard to read it properly when no one can understand what you’re saying… So you can’t act like it’s his fault for not being able to understand your gibberish that makes zero sense, and once translated, tends to make less sense (I.e. Demarcus Cousins and half of Sacremento to the Wizards for 3 first round picks that involves 8 teams and breaks every trading rule ever).
Yes, because a 16 year old kid should consider outfield openings when making his decision. That will have nothing to do with who he chooses. He’s at LEAST 3 years away (and that’s be EXTREMELY optimistic.
3? lol try 5-7.
He said three at the least… I agree it’ll probably be 5, but he literally said that was in an extremely optimistic scenario.
You have to figure if he is going to the A’s for 3MM then this kid was being way overhyped a few months ago. Expected a much larger bonus.
Completely agree.
How many 16 year olds get megadeals?
Imma get one.
A bunch of kids that weren’t “drawing comparisons” to Willie Mays have already out earned him just today. Sounds like people saw through what his buscones were trying to push.
The A’s have money and lots of it so don’t kid yourself that this is a lot to them. For signing these players its like signing a #4 starter for 1 year of service. Since 3 out of 5 of their starters are at the minimum amount this means nothing to the A’s.
The A’s gave JOHN AXFORD $10M. John Axford. The guy who’s such a headcase he will pitch well for a month then be a gascan for 3 months. He got $10M from them. That moneyball hyperbole is so dated its ridiculous.
So since 2000 the A’s have a .532 win% while the braves have a slightly better .536 win % Either way over 15.5 years that is pretty close. Then we can talk about rings. The Braves have 1 or 3 depending on if you’d like to count both Boston and Milwaukee while the A’s have 4 or 9 depending on if you want to count Philadelphia. If all that history is too old for you since 2012 the A’s have won 381 games while the Braves have won 363. In any scenario, while both teams are a dumpster fire now both fan bases should be able to trust their management to right the ship because they have a strong track record of winning.
Not a single report stated we would get Lazarito. We were in the running way back when, but then Pads became the favorites. Oakland pulled it out at the end.
Braves haven’t had interest since like March…
You are probably the only one that thought that.